Breitling Navitimer: The Complete Collector's Guide
Breitling's flagship chronograph, in continuous production since 1952. Developed with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Navitimer was the first wristwatch with an integrated circular slide rule bezel capable of performing fuel burn, airspeed, and distance calculations. The Ref. 806, powered by a Venus 178 column-wheel caliber, established the template. Current production runs the in-house Caliber B01 (column wheel, vertical clutch, 70-hour reserve, COSC-certified) in 41mm, 43mm, and 46mm case sizes. Astronaut Scott Carpenter wore a modified 24-hour version into orbit aboard Mercury-Atlas 7 in 1962, three years before Omega reached the Moon. Pre-owned B01 models (Ref. AB0138, 43mm) trade between $6,100 and $7,500, making them one of the strongest values in Swiss in-house chronographs. Vintage 806 AOPA-dial examples command $8,000 to $15,000 and are appreciating steadily.
We can source this
3 references we can source through our network.
Specifications
History
The Navitimer was born in 1952 when Willy Breitling adapted the circular slide rule (first seen on Breitling's 1942 Chronomat wristwatch)into a dedicated pilot's chronograph. The AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association), the largest pilots' organization in the United States, approached Breitling to create a specialized wrist instrument for its members. The result was Reference 806, a 41mm chronograph with a rotating bezel featuring two logarithmic scales that could perform multiplication, division, and unit conversions. Early production carried the AOPA winged logo on the dial and was distributed exclusively through the association. The watch was an immediate sensation among professional aviators, for the first time, a pilot could calculate fuel consumption, true airspeed, rate of climb/descent, and distance conversions without pulling out a physical E6B flight computer.
Iconic References
Buying Guide
- • Pilots and aviation enthusiasts (obviously)
- • Anyone who appreciates mechanical complexity and visible engineering
- • Collectors building a serious chronograph collection
- • People who want an in-house chronograph movement without paying Rolex/Patek prices
- • The person who's tired of seeing Submariners everywhere
- • Watch nerds who want conversation starters: everyone asks about the slide rule
Pricing & Market Data
Retail MSRP
Pre-Owned Market
Market Trajectory
Steel Navitimer B01s traded at 75-85% of MSRP on secondary market through 2024-2025. The correction from the 2021-2022 speculative bubble has stabilized. Prices are healthy and sustainable. Vintage 806s continue to appreciate 5-10% annually.
Investment Grade
B+ (modern steel) / A (vintage 806 AOPA) / C+ (modern gold: buy to enjoy, not invest)
Best Value Pick
AB0138 (Navitimer B01 43mm in steel), the sweet spot of size, movement, and price. Pre-owned at $6,500 with box/papers is one of the best values in Swiss chronographs.
Comparisons
Cultural Significance
Collector's Lore
The Navitimer has a secret language among collectors. 'Small beads' or 'large beads' refers to the bezel edge profile and instantly dates a vintage 806: small beads are earliest and most valuable. 'Twin jet' refers to the Breitling logo variant with two small aircraft silhouettes flanking the winged B, placing the watch in the early-to-mid 1960s. 'Reverse panda' (black dial, white subdials) is the most collected dial configuration. The Cosmonaute variant (with its 24-hour dial made for Scott Carpenter)is a grail for space enthusiasts, especially since Breitling beat Omega to space by three years (Carpenter orbited in 1962; the Speedmaster went to the Moon in 1969, but the Navitimer Cosmonaute was in space first). Perhaps the most romantic detail: Willy Breitling personally corresponded with AOPA to understand exactly what calculations pilots needed, then engineered the bezel scales to match real-world flight scenarios. This wasn't a marketing exercise. It was genuine tool design, made by people who understood that a pilot's watch isn't jewelry, it's equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Guides
Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope
The Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope is the watch that put three vintage measuring scales back on a modern Speedmaster and ...
Read guide →IWC Schaffhausen IWC Big Pilot's Watch
The IWC Big Pilot's Watch is the cathedral of pilot watches, a 46mm monument to aviation heritage that traces its DNA di...
Read guide →Rolex Rolex Cosmograph Daytona
The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, introduced in 1963 and named for Rolex's association with the Daytona International Speedw...
Read guide →Tudor Tudor Black Bay Chrono (79360N, 79350, 79310N) Buyer's Guide | Ultimate Watch
The Tudor Black Bay Chrono is the watch that answered a question collectors had been asking for years: what happens when...
Read guide →Breitling Breitling Aerospace Buying Guide, Specs, and Prices | Ultimate Watch
The Breitling Aerospace is the watch that quietly does more than almost anything else on your wrist, and it does it from...
Read guide →Breitling Breitling Avenger Guide: References, Specs, Prices | Ultimate Watch
The Breitling Avenger is the brand's tactical tool line: oversized, high-contrast, water-resistant to 300 meters across ...
Read guide →Own a Breitling?
We buy Breitling watches at competitive prices. Fast payment, no obligation quote.