Breitling Navitimer B19 Chronograph 43 Perpetual Calendar automatic anthracite dial leather strap 43 mm

Breitling Navitimer B19 Chronograph 43 Perpetual Calendar: the icon at its peak

Last year, Breitling celebrated its 140th anniversary by unveiling an exceptional movement: the manufacture Calibre B19, the brand’s first perpetual calendar chronograph. Initially reserved for limited editions in precious metals, this calibre now joins the permanent collection in a particularly anticipated version: the Navitimer B19 Chronograph 43 Perpetual Calendar in steel and platinum.

With its anthracite dial inspired by the depth of space, this reference PB1921251B1P1 embodies a new dimension of the Navitimer: more technical, more sophisticated, yet always true to its DNA.

The Navitimer: THE pilot’s watch

The link between Breitling and aviation is above all a story of passion. Passion for flight, for precision, for adventure. This passion, shared by pilots and Breitling’s watchmakers, gave rise to exceptional watches designed for aviation enthusiasts around the world. In 1937, the brand established the Huit Aviation production department, dedicated to manufacturing timing instruments for the RAF and its Allies, products that had to be transported clandestinely from neutral Switzerland to France and the United Kingdom.

In 1952, the brand created an innovation that left a lasting impression and would become the world’s first pilot’s watch equipped with a circular slide rule: the Navitimer. Intended for the world’s largest pilots’ club, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), it became the official watch of its members once production began two years later.

Presented as an “on-board computer,” the Navitimer (a contraction of the English words navigation and timer) revolutionized the pilot’s chronograph through its ability to perform all necessary flight calculations, including average speed, distance traveled, fuel consumption, rate of climb and descent, and the conversion of miles into kilometers or nautical miles. The watch’s fame extended far beyond aviation: celebrities of the era, such as musician Miles Davis and Formula 1 drivers Jim Clark and Graham Hill, also wore the famous Navitimer.

In 1962, it even became the first Swiss wristwatch to travel into space, on the wrist of astronaut Scott Carpenter during the orbital flight of NASA’s Aurora 7 capsule.

Steel and platinum: an aesthetic inspired by the cosmos

The Breitling Navitimer B19 Chronograph 43 Perpetual Calendar is a timepiece that inspires admiration through its complexity and refined aesthetics. This watch, which combines a chronograph with a perpetual calendar, comes in a 43 mm stainless steel case, whose dimensions (49 mm lug-to-lug and 15 mm thick) ensure a comfortable presence on the wrist.

Its anthracite dial evokes the silence and vastness of space. Dense and rich in information, it nevertheless retains remarkable legibility thanks to a perfectly controlled layout:

• Framed subdials adding depth and structure
• Perpetual calendar display harmoniously integrated
• Moonphase positioned at 12 o’clock, like a celestial marker
• Contrasting black slide rule for optimal readability

The bidirectional platinum bezel, a strong signature of this model, adds brilliance and sophistication while preserving the Navitimer’s iconic functionality.

Despite the complexity of its indications, the dial remains balanced and faithful to the collection’s instrument spirit — a true design achievement.

This version is offered on a brown alligator leather strap.

The B19 calibre: mastery of high complication

Breitling is one of the few independent watchmaking houses to produce its own manufacture movements. It began this journey in 2009 with the Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01, then gradually expanded its range of chronograph calibres: the B02 with a 24-hour function, the B03 split-seconds and the B04 with a GMT function. Many other innovations followed. The new Calibre B19 is the brand’s first exclusive perpetual calendar movement and, true to its DNA, it is also a chronograph. Equipped with a full calendar and a moonphase, it automatically adjusts for 28-, 30- and 31-day months, as well as leap years, ensuring optimal operation for nearly a century without any major adjustment. To top it all off, it offers a comfortable power reserve of approximately 96 hours.

In terms of construction, it is based on the B01, with a column wheel and vertical clutch for optimal operation. And as with all Breitling watches, this movement is COSC-certified as a chronometer. In addition to the rigorous independent precision tests required to obtain COSC certification, the B19 calibre is subjected to a 16-year aging simulation that includes, among other things, 100,000 crown windings, 3,456,000 rotor turns and 60,000 shocks at 500G.