2019 has been a big year for Breitling. With the Swiss luxury watchmaker, most renowned for its pilots’ watches, releasing new models in the Avenger, Aviator 8, SuperOcean, and Premier collections, the brand has undergone a refreshing year across all its collections, in a manner incredibly uncommon among manufacturers of its size. One of the most unexpected releases has been in the flagship Navitimer collection, with the release of the non-chronograph Automatic 41.

The original Navitimer was released in 1952 as an evolution of the 1942 Chronomat. This was the Navitimer 806 and it quickly became an icon in the pilot-watch category for its fascinating dial and slide-rule bezel. Since then, and especially in the modern era, the Navitimer has become a symbol of Breitling?s historical prestige in aviation. This newest model, the Automatic 41, works to carry on this legacy in a new and transformative format by moving the series away from its intense connection to the chronograph.
The new watch, as its name implies, is a 41-mm watch with an automatic caliber. The watch is available in two case variations, one in all steel with a choice of black, blue, or silver dials, and the other with a steel case and rose-gold bezel, which is available with either a silver or anthracite dial. The case style will be familiar to fans of the Navitimer, with its elongated lugs, sturdy signed crown, and, most importantly, a beaded bidirectional bezel controlling the famous slide-rule scale. ...