Breitling created the Navitimer, a pilot’s chronograph with a circular slide rule, in 1952.
Breitling developed the Navitimer with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, or AOPA. Its name combines “navigation” and “timer.” The watch’s rotating bezel and logarithmic slide rule could help pilots perform calculations involving fuel consumption, air speed, distance and rate of climb.
The Navitimer grew from Breitling’s earlier Chronomat, which also used a slide-rule bezel. Unlike a simple timing bezel, the Navitimer’s scale was designed for mathematical operations when paired with the fixed inner scale. The watch also retained a conventional chronograph for measuring elapsed time.
The Navitimer is a navigation instrument in historical design terms, not a modern electronic flight computer. Pilots today generally rely on digital avionics and navigation systems, while the watch remains valued for its recognizable technical appearance and aviation history.