The Breitling Navitimer: Precision in Flight

The Summer months are a time to take to the skies and explore exciting far-off places, getting some well deserved R&R (and a tan!) - but for some aviation enthusiasts, flying is a year-round source of fun. In this month’s auction, we have a watch that was involved in one of Dublin Airport's most peculiar stories.

Pilot Peter Jones landed safely on the runway in Dublin Airport after a short trip from Liverpool. Jones had one passenger in his plane, Jim Burbidge, who was an avid flier himself and also held a pilot's licence. We are all accustomed to waiting until it is safe to do so before departing an aircraft, but for these gentlemen they had to wait a little longer than normal.

Just as Jones’ single-engined Champion Tri-Traveller had landed, a Boeing 707 was also on the taxi-ing apron. As the two-passenger aircraft passed behind the 145ft jet, it got caught in a slipstream and was sent 30 feet down the runway on its roof! The main concern for the two men was not that they would be injured but that they could smell fuel spilling from the tank and that it may catch fire. Luckily the two men came out of the accident unscathed, and the only damage caused was to the plane itself. The aircraft had to then be flipped onto its nose and then back onto its wheels by a large group of people who had witnessed the incident.

Jim Burbidge, the passenger of the plane, was wearing a Breitling Navitimer during the event. Mr. Burbidge bought the watch in 1968. It has remained in the family ever since and will be offered at auction with O’Reilly’s on 30^th April. This model of watch is still the primary timepiece favoured by pilots across the globe as it allows them to perform all necessary calculations for a safe flight simply by checking their wrist. The Navitimer was originally produced solely for the use of members of the US Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and did not feature the Breitling logo or ‘806’ on the back of the case as we see today. The watch was re-released in 1956 as a commercial product for the brand, featuring the key details we are familiar with. In 1965, the Navitimer came to feature the ‘twin-jet logo’ which can be seen on Lot 240, just below the number 12. Initially, when manufactured for the AOPA the dial featured oversized Arabic numerals but in 1957 additional dials were added to the watch face and only the number 12 remained. The bezel also changed from the original beaded edge to serrated.

The Breitling Navitimer is arguably the most notable model to come from the brand and is still popular with pilots, and watch enthusiasts, the world over. This watch in particular has lived a fascinating life with many stories to tell! Could you be the next to bring it on an adventure?