The Appeal and History of the Breitling Navitimer Fighters
The History of the Breitling Navitimer Fighters
The Breitling Navitimer Fighters, reference number A13330, was released as a limited edition product from 2001 to 2004 to commemorate the 1952 Navitimer chronograph that became the Official Watch of the Association of Owners and Pilots of the Americas (AOPA).
Swiss watch maker Breitling began manufacturing the Navitimer in 1952, with the first Navitimer apparently being released in 1954.
The chronograph was equipped with a special "navigation system" with a slide rule bezel that allowed the pilot to make all the necessary calculations during the flight.
This was the world's first chronograph.
The Fighters' face is made of scratch-resistant mineral crystal with an anti-reflective coating, and the Jubilee-style stainless steel link bracelet band features a dual-fold folding clasp.
It has a pull-out winding crown and round chronograph pushers.
The back is engraved with the words "Chronograph/Chronometer Certified/Water Resistant for Daily Use" and the serial number. It also features a fighter badge and six of the most famous fighter planes from World War II, including the P-51 Mustang, Curtiss P-40, Yakovlev, Messerschmitt, Corsair, and Mustang.
The appeal of Fighters watches
It features a 40mm case, beautifully curved lugs, bracelet and bidirectional rotating bezel with an incised design, all of which are satin-finished.
The silver bezel is the "navigation system," an aviation slide rule that can calculate flight plans.
It has a reverse panda dial with a recessed subdial and is silver with black Arabic numeral markers and 1/5 second markers around the minute.
It has a 30-minute counter at the 12 o'clock position, a seconds counter at the 9 o'clock position, and a 12-hour counter at the 6 o'clock position.
The luminous steel hour markers are bar indexes, luminous hour and minute hands that taper to the needle tips, a central chronograph hand marked with a red arrow, the balance weight marked with the Breitling logo, and a date window at the 3 o'clock position.
It is water resistant to 30 meters and can be used for up to 42 hours. The 14mm thick case, dial, and movement are all engraved.
Model A13330 is powered by an automatic Breitling Caliber 13 (ETA-based/Valjoux 7750) movement.
Decorated with rhodium plating, it has 25 jewels, a shock absorber and a straight-line lever escapement, and oscillates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), ensuring precise timekeeping.
