Breitling Learning Center

The Breitling Navitimer 01, for example, is a favorite of pilots which features the caliber 01 that has a power reserve of 70 hours (minimum). The timepiece has a black dial that is complemented by the red seconds hand and silver chronograph counters. That said, one of the most important functions of the Navitimer 01 is that it can be used to carry out processes like currency conversion, multiply and divide numbers, calculate speed and production rate, and determine gas consumption.

Breitling watches should be serviced every 2-4 years to ensure that the timepiece runs smoothly. The services are to prevent the watch from breaking due to reasons such as an insufficient lubricant, worn pieces, faulty seals, and reduced water-resistance capabilities.

There are different Breitling watches like the Navitimer (Twin Sixty), Cosmonaute, Chronomats, and Montbrilliant. Still, the Navitimer (namely, the Twin Sixty) and Chronomats are personal favorites of most people (though, you might disagree). The Navitimer Twin Sixty is the most popular if you're looking for an iconic timepiece while the Chronomats are simply the most popular in terms of sales. Both have thousands of counterfeits and you'll even find watches with their design but with a different brand name.

Locating the serial number of Breitling watches is easy. In the case of Breitling watches with metallic bracelets, you'll find the serial number on the bracelet itself (likewise the model). On the other hand, if the Breitling timepiece features a rubber strap, the serial number will be on the back of the watch instead (case back) since users might change the strap. Alternatively, if the serial numbers are not found in the previous locations, you'll find it on the case itself.

A list of pros for each brand would do well to treat this particular question. In the case of Breitling timepieces:

Pros of the Breitling brand:

• Most Breitlings are more affordable than Rolex watches'
• Breitling timepieces are made for professionals such as pilots, astronauts, search and rescue personnel
• Breitling watches come with a wide variety of straps and metal braceles.
• Breitling feature more quartz models that require less maintenance and more precision than mechanical watches
• Compared to Breitling, Rolex do not have a lot of limited/special edition watches which affects sense of variety

Pros of the Rolex Brand:

• The resale value of Rolex timepieces is more consistent and better than most other luxury watches brand
• Their collection is filled with timepieces that possess a lot of diamonds
• Rolex is the number one (arguably or otherwise) recognized brand of luxury watches world-wide (partly due to iconic timepieces)
• They have numerous patented innovations such as Osterflex bracelets, Triplock locking crown, and Oysterlock

As with topics such as this, there's simply no personal best to be had. It all falls on user preference at the end of it all. A wearer might like the diamond bezels that are featured by Rolex and will most likely consider it better than a Breitling watch due to that very reason. Alternatively, affordability is a powerful incentive that can convince wearers to prefer Breitling timepieces over Rolex made ones.

To purchase a genuine Breitling watch, you need to stick with a reputable watch dealer such as Wingate's Quality Watches. Wingate’s has been established as a trustworthy and user-friendly independent timepiece dealer since 1976. Wingate’s offers the most exquisite luxury timepieces such as Patek Philippe, Cartier, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and A. Lange & Sohne at competitive prices that have further complemented by their exceptional customer service.

Setting a Breitling watch like the Colt Quartz is relatively easy once you know there are three positions to the crown. All you have do is:

1. Carefully unscrew the crown in an anti-clockwise direction
2. Pull the crown to position two and adjust the calendar to the day before you're setting the time. i.e if today is the 23rd of March, set the date to 22nd
3. Now, pull the crown to position three and turn the hands till the date shifts from 22nd to 23rd. After that, you can adjust the hands to your preferred hour(s) and minute(s)
4. Push the crown back into position one and gently tighten it clockwise (opposite of step 1) until you feel a bit of a resistance. Do not force the crown to turn after you feel the resistance

You cannot just set the date and time without going through the steps above because you could damage the date wheel. The date wheel inside the watch requires you to first set the time before the date.

Tip: You'll hear a clicking sound every time you move from one position to the other. You should not hear a sound when you unscrew the crown.

As the name implies, the Breitling Emergency is a timepiece that releases a distress signal whenever the wearer has an emergency. To go deeper, the Breitling Emergency is the first watch in the world of horology to feature a 121.5 MHz locator homing beacon for the purpose of communicating with the search and rescue (SAR) services. In fact, the new Emergency also features a 406MHz frequency on top of the original 121.5 MHz. The 406MHz guarantees a longer range and better accuracy than the 121.5 MHz frequency which although is obviously weaker, is still in use.

Using it in Case of Emergencies

In the case of an emergency, in which you need to activate the beacon on the Breitling Emergency, firstly remove the timepiece from your wrist and then unscrew the antenna caps (counter-clockwise) until a break away from the antenna wire occurs. To send out the distress signal, use the transmitter outdoor with both antenna sections vertical to the ground. Also, protect the transmitter from wind for best results.

Now, after the signal has been sent and the rescue performed, then the timepiece will be taken back to Breitling and the distress signal reloaded free of charge. If the cause for the distress signal is not appropriate/suitable, you (the wearer) will be required to pay a large fine.

Self-winding or automatic watches are mechanical watches in which the mainspring is wound automatically which makes manual winding obsolete. The mainspring winds itself through the natural movement of the user and this, in turn, provides the watch with energy to operate seamlessly. Breitling timepieces like the Avenger Blackbird, Transocean Day & Date, and Transocean Chronograph are just typical/ideal examples of self-winding watches made Breitling SA.

All Breitling timepieces are water resistant. Still, a bit of technicality is needed.

1 bar = 10m = 33ft

Despite this, a watch bearing "Water resistance up to 10 meters" doesn't mean you can use it to a depth of 10 meters. It just simply means that the timepiece will be resistant to the pressure felt at a static immersion of 10 meters (underwater). Still, we digress—Breitling watches like the Breitling Superocean II 42 are water resistant up to 500 m (50bars or 1,650 feet). This, in turn, means you could dive with the timepiece, and it'll stay impeccable as ever.

Precautions for Breitling watches

1. Do not activate the chronograph pushpieces underwater or when the timepiece is wet. This rule also applies to the rotating bezels of Breitling Montbrilliant and Navitimer collections. Nonetheless, you can void the rule above if your Breitling timepiece has a patented magnetic pushpiece system (resistant to a depth of 2,000 meters).
2. Do not pull out the crown underwater and if your watch is equipped with a screw-lock crown, and make sure it's locked before you attempt to use it underwater.
3. Don't open the case by yourself and in the likelihood of water or condensation appearing in the watch, quickly take it to a trustworthy service center.

Breitling SA is a company that has been around before the two World Wars (WWI and WWII). In other words, their culture began in 1884—by their founder, Léon Breitling in Saint-Imier (Switzerland). They primarily make watches that are tailored to be worn by aviators. The brand’s timepieces survived being worn on the wrists of countless WWI and WWII aircraft pilots (aviators). That essentially makes Breitling watches ideal examples of the features quality, functionality, legacy.

A typical example of a Breitling timepiece that can boast of the three features above is the Breitling Transocean Chronograph 38. It is a 38mm sized timepiece made from stainless steel (including the metal bracelet). It features an extremely detailed dial powered by the calibre 01 movement—with a power reserve that lasts about 70 hours (highly remarkable).

This watch is slick, powerful, and easily read since it's a simplified version of other powerful Breitling timepieces made by Breitling SA. Although, it still has a flaw which is its thickness (14.25 mm). This mildly puts it in the same category as many other Breitling timepieces (known for their size). Depending on your preference though, Breitling timepieces come in various sizes, and you just have to pick a fit. In summary, yes, Breitling watches are exceptional watches that represent class.

To wind a Breitling watch, first turn the crown counterclockwise to unlock it. If it's new, you should gently wind it 40 times (or more) clockwise to fill up the power reserve. If it's not new and it's an automatic watch, you should occasionally wind (gently) it 5-10 times only.

Do not worry about winding the watch too much since mechanical watches (automatic) have winding limiters.

A prime example in the Navitimer lineup is the Breitling Navitimer 01. The 01 has a black dial with three silvery white subdials and slide rule. This is all run by the BO1 movement which has a 70 hours reserve (almost three full days). Nonetheless, the Navitimer 01's most important feature is its ability to calculate speed, productivity rate, currency conversion, and gas consumption (etcetera) by using the slide rule and chronograph function. It's literally an analog computer that can be used in the following ways:

Calculate Percentage

If you want to calculate 25 percentage of say, $30. You set the outer ring's “2.5” (25%) over the inner ring index “1”. Then, you find “3” on the inner ring (3 stands for $30). The outer ring will show “4.5” which stands for $4.5.

Convert Miles to Kilometers

Set the outer ring's “6.21” over the inner ring index “1”—since a kilometer is approximately equal to 0.621 mile. Assume you want to convert 400 miles to Kilometers, so you find “4” on the outer ring. The inner ring will show “6.44” which means 644 kilometers.

Convert Fahrenheit to Celsius

Celsius has 100 degrees between its boiling point 100 °C and freezing point 0 °C. While Fahrenheit has 180 degrees between its boiling point 212 °F and freezing point 32 °F. So, the fractional ratio of a Fahrenheit to a Celsius is 100/180 or 5/9. That said, set the outer ring's “5” over the inner ring index “9”. Assume Fahrenheit temperature is 90 and subtract 32 from it. Find the resulting 58 or better yet, 5.8 on the inner ring. The Celsius temperature will show 3.22 on the outer ring (means 32.2 °C).