Breitling Navitimer 2022: Keeping an Icon Relevant

#NSOW
By pretty much any measure the Breitling Navitimer is an icon. Picture a pilots chronograph and you are probably thinking of a Navitimer. Thats great, but how do you keep a 70 year old design relevant - 2022 has very different ideas of 'good' to 1952. But in updating an icon, can you keep its identity? Breitling has tried to do exactly that - watch the video to get my initial impression on how they did.
For your awareness some things about me and the channel.
Im an engineer whose into human behavior, loves the ideas behind art and sees watches as a mix or science, craft, art, business, history, technology, philosophy and psychology. As a result my videos cover all that ground.
Just to be clear, I hate the expression "its just a watch". If you got this far watches matter to you and they represent a bridge between us - dismissing them as unimportant seems wrong and disrespectful. That doesn't mean we cant and don't have fun, it just means we should not be totally mindless of others.
I'm a watch collector and curator - I like my collections to have a theme. My collection has several themes:
1. Vintage Alpina watches
2. Travel watches (GMT. UTC, world timers, home times, dual times)
3. Seiko Prospex dive watches
4. Breitling chronographs
5. Stuff I just really like.
I often forget wristchecks so if you want to see what I'm wearing, my collection and other random bits of my life check out my instagram:
@not.so.obvious.watches / not.so.obvious.watches
You can email me at [e-mail]

[@thetimist]

Great video 👍 as for the danger zone date change window, I believe it was somewhat of a throwaway remark for anyone coming into the Breitling brand fresh unknowing that all B01 in house movements (from its introduction back in 2009) have this safety feature built in. The same can’t be said for any Valjoux 7750 equipped Navitimers, but since all currently sold Navitimers are in house, I think they just used it as a “hey everyone FYI” more so than a “this wasn’t the case in our previous B01, so we fixed it with this slight update.” In any case, you’ve got another sub from a fellow watch KZbinr 😃

[@vmarsch]

I saw one in person today -- a 43 with reverse panda dial -- and it looks even better in person. I think you're gonna love it.

[@blueskies5588]

They look cleaner in real life. I liked the Ice Blue enough to buy it. It changes from a white-ish, to silver, to sky blue, to a more true blue depending on the lighting. Sky blue/ice blue for a pilot’s watch makes perfect sense to me. Also, most pilot’s have smart watches as their tool/beater these days, so the 3ATM makes sense for something that will mostly be worn as a dress watch. My 2 cents only

[@FacPhoto]

The B01 has always had 24 hr date change without any failure issues changing around midnight.

[@howardgum5645]

Great content as always Pete! I am a bit of a Breitling fan boy, so I always enjoy your take on their watches. My most recent acquisition is the Super Chronomat in blue with ceramic bezel and it has become one of favorite and most worn watches.

[@PeteMcConvill]

Much appreciated!

[@tonyadeney1245]

used to own a 1990 navitimer, very reliable - not mad expensive and could wear with anything - serviced correctly never lost time and rarely rewound it - personally older ones have more character and prices used 1000 dollars up - not 10k up

[@bobbydazzler1780]

I tried on the 43mm copper dial on the croc strap and it was a very handsome looking piece. In previous iterations there has been an overpowering busy visual aesthetic which borders on being harsh on the eyes - I considered a slightly used Swiss Air Navi but that dial is just too much going on and the obscuring of the movement view with the logo sticker looks cheap n nasty. This is much more like it and these pieces also wear a little smaller than they seem, even I could pull off the 46mm with the short lugs but the 43mm fit me just right. The water resistance however isn’t great and they will be adding an antimagnetic silicon hairspring at some point in the near future when the patents expire. Overall a great looker and proportionally quite slimline compared with older Breitlings. Looking forward to viewing the cool blue and green dials but I guess the reverse panda with the gold logo is the traditional looker. All Breitling lines are good looking these days and perceptions of the brand are on the change. Good news for disgruntled Rolex fans who are turning away from the hype and bullshit from ADs to have other choices that are good value for money. And another great chrono to consider away from the hyped to the skies Daytona (small and really quite a boring watch in real life) and tedious dated Omega speedy which just looks lame in comparison. Go Breitling!

[@michaelriera6277]

Very lovely new offering. I do like the logo over that simply B.

[@brysoga]

I do like that ice blue dial.

[@jmann2977]

Thank you, Pete. Good analysis.

[@sparrowhawk5485]

Thank you for the content as always Pete. The ice blue dial is sublime. Is that version available on a SS bracelet?

[@PeteMcConvill]

Yes, it is

[@JustOneMoreWatch]

Great analysis Pete. I agree re the logo. Why bring the wings back nad not bring the wings back? And why no 41mm in traditional black/blue and white? Some of the colours are just awful. I wish the did a 41/20 rather than 22. But I like the date at 6 and the brushed case. So a real mixed bag for me then, and nothing that would tempt me to trade in for my 2015, 43mm. Cheers mate!

[@PeteMcConvill]

I genuinely think the current management is taking every chance they can to link to the breitling family era pre 1980. That winged B appears to have been introduced by the schnieders and as such is only going to be used sparingly if at all - its now only on the clearly 'modern' collections - superocean/professional/avenger. The colours are interesting - kind of like the moonswatch I'm finding no one likes every colour but everyone can (generally) find a colour combo they like.

[@aquetheblues]

Good video. I bought the copper dial 43 mm. and I have to say it's a beauty. I liked it so much that I bought the dark blue 41 mm. Let's say that I'm a Navitimer fan 😉 I have also an old cosmonaute. I agree with you regarding the 3 ATM only water resistance. I could be useful if it was 10 or 20 ATM, in case you crash your plane in the ocean. These new Navitimer are different, but the feeling is still there. I

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Oh cool. Looks like I could maybe just about pull of a Navitimer with the 41 option. You appear to be the main man flying the flag for breitling on KZbin.

[@LaFritePerreGoat]

The b01 had this date security since its inception in the 00's. That really great, i know that the new lajoux perret have similar system in their new alternative to the 2824 which is not a copy but has the same footprint as one. We should the that more and more. it a good thing when your caliber is not based on 70's engeenering. Great update i love the old AOPA logo but yeah the lost the middle ground chrono market share to Tudor with the end of Valjoux caliber being used. But they sale B01 movement so its not that bad probably.

[@BadGuyDennis]

The freedom of date change at any time is a basic feature of B01 movement since the day one. My guess Breitling emphasize this now is that: for the previous generations of Navitimer, there were some model equipped with 7750 based movement who have those "danger zone". But two things I have noticed about the "updated" B01 movement this time: 1. The skeleton automatic winding rotor, an obvious one; and 2. It seems to me that the new rotor spins more slick and freely. That was on my hand, side by side comparison at Breitling boutique.

[@PeteMcConvill]

Thanks - I was surprised they mentioned it in a kind of off handed way - I should have checked to see if this was in fact new, seems not which might explain the way it was only half covered.

[@galhadad341]

A bit off topic, but did you take the picture at 1:24 of Haifa? It’s an amazing picture 😮

[@PeteMcConvill]

yes and thanks.

[@admiralcraddock464]

Give me the old one with the winged B anytime. I liked the busy dial on the pre 2015 ones. I'm looking at a black one on a strap to add to my collection.

[@scottc6946]

I think the new 41 has got the sizing I was looking for finally. Only issue is the price. I’d pay 6k not 9

[@kitabshah193]

These new Navis look OK to me, better than the previous model with the stylised B logo. Though I believe the best version was the 46mm 2015 era model, with gold winged logo, white sub dials, black dial, anchor counterbalance on the chrono seconds hand. They were also very thin on wrist, around 14.5 mm These new models differ in some key ways: Slightly thinner, more brushing, alternate brushed/polished bracelet links, no tachymeter scale, simplified dial and seconds hand. I would't buy one, particularly as I have the aforementioned 2015 model, but I think the blue dial is very cool.

[@rolandharris6843]

Look, I just today saw a guy walking across the street with the ice blue. It was stunning and the guy was dressed pretty bummy. A lot of breitling people just let the watch do the talking and the ice blue in the sun was screaming.

[@theoriginaloc]

Perhaps the AOPA logo is here as a “70th anniversary” thing, and the regular wing logo comes back for 2023?

[@PeteMcConvill]

I wouldnt hold your breath - current management does not put the winged B on any 'iconic' watch line - the only ones with it at all now are the professional, supoerocean and avenger.

[@yyling91]

not to mention released on the same day with the new top gun trailer

[@stephengarratt8027]

Still on the wish list , but, conflicted with the Sinn 903.

[@CaptCanuck4444]

Agree, the logo looks sloppy and poorly done. The coloured dials look great though, and well executed. What I don't understand is presenting a putative tool/pilot's watch on a crocodile strap. I'd like see some Navitimers presented in a more rugged way with canvas or even rubber straps, and a brushed or bead-blasted case and bezel. Still too much bling and scratch magnet for my liking.

[@aaronsmith8265]

they f-ed up taking the B off the second hand and messing with the badge on the dial.... not digging it at all

[@khazelnut]

Let's just say pilots also need to take a shower, so a 100m water resistance would be good.

[@mccalljeff]

I am unsure why people are upset about the 30m water resistance rating. What percentage of people are going 10 stories (100 ft) underwater? I am certainly not!

[@PeteMcConvill]

its a "should" thing. People get hung-up on "shoulds" whether its makes a difference or not.

[@mccalljeff]

@@PeteMcConvill I have the same feeling as Teddy Baldassarre has here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3a7nWt_etBgfKs