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#ninefortyfour #breitling #boeing747 - So back in 2023, Breitling released a limited edition watch honouring two icons of aviation! It’s own Navitimer, arguably the greatest pilots watch of all time, and the Boeing 747! The most iconic passenger jet to ever take to the skies!
This combination was obviously just a matter of time in the making, but 2023 was a significant year! The queen of the skies is sadly no more! But to celebrate it’s legacy, Breitling have given us this! The navitimer 747! A special edition chronograph, inspired by its iconic namesake and limited to just seven hundred and forty seven examples!
In this video we’ll take a look at what’s good, what’s not so good, and see how it wears, all to see if it’s the best navitimer ever, and more importantly a worthy tribute to the legendary 747! Let’s take a look!
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///WRITTEN REVIEW///
- Overview -
So the 23rd January 2023 marked an important date in the world of aviation! Boeing delivered it’s last 747! A plane the defined the golden age of air travel, a true icon of design and engineering! It’s the most recognisable aircraft the world has ever seen! The phrase ‘jumbo jet’ was born!
It truly was a game changer, making long haul travel accessible to the masses and connecting the world like never before! The 747 is legendary in every sense of the word, and it’s only fitting Breitling decided to celebrate its epicness with a special edition of its iconic pilots watch!
The navitimer was launched in the early 50’s and soon adopted by the American aircraft and pilots association as the defacto pilots watch! It’s iconic slide rule bezel allowed pilots to easily calculate critical data such as ground speed, rate of climb and fuel consumption.
- Size -
Breitling has used it’s modern 43mm B01 navitimer variant as the basis for the 747. It has a 43mm diameter across the bezel, measures 40.5mm across the case and has a lug to lug dimension of 49mm. The lug width is a modern 22mm, with the total weight including the strap coming in at 95 grams.
- Design -
Since George Kern took over at Breitling in 2017, the Navitimer, along with other models in their collection have been modernised in terms of their design, and more specifically fit! Resulting in more wearable dimensions compared to the versions that preceded, especially those of the early to mid-two-thousands! This is most notably seen in revised lug to lug and lug width dimensions.
The lugs on the latest Navitmers, this one included, are considerably shorter and steeper than in the past, resulting in a more compact fit, without an overall reduction in diameter. This massively improves fit, especially on a smaller wrist, wearing much smaller than a traditional 43mm watch.
The wide lug width of 22mm makes for an impressive stance on wrist, especially when combined with a reasonable thickness of 13.6mm! The case is broken up into various sections, breaking up the bulk of its design.
We have a mid-case section that’s 5mm thick, leading to a further 5mm of bezel and crystal. The remaining 3.6mm are made up of the case back, which hides it’s self well when on wrist, resulting in a watch that sits low, further disguising its height
We have a case that’s made from 316L stainless steel, with a mixture of brushed and high polish surfaces. The outer flanks of the mid-case are all brushed, while the tops of the lugs are highly polished, including the strong bevels and squared off lug tips.
- Movement -
As with all modern navitimers we get breitlings in-house B01 chronograph movement. It’s a self winding automatic that features a column wheel and vertical clutch, a free sprung balance, quickset date and a beat rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour or 4hrz
The finishing is mechanically executed, so not outstanding, but we do have some nice bevelling, with the overall movement finished to high enough degree to warrant the sapphire crystal.
- Wearability -
When it comes to wearability the 43mm navitimer wears fantastic, especially on a smaller wrist! I always thought if I ever purchased a navitimer id go with the 41mm option, however after spending some time with this, I’d chose this 43mm every time!
- Verdict -
So what’s the verdict on the Navitimer Boeing 747? Is it the ultimate navitimer variant! I guess that’s down to your personal taste, how much of an aviation geek you are, and whether or not you like the overall colour scheme of the watch!
As a tribute the the 747 I think its excellent. The colour scheme of the plane has been beautifully shoehorned onto the dial, resulting in subtle, elegant tribute. I think as part of a wider collection, especially if you’re an aviation fan, the navitimer 747 defiantly deserves your consideration!