A quick look at our favorite new releases from Breitling at Baselworld 2018.
Breitling Navitimer 8 B01 Chronograph
Breitling introduced their new Navitimer 8 collection at the end of January to gain momentum for the brand in the weeks leading up to Baselworld 2018. At Baselworld, many people are getting to see the new Navitimer 8 watches in the flesh for the first time. This momentum was created because a lot has been happening at Breitling recently. Last year saw Georges Kern from Richemont become CEO of Breitling. This changing of the guard brought with it predictions of a lot of new things to come from Breitling.
The Breitling Navitimer 8 01 Chronograph is the first watch developed with Georges Kern as the new Breitling CEO. It’s a 43-mm chronograph developed with pilots in mind and is powered by an in-house, chronometer-certified Breitling 01 movement. At its introduction, Kern stated that there will be many more Navitimer 8 watches to follow in different sizes, the first ones being a 41-mm Navitimer 8 Day-Date and a 43-mm Navitimer 8 B35 Automatic Unitime, which we will discuss later in this article.
The Navitimer 8 B01 Chronograph is part of the bigger Breitling Navitimer family and sees a familiar Breitling aesthetic brought back to life. The design takes its inspiration from vintage Breitling pilot’s watches that also feature the coin-edge bezel and reverse panda dial. The Navitimer 8’s name refers to the Huit Aviation Department that Breitling set up back in the 1930s to produce onboard chronographs for aviators. Back then, the name Huit (French for ‘eight’) referred to the instrument’s eight-day power reserve. The new Navitimer 8 B01 Chronograph has a 70-hour power reserve. While that is less than eight days, it should do the trick.
The Breitling Navitimer 8 B01 Chronograph will be available in stainless steel with either a black leather strap or a stainless steel bracelet as well as a red gold version with a bronze dial and a brown leather strap. More variations will probably be released over time, including different color combinations and a smaller, 41-mm version.
Breitling’s decision expand the Navitimer family seems like a logical step. Navitimer watches have been the most popular Breitling watches for years. With this Navitimer 8 B01 Chronograph, there is a new addition to the family that looks different than the other current Navitimer models, yet still feels very familiar.
Facts & Details:
- The Navitimer 8 B01 Chronograph is the first model to be introduced from the new Navitimer 8 line
- The watch is powered by the automatic in-house Breitling caliber B01 with a 70-hour power reserve
- 43-mm stainless steel case
- Water-resistant to 100 meters / 328 feet
- List prices are 7,000 euros for the steel version with a leather strap, 7,300 euros for the steel version with steel bracelet, and 19,090 euros for the red gold version with a bronze dial on a leather strap
Breitling Navitimer 8 B35 Automatic Unitime 43
The second watch to be revealed from the new Breitling Navitimer 8 line was the Breitling Navitimer 8 B35 Automatic Unitime 43. It’s a 43-mm world timer watch developed for people who often travel internationally and need to be able to tell the time in a second time zone when they are away from home.
With the Navitimer 8 Unitime, Breitling has introduced what will possibly be a highly popular model within the Navitimer 8 series. Breitling has quite a rich history of releasing world timer watches. In the 1950s, Breitling produced several world timers, so this Navitimer 8 Unitime is a call back to Breitling’s rich history while still taking a big step forward technically.
Like the previously discussed Navitimer 8 B01 Chronograph, this Navitimer 8 Unitime is also powered by one of Breitling’s own movements, namely the Breitling caliber B35. This movement features a rotating inner bezel that displays a second time zone with the help of an independent hour, which can be adjusted using the crown. The Navitimer 8 Unitime will be available in stainless steel with a black or silver dial, and you have the choice of a leather strap or a stainless steel bracelet.
With the introduction of the Navitimer 8 line, Breitling has shown that there are many exciting things to come from the brand. It will be interesting to see what models Breilting chooses to introduce to the Navitimer 8 collection, but the first two are highly promising.
Facts & Details:
- A re-introduction of the classic Breitling world timer watch within the Navitimer 8 collection
- The watch is powered by the automatic in-house Breitling caliber B35 with a 70-hour power reserve
- 43-mm stainless steel case
- Water-resistant to 100 meters / 328 feet
- List prices are 7,400 euros for the steel version with a leather strap and 7,700 euros for the steel version with a steel bracelet
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