10 Brilliant Facts About Breitling Watches
Breitling watches are synonymous with quality, splendour, and accuracy. But there’s more to these luxury timepieces than what meets the eye. Keep reading to learn more about the brilliant brand.
1) Their Watches Are Made For Larger Wrists
While Breitling does make a few models that are just 36 mm for those with thinner wrists, and some moderate-sized watches measuring from 40 mm to 42 mm, most are large in sized.
Therefore, it is best for people with larger wrists or those who prefer an oversized watch.
2) Breitling’s Beginnings
Leon Breitling established his moniker brand in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland in 1884 at the tender age of 24 years old.
But although the brand is most famously known for its chronograph pieces, the first one was only crafted in 1915.
3) Breitling Branding
The classic Breitling branding wasn’t showcased on its dials for more than 40 years after it was founded. Similarly, many other Swiss watchmakers did not mark their timepieces as they did not consider the marketing aspect nor the power of building their brand through marking.
Back then, it was simply about making exquisite watches!
4) All Breitling Quartz Movements Are COSC Certified
Breitling’s quartz movements are inspected by a formal body and therefore can be officially dubbed as ‘chronometers’. However, it is a tedious process that includes 11 days of testing to ensure that there are no major deviations in timekeeping.
Unlike Rolex, they include a certificate in the scope of every Breitling timepiece.
5) The Police Used Breitling Watches To Clock Speeders
The Vitesse stopwatch was so accurate that police used it to clock speeding motorists in the 1930s. This was long before speed camera radars and police had a limited means of monitoring speed aside from eyeballing and making mental calculations. Hence, the Vitesse stopwatch was a revolutionary timepiece for the police force in the 1930s.
6) More Occupational Watches
Before, watches were often crafted for specific occupational tasks. In fact, The Chronomat was originally targeted to aid mathematicians and scientists. Hence, why it’s equipped with two scales that synchronise one another and enable varying mathematical calculations.
What’s more, Breitling was also well-known in the aviation industry. For example, the Navitimer became the official timekeeper for the APOA Pilot Association not long after the Royal Air Force ordered large numbers of chronographs from the company in 1939 to equip their aircraft.
7) The Breitling Emergency Watch
Breitling released its Emergency wristwatch in 1995 which has an integrated micro-transmitter that enables the wearer to send a distress signal in case of an emergency. Hence, you can quickly be located and rescued.
What’s more, the Emergency watch has been proven to save over a dozen lives so far! In 2003, two stranded British helicopter pilots were rescued in Antarctica and almost ten years later an Alaskan hunter too.
8) The First Breitling Chronograph Calibre Invented in 2009
Breitling outsourced their chronographs from ETA, Valjoux, Venus and other suppliers before creating their own in 2009. This was a big step for Breitling as it showed that they were a watch company to count on, one that didn’t compromise on quality nor quantity. The 2009 B01 chronograph has since developed a reputation for being dependable, solid and an accurate calibre.
9) Hollywood Loves Breitling Watches
Breitling watches are often seen on the arms of some of Hollywood’s famous celebrities – on and off-screen. In fact, Tom Cruise, Bratt Pitt, Bruce Willis, Leonardo DiCaprio and Bear Grylls particularly enjoy strutting the Breitling Emergency wristwatch.
10) The First Watch in Space
Although the Omega Speedmaster is known as the ‘moon watch’, a Breitling wristwatch was the very first watch to be worn in outer space. On May 24th 1962, Scott Carpenter orbited the Earth three times aboard the Aurora 7 capsule with a Navitimer including a 24-hour graduation. This feature was particularly necessary to distinguish day from night.
Whether you’re looking to expand your luxury watch collection or only just starting out, Luxity has a luxury timepiece for everyone. View our online store for unique, limited edition and affordable pre-owned luxury watches in great condition.
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