The new Breitling Navitimer 41 Tribute to Miles Davis hits all the right notes
Time+Tide- Breitling marks the centennial of Miles Davis’ birth with a limited edition Navitimer inspired by the ref. 806 Mk5 he wore.
- The hand-wound B09 manufacture calibre, monochrome reverse-panda dial, and revived Air Racer bracelet faithfully channel the mid-1960s original.
- Limited to 500 pieces, each owner receives a two-year membership to the forthcoming Breitling Social Club launching in 2027.
Before tool watches were co-opted fashion statements, Miles Davis was already wearing one. The jazz icon — trumpeter, bandleader, and arguably the coolest human being to draw breath in the 20th century — had a particular affinity for the Breitling Navitimer ref. 806 Mk5, a pilot’s instrument he wore not as a nod to aviation but as a natural extension of his style philosophy. In a 1985 Spin Magazine interview, Bob Dylan called Davis his “definition of cool.” The Navitimer on Davis’ wrist was proof positive of that title: a professional tool watch appropriated as personal expression, years before that was a thing collectors would even have a name for. To mark the centennial of Davis’ birth, Breitling is releasing the Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Miles Davis — a limited edition of 500 pieces inspired directly by that mid-1960s reference he made iconic.
The design brief here was not to recreate, but to capture essence. Working from the defining elements of Davis’ personal Navitimer, Breitling has faithfully reproduced the monochrome reverse-panda dial with its white rehaut and subdials, the cream-coloured vintage-inspired Super-LumiNova indices, and the era-appropriate Breitling “Twin Jet” logo — the civilian retailer emblem that distinguished non-AOPA editions of the watch. Worth noting: Davis’ ref. 806 Mk5 was actually the first Navitimer to pair the Twin Jet logo with a reverse-panda dial, making it a historically significant reference beyond its celebrity provenance.
Inside the 41mm stainless steel case, matching the diameter of the original, beats the hand-wound Breitling Manufacture Calibre B09, a deliberate choice that speaks to Davis’ era of Navitimer ownership, before automatic chronographs existed. It offers approximately 70 hours of power reserve, has a vertical clutch column-wheel mechanism, and is COSC-certified. The sapphire caseback is engraved with “One of 500” and “Miles Davis Centennial,” visible through the open display that reveals the movement in full.
Two strap options are offered, both appropriate to the vintage aesthetic of the watch. The first is a hand-coloured gradient brown calf-leather strap with a folding clasp that echoes the warm tones of the dial. The second — and arguably the more compelling option — is the revived Air Racer bracelet. First introduced in the 1960s and later popularised by musician Serge Gainsbourg in the ’80s, the rally-inspired stainless steel bracelet features a vented design that has been updated with hinged links near the clasp for improved comfort and wearability. It is a welcome revival.
Beyond the watch itself, ownership of one of the 500 tribute pieces confers a two-year membership to the very first Breitling Social Club, opening in Williamsburg, New York, in late 2027. For those seeking a deeper connection to the launch, the “Lifetime Club Member Set”, limited to just 50 numbered editions, brings together three Navitimer 806 Mk5 tributes in stainless steel, 18k yellow gold, and platinum in a presentation case styled after a traditional trumpet case, with a blue lining nodding to Davis’ landmark album Kind of Blue. The Miles Davis Tribute is the kind of limited edition that earns its tribute: not through surface-level iconography, but through genuine understanding of what made the original significant. Davis didn’t wear the Navitimer as a prop — and Breitling hasn’t made this watch as one either.
Breitling Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Miles Davis pricing and availability
The stainless steel Breitling Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Miles Davis is available now as a limited edition of 500 pieces. The Lifetime Club Members Set, which includes the stainless steel, 18k yellow gold, and 950 platinum models, is available now as a limited edition box set limited to 50 sets. Price: TBC
| Brand | Breitling |
| Model | Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Miles Davis |
| Case Dimensions | 41mm (D) × 13mm (T) × 47.09mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel 18k yellow gold (Lifetime Club Member Set only) 950 platinum ((Lifetime Club Member Set only)) |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Cambered sapphire front, glareproofed both sides Exhibition caseback |
| Dial | Black reverse-panda dial (stainless steel & 18k yellow gold) Blue reverse-panda dial (950 platinum) |
| Strap | Brown calf-leather strap, folding clasp (stainless steel) Black calf-leather strap, folding clasp (18k yellow gold) Blue calf-leather strap, folding clasp (950 platinum) Stainless steel Air Racer bracelet (stainless steel only) |
| Movement | Calibre B09, manufacture calibre, manually-wound, COSC-certified |
| Power reserve | 70 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph, slide-rule bezel |
| Availability | Limited to 500 pieces Lifetime Club Member Set limited to 50 pcs. |
| Price | TBC |