Breitling’s platinum-bezeled, blue B19 belter – the Navitimer B19 Chronograph 43 Perpetual Calendar
Nina Scally- For the first time, Breitling equips a non-limited edition Navitimer with one of its most technically ambitious movements – the Calibre B19.
- Housed underneath Breitling’s “Ice Blue” dial and displayed through a sapphire caseback, the B19 is the brand’s first in-house perpetual calendar movement.
- The new release combines a 43mm stainless steel case with a platinum bezel and mushroom pushers, bringing a contemporary twist to the aviator’s classic.
Some pretty interesting things were unravelling towards the back end of the summer of 2024. Piaget welcomed ceramic into its repertoire for the first time, and Vacheron Constantin honoured its connections with China by introducing a new Metiers d’Art collection. But it was also a big year for Breitling, who celebrated 140 years of watchmaking by releasing three limited edition watches from the Premier, Navitimer, and Chronomat families, all equipped with a state-of-the-art, in-house movement.
The technical tour de force timepieces of the Navitimer watch collection come in many compelling variations, and despite the brand equipping the Calibre B19 to the Navitimer for the first time in a non-limited way, by no means does this new release abandon the traits of the cult watch favoured by pilots back in 1952. Continuing to respect that legendary instrument, initially developed for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), modern versions of the inaugural Navitimer like this still feature the slide rule complication and the classic notched bezel. Sufficed to say, the pilot’s watch today proves to be just as desirable amongst legions of fans across the globe as it was back then.
The Navitimer’s ability to assist with a multitude of flight calculations is not a crucial requirement for any modern-day collector, but the clever engineering of its slide rule bezel spans nearly three-quarters of a century and remains one of the greatest amalgamations of technology in history. Breitling keeps the same notched bezel for this release but crafts it from platinum to give the watch subtle contrasts in lustre against the 43mm stainless steel case. The cambered sapphire crystal top rids the dial of any undesirable glare thanks to the anti-reflective treatment applied to both sides, while the sapphire exhibition caseback grants a view into the B19 movement, operating for the first time in a non-limited-edition timepiece.
The Iced Blue dial, which Breitling elects for this new model, has been used in the brand’s Navitimer B01 Chronograph and GMT models before. These pale blue shades toy with the light, helping to pick up the snailed detail in the slightly recessed counters at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. These sub-scales offer date and 30-minute functions, month and leap year, and small seconds and day functions, respectively. The dial is finished with a moon phase at 12 o’clock. Overall, the dial of the new Breitling Navitimer B19 Chronograph 43 Perpetual Calendar exudes the same level of refinement as last year’s 18ct rose gold limited edition model. That Navitimer watch was released alongside a Chronomat and Premier watch, too. And unlike the “man on the moon” decoration used for the Premier B19 Datora 42, the new Navitimer shares the same classic illustrated moon as the 140th anniversary Navitimer, perhaps hinting at its origins as a scientific tool more than anything else.
The limited-to-140-piece designs of last year shared the B19 movement – the only in-house calibre so far to offer perpetual calendar chronograph functionality and with COSC certification. While we’re here, it’s worth clarifying that the B19 movement is not the same as the ETA modular chronograph movement that the manufacturer called the Breitling 19. Superlatives cast aside, there is no real need to amplify the technical appeal of the Calibre B19. It does that by itself. The Swiss marque has equipped the movement with several uber-desirable features, such as an impressive 96 hours of power reserve (one barrel) and a variable inertia balance that makes the movement less likely to need remedial regulation should it be exposed to some unexpected level of impact. These are the functional benefits that the Calibre B19 is endowed with, but there is more to admire on an aesthetical level.
The finnisage of the Calibre B19 is far from standard. Appointed with circular Cotes de Geneva and colimacon embellishment on the bridges, these elements, including the movement’s polished screws, can all be admired through a sapphire caseback. The Calibre B19 fitted inside last year’s trio of limited editions boasted a beautiful depiction of the company’s Montbrilliant manufacture, nestled inside the huge factory town of La Chaux-de-Fonds. The west wing of this grand building, which Breitling decided to relocate to in 1892, nurtured three generations of the Breitling family over the years. However, this new B19-powered watch treads on virgin soil and goes without the special nod to the factory. Nevertheless, the movement is still beautifully executed and augments precision thanks to refinements like the small recesses incorporated into the balance wheel, creating less air perturbation.
Still an example of horological greatness, the movement features a column wheel and vertical clutch, along with COSC certification and an inventory or functions pertaining to the central running hours, minutes and seconds, the day, date, month, leap year and moon phases, and, of course, the chronograph functions. Breitling fits this new Ice Blue Navitimer B19 watch on a black alligator leather band with a stainless steel folding buckle or a 7-row stainless steel bracelet with a butterfly clasp.
Breitling Navitimer B19 Chronograph 43 Perpetual Calendar pricing and availability
The Breitling Navitimer B19 Chronograph 43 Perpetual Calendar is a non-limited model. Price: US$29,000, A$43,590
| Brand | Breitling |
| Model | Navitimer B19 Chronograph 43 Perpetual Calendar |
| Reference Number | PB1920251C1A1 PB1920251C1P1 |
| Case Dimensions | 44mm (D) x 14.94mm (T) x 49.07mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel with platinum bezel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Ice blue |
| Lug Width | 22mm |
| Strap | Stainless steel seven-row bracelet with a butterfly clasp Black alligator leather strap with a stainless steel folding buckle |
| Movement | Caliber B19, in-house, automatic, COSC |
| Power Reserve | 96 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, bidirectional slide rule bezel, perpetual calendar, chronograph |
| Availability | Available |
| Price | US$29,000 A$43,590 |