In the history of pilot’s watches, there tends to be two aesthetic directions that have dominated. On one side you have stripped back, minimalist Fliegers that present timing information as clearly as possible, cutting through the noise and chaos of military scenarios with their intentional simplicity. Then on the other hand you have instrument watches that want to pack in as much useful information as possible. In the latter category the prime example is the Breitling Navitimer, which today receives two new expressions, the B19 Chronograph Perpetual Calendar and B01 Chronograph Tribute to Concorde.
Navitimer B19 Chronograph Perpetual Calendar
The Navitimer B19 Chronograph Perpetual Calendar first debuted in 2024 as part of the brand’s 140th anniversary celebrations before joining their core collections with a sky blue model in 2025. It combines the Navitimer’s usual chronograph display and slide rule bezel with all the extra information of a perpetual calendar, including moonphase, day, date, months and leap year indication.
For 2026 they’re expanding the range by introducing two new versions of the watch that build on the 2025 model in a fun way. Joining the light blue of the sky, the first of the new watches is stratosphere navy blue and the third is anthracite grey, representing space itself. You might expect the space one to be black, but on a practical level, keeping it grey means that the black accents on the moonphase and bezel can still stand out.
I’ve always been a sucker for space themed watches and the concept of each model representing a different layer of the atmosphere really appeals to me. The stratosphere blue model, which is the nicer of the two thanks to its deep lacquer dial, is a limited edition of 75 pieces so it’s going to be very exclusive.
Although that was always going to be the case as it’s also full platinum across its 43mm case and bezel as well as being a perpetual calendar chronograph in the first place. The anthracite model, which is part of the core collection, restricts the platinum element to just the bezel, with the case being made from stainless steel instead.
Powering both watches is the B19 perpetual calendar chronograph movement. According to Breitling’s market research, it’s the only automatic perpetual calendar chronograph movement in a core catalogue available at the moment (a distinction that sneaks through because Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin’s Chronograph-Perpetual Calendars are manual). The reason that’s significant is not only because Breitling able to produce a very high-end movement with chronometer specs and 96-hour power reserve (in addition to all the aforementioned functions) but also because they are able to do it consistently and at volume.
For pricing, the full platinum limited edition is £43,000 and the steel model is £27,800 on strap or £28,000 on bracelet. Given the prestige of their movements, that all checks out.
Price and Specs:
Navitimer B01 Chronograph Tribute to Concorde
I must hold up my hands and say that when Breitling does collaborations with various airlines or historic plane models, it always feels like they could push the envelope a little bit more across the design. They tend to play it on the safe side by creating thematic colourways of existing models instead of something truly adventurous that makes you sit up and take note. The Tribute to Concorde unfortunately slips into this same pattern.
If you’re looking for deep cuts into Concorde lore or custom design elements to make the watch stand out, you won’t find them. What we have is a standard Navitimer B01 in stratosphere blue (similar to the Perpetual Calendar above) inspired by the area of the sky where Concorde flew. That blue tone is joined by Concorde white accents, all rather obvious. Don’t misunderstand me, it looks great and I like the richness of the blue, but it’s all a bit too surface level for a special edition. It doesn’t feel particularly special.
Powering the watch is the B01 automatic chronograph movement with 70-hour power reserve. It’s Breitling’s flagship chronograph movement and it’s finished beautifully with Côtes de Genève across its plate and rotor. Around the edge of the exhibition caseback is the inscription “One of 593. Tribute to Concorde. Jetliner. Mach 2”, again proving that Breitling know which plane they’re talking about. The ‘One of 593’ is a reference to both the watch’s limited number and the Olympus 593 Turbojet engines used in the plane.
It’s priced at £8,100. I do want to reiterate that I like the watch and if it were a standard expansion to the range, I would be wholly positive about it. But as it’s a special edition, they could have gone a little further I feel.
Price and Specs:
More details at Breitling.
