Breitling is well acquainted with the allure of the retro timepiece, paying homage to the Swiss watch watermaker’s forefathers with the Premier Heritage collection, a trio of watches that celebrate 1940s design aesthetics and most recently releasing the Top Time collection, which took its design cues from three classic American muscle cars. Now, the Breitling Super AVI collection celebrates the storied history of aviation with designs dually inspired by the original 1953 Breitling Co-Pilot Ref. 765 AVI pilot’s watch as well as four iconic 20th-century planes; the North American Aviation P-51 Mustang, the Vought F4U Corsair, the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, and the de Havilland Mosquito.
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No stranger to the skies, the Swiss watchmaker has been involved in cockpit instrumentation since the 1930s, with Breitling’s Huit Aviation team making its name by inventing precision cockpit clocks. In 1953, Breitling created its first wearable aviation timepiece, in the form of the Breitling Ref. 765 AVI, colloquially known as the ‘Co-Pilot’. Last year, Breitling released a re-edition model of the original, the AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-Edition. The new Super AVI collection marks the inaugural series within a new Classic AVI collection.
Fusing the DNA of the original Ref. 765 AVI with an iconic aircraft, each timepiece takes on an oversized aesthetic with an almost gargantuan case of 46mm. Large, legible Arabic numerals surround the dial, with a sturdy crown sitting at 3 o’clock. Knurled bezels add interest while providing optimal grip, a red-tipped GMT hand and 24-hour marking on the inner bezel provides the ability to track a second time zone, and top-stitched leather straps recall the seams found on leather flight gear of the era. Below the dial, each Breitling Super AVI is powered by a Breitling Manufacture Caliber B04 movement, which comes with a power reserve of 70 hours.
Each timepiece takes its design cues from the aircraft that inspired it, with the latter appearing on each sapphire caseback in the form of a filigree silhouette. “Our watchmaking DNA is what dominates here, while the interpretations of the four aircraft give the series its emotion and bold graphic appeal. Taken together, these elements evoke the spirit of early flight,” says Sylvain Berneron, creative director at Breitling. “We can’t forget that Breitling pioneered aviation tool watches like the Ref. 765 AVI. That heritage is so strong, we had to not only keep it intact, but rewrite it for the 21st century.”
Built in just 120 days, the P-51 Mustang is the best all-around fighter plane of its time, an accolade that makes it deserving of two distinct timepieces; a stainless-steel case with a black dial and gold-brown leather strap, and an 18 k red gold version with an anthracite dial and a black leather strap.
Similarly, the Super AVI Tribute to Vought F4U Corsair honours the WWII naval aircraft with a blue dial, tone-on-tone chronograph counters, and a black leather strap. The Super AVI Curtiss Warhawk takes on a military-green dial with white contrasting chronograph counters and red accents, toying with its namesake’s recognisable shark-mouth nose art that was instrumental in forming the aircraft’s identity.
Finally, the Super AVI Mosquito marks the only release to feature a ceramic bezel. Paying homage to a plane made out of wood, it features a polished and satin-brushed black ceramic bezel and a black dial with white contrasting chronograph counters, with its red and orange markings nodding to the roundels and markings found on the plane it’s modelled after.
“This collection embodies that sense of nostalgia for the early days of aviation when pilots relied on their watches as onboard tools,” says Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling. “But you don’t have to be a pilot or vintage-aircraft buff to appreciate the exceptional craftsmanship and rugged design.”
The Breitling Super AVI collection timepieces are available to explore and shop via the Breitling webstore.
Words by John Deckard
