Breitling / Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Tribute to Concorde
Key Highlights
- Limited edition Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 marking 50 years since Concorde’s first flight.
- Blue dial and strap inspired by the stratosphere, with white subdials recalling Concorde’s “White Bird” nickname.
- Edition limited to 593 pieces in reference to the Olympus 593 turbojet engines.
- COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Caliber B01 with 70-hour power reserve and column-wheel chronograph.
- Stainless-steel 43 mm case with platinum bidirectional bezel, sapphire caseback, and blue alligator strap.
Navitimer Meets Supersonic Flight
The Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Tribute to Concorde connects two icons of aviation: Breitling’s pilot’s chronograph, launched in 1952 for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), and the Concorde, the airliner that halved trans-Atlantic flight times and cruised at Mach 2.
In this limited series, the Navitimer’s role as a civil aviation tool watch is aligned with Concorde’s 50th anniversary, translating the aircraft’s altitude and speed into colour, materials, and caseback engravings.
Breitling frames the watch as a travel companion charged with the spirit of supersonic flight rather than a cockpit replica, pairing its functional chronograph layout with design cues that recall the era when commercial aviation represented bold technological progress.
A Stratospheric Dial and Platinum Bezel
The defining visual element is the blue dial, specified to evoke the stratosphere as seen from Concorde’s cruising altitude. This tone extends to the matching blue alligator leather strap, creating a continuous, aviation-led aesthetic on the wrist.
White subdials and the inner slide rule deliver contrast while referencing the aircraft’s “White Bird” appearance. The classic Navitimer architecture remains intact: the circular slide rule preserves its status as a wristwatch flight computer, while applied indexes and hands with Super-LumiNova® keep legibility central to the design.
Breitling combines a stainless-steel 43-millimeter case with a platinum bidirectional bezel integrating the slide rule. The precious metal reinforces the limited-edition character yet keeps the bezel fully functional, and a cambered sapphire crystal glareproofed on both sides protects the dial for daily wear.
Supersonic Caseback Details
The Concorde story is written into the sapphire caseback. The Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Tribute to Concorde is limited to 593 pieces, a direct nod to the Olympus 593 turbojet engines that powered the aircraft, with engravings reading “One of 593,” “Tribute to Concorde,” “Jetliner,” and “Mach 2.”
The case measures 43 millimeters in diameter, 13.69 millimeters in thickness, and 49.07 millimeters lug to lug, with water resistance of 3 bar (30 meters). A screwed-in stainless-steel caseback, crown with two gaskets, and blue alligator strap with stainless-steel folding buckle balance presence, comfort, and everyday practicality.
Breitling positions the model as a meeting point for the Navitimer—known as the first Swiss wristwatch in space with astronaut Scott Carpenter—and the only commercial airliner to cruise routinely at twice the speed of sound.
Breitling Manufacture Caliber B01
Powering the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Tribute to Concorde is the in-house Breitling Manufacture Caliber B01, a self-winding mechanical movement with a 30-millimeter diameter and 7.2-millimeter height. It is a fully integrated chronograph with column wheel and vertical clutch, offering approximately 70 hours of power reserve and running at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 hertz).
Comprising 320 components, the movement provides central hours, minutes, and seconds, plus a chronograph measuring 1/4th of a second and up to 30 minutes. COSC chronometer certification underlines Breitling’s focus on precision across its aviation-led collections and anchors the Tribute to Concorde in the brand’s long chronograph tradition.
Why It Matters
For collectors across the GCC, the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Tribute to Concorde brings together 20th-century aviation milestones in a tightly defined 593-piece limited edition. Its stratosphere-inspired design, platinum bezel, and in-house chronograph movement offer a focused way to engage with Breitling’s aviation history while marking Concorde’s 50-year legacy in a format suited to contemporary travel.
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