A Watch that Can Save Your Life
I’ve been an admirer of Breitling watches ever since I first learned of their existence as a young student pilot. The company has been making precision time instruments for professionals since 1884. They introduced the first wrist watch chronographer back in 1915 and their popular Navitimer model, introduced in 1952, contains a fully functional “navigation computer†in the bezel that allowed pilots to carry out all calculations required to complete a flight plan.
Not only does Breitling produce incredibly precise and functional time pieces but their classic models evoke a sense of style reminiscent of the golden age of aviation. You cannot look at one of these watches without thinking of classic sleek planes like the P-51 Mustang or the DC-3 with unpainted aluminum fuselages gleaming in the sunshine as they sit on a remote taxiway. As if to further prove this point, the company has helped fund the restoration of a classic Lockheed Super Constellation aircraft. You can check out some cool video of this as well as some of the company’s other aviation related projects in their “Air Time†microsite.
In 1995 the company introduced its “Emergency†line of watches equipped with a beacon that can transmit a signal in the international aviation distress frequency in case of emergency. The watch helped save a pair of helicopter pilots who crashed in Antarctica in 2003. At just $5,275, it’s a bargain for a watch that can save your life. If you are like and don’t dig the “modern†Breitling look but pine for the old Navitimer style, don’t despair. The Emergency Mission model combines classic looks with the same lifesaving functionality.
