Breitling – a brand synonymous with aircraft and flight. And for good reason. Before it made itself an essential piece of a pilot’s toolbox, it made dashboard clocks for planes and military chronographs. But none of these are as famous as the Navitimer.

The most celebrated pilot’s watch of all, and arguably one of the most instantly recognisable watch designs ever, the Navitimer is a bonafide classic that walks a fine line between elegance and brute masculinity.

Whether you’re in the market for one or you’re simply window shopping, everything you need to know about the Breitling Navitimer is right here.

Why Buy A Navitimer?

For starters, thanks to its innovative slide rule you’ll never need a calculator again. Its design hasn’t lost that wow factor despite being in its sixties and, although it’s been around for a while, that aforementioned slide rule makes it a bit of a connoisseur’s choice because unless you read the manual (or our cheat sheet below) or if you’re a pilot, very few people know how to operate it properly.

Like Tom Cruise in Top Gun, it’s a bit arrogant without being too flash, exudes confidence and will definitely give you a loving feeling. Despite having one of the busiest watch dials out there and a not-small case size, the Navitimer is surprisingly wearable too, and will suit a range of styles from tailored through to weekend casualwear.

How To Use The Slide Rule

If you went to school when Dickens was a boy, congrats, you know how to use a slide rule. For the rest of us, things are little woolier.

If you want to know how to use it to work out if the Airbus A380 you’re on has enough fuel to get you where you’re going we refer you to this section of the FHH website.

If you just want to know enough to stop your mates taking the piss at the local because you can’t use your new toy, then here’s three (useful) calculations you can make with the Navitimer.