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PILOT WATCHESPILOT WATCHEScorded, the operator could “reset”members two-thirds of all U.S. pilots.In the 1950’s, Rolex had come upmodels lacked in originality theythe first pusher andallowing the operatorto “add” these times togetheras he started and stopped. Once hewas finished, and the last time was re-the watch to its “zero” position.Because of this advance, Breitlingbecame an official supplier to theRoyal Air Force. Orders for Breitling“timers” poured in, especially as WorldWar II began. However, the one pieceof architecture which would seal Breitling’splace in the horological heavens,especially for pilots, wouldn’t come forsix more years.In 1942, Breitling launched the Chronomat,the first wrist chronograph toAlthough the Navitimer went througha number of incarnations over the past55 years, today’s Navitimer is very trueto the original - with at least two extrabenefits: automatic winding and a nonreflectivesapphire crystal.On May 20th, 1927, a 25-year-oldpilot named Charles Lindbergh took offfrom Roosevelt Airport, New York, ina plane named the “Spirit of St. Louis.”His goal: to cross the Atlantic ocean,non-stop. Thirty-three-and-a-half hourswith the idea of the “tool watch,” awatch designed to facilitate a specificpurpose. In 1954, Rolex showedthree watches at the Basel WatchFair that would prove this to be themost prolific decade in Rolex history.Rolex presented the Submariner fordivers, the Turn-O-Graph for the office,and the GMT Master for pilots.How the GMT came about is ofgreat interest. The world’s largestairline at that time was Pan-Am. TheFor many years to come,Pan-Am supplied the GMTMaster to pilots as wellas executives within thecompany, making it oneof the most recognizedpilot watches in thecommercial industry.made up for in price point. Followingare a few of the best.In 1983, after having conqueredthe quartz analog market, and alongwith that conquest putting manySwiss companies to sleep, Seiko introducedthe world’s first quartzdrivenanalog chronograph withalarm. This movement, the 7T62,still alive and well today, allowedthe wearer to time events up to onealsobe fitted with a simple circularlater, he landed at his planned destina-carrier wanted a watch producedslide rule. This was a major step in of-tion, Le Bourget airport near Paris.for its pilots that would allow themvery little over the course of 25 years.fering pilots functionality. How-At that time, Longines was the officialto easily log Zulu Time, or UniversalIn the late 1980’s, the GMT Master wasever, it was the year 1952 whentimekeeper of the International Avia-Time Coordination, based on Green-updated with a hack function and theBreitling launched the pinna-tion Industry. So the watch brand fromwich Mean Time. So, Pan-Am contactednew Ref 16700 was introduced. How-cle of all flight watches,Saint-Imier was quick to log this historicRene-Paul Jeanneret, who was at thatever the biggest and best update cametheNavitimer.flight. Soon after, Longines and Charlestime Public Relations Director of Rolex.in the form of the GMT Master II, RefTheNavitimerLindbergh collaborated on a watchJeanneret worked closely with Pan-16710, within which ticked the newwas equipped withto be used by pilots which would ena-Am’s Captain Frederick Libby and to-caliber 3085, which could jumpa complete circu-ble them to determine exact longitudegether they came up with the conceptforwards or backwards in one-lar slide rule, alsoduring long-distance flights. Known asof a watch with an additional hour handhour increments. This devel-known today asthe “Hour Angle” watch, this was one ofrevolving just once every 24 hours andopment was invaluable sincethe E6-B flightthe first flight watches designed with aa bezel marked with those same 24it didn’t require the wearer tocomputer.Thispurpose.hours, which could rotate and alignstop the watch’s seconds handwatch allowed theThis watch had an enormous bezel andproperly with Zulu Time. The GMT Mas-when changing time zones, af-user to figure outan extra-large winding crown, whichter was also important because it waster he had synchronized it withall calculations nec-made it easy to wind, even with glovesone of the first Rolex models with thean audible signal.essary for a flighton. At 47.5mm across (due to its move-“Cyclops” magnifier above the date. TheIt is important at this junctureplan, including airment size), it was decades ahead of con-original Reference 6542, initially withto note that after Seiko inundatedspeed, fuel consump-temporary tastes. The large dial gave itplastic bezel insert, gave way to thethe world with inexpensive Japanesetion, time of flight, and to cal-good legibility, necessary since the dialRef 1675, with new metal bezel insert.quartz watches, beginning in 1969, theculate basic mathematical andincorporated more than just time.For many years to come, Pan-Am sup-Swiss industry went into a steep declinelogarithmic equations.Although Longines didn’t makeplied the GMT Master to pilots as wellregarding number of surviving compa-It quickly became so popu-“flight watches” its focus, it nonethe-as executives within the company, mak-nies and their piece output. As a result,lar with pilots that in 1956, it wasless offered one of the greatest contri-ing it one of the most recognized pilotonly a few new pilot watches came outadopted as the official watch of thebutions to pilot watch history 25 yearswatches in the commercial industry.in the 1970’s and ’80’s, incorporatingAOPA - the Aircraft Owners and Pi-before radar and 50 or more years be-The Ref 1675 had been made so per-some of the classic features, like dual-lots Association, which counts as itsfore GPS.fectly from the start that it changedtime, circular slide-rule, etc. What theseBreitling’s Navitimer10 August 2007www.hrwatches.comwww.hrwatches.com August 2007 11