100% Swiss since 1884
The Breitling adventure started in 1884 in the Swiss Jura region when Léon Breitling founded a workshop dedicated to chronographs and to sports, sciences and industry-specific meters. Quickly, Breitling started partnerships in various fields such as sports and car competitions but also in aviation.
In 1915, Breitling invents the first chronograph featuring an independent push button which the brand will improve in 1923 by separating the “start/stop” and “flyback” functions. This system allowed the addition of successive lapses of time without reset.
In 1934, Breitling created the second independent push button for flyback which was quickly adopted by its competitors.
In the 1930s, Breitling introduced chronograph dashboards for plane cockpits in their ranges. These would equip the famous propeller-driven fighters of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
In 1952, Breitling launched the Navitimer model: a chronograph featuring a circular slide rule used for operations related to air navigation. The close relationship between Breitling and the aeronautics industry continues today as the brand is still partnering with elite pilots worldwide - including the aerobatic air team Breitling Jet Team.