When Breitling focuses on making top-tier pilots watches, they are propelled (so to speak) into a class among themselves. There is simply no better maker of watches for aviation that Breitling. The Breitling Navitimer, which interestingly got its name because the watch was used as a navigation tool for jet pilots (“navi”gation “timer” = The “Navi-timer”), was put out in the early nineteen-fifties, and thankfully, its emblematic design elements have essentially stayed exactly the same in the fifty plus years that have since passed. This watch has always combined 3 vital tools for navigation: a watch, a slide-rule and a chronograph.

The Breitling Navitimer Heritage is made in Switzerland (or course). It has a stainless steel, 18k white gold or 18k yellow gold case; the same stainless steel and gold options for its band; it is huge at 41.80 in diameter and 14.60 mm in thickness; it has automatic, self-winding mechanical movement and, in all its aviation timepiece glory, it has numerals that glow-in-the-dark.

This is a nearly flawless navigation watch that has been adopted as the official timepiece of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). It is COSC certified, which guarantees that its accuracy and precision will always be the best of the best. But damn it sure looks nice too.

Style and precision: that is what Breitling delivers year after year with its Navitimer.

So is it expensive? What do you think? Of course it is. It’s a Breitling after all. But if you want the best, sometimes you gotta pay for it.

But do yourself a favor. Buy it online and save yourself a little (and maybe a whole lot of) scratch.