Breitling Super AVI Collection
The Breitling Super AVI collection doffs its hat to four legendary planes of yesteryear, namely, the P-51 Mustang, the Vought F4U Corsair, the Curtiss Warhawk and the Mosquito. While the Grenchen-based firm has an illustrious past, punctuated with many achievements, Angus Davies believes the brand’s best years are yet to come.
Founded in 1884, Breitling’s history is interwoven with aviation and the evolution of the chronograph. Indeed, if you appraise the architecture of most chronographs you will have inevitably noticed the placement of the pushpieces at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock. This arrangement can be attributed to Willy Breitling (1934).
With regards to aviation, the Swiss brand is indelibly linked with making cockpit instruments and creating the iconic Breitling Navitimer (1952). This latter watch was billed as a ‘wrist-worn instrument for pilots’ and featured a slide rule for performing various calculations. Indeed, Breitling’s ties to the commercial airline industry is well documented.
Despite Breitling’s illustrious past, I personally think the firm’s most interesting body of work to date has been produced since 2017 after Georges Kern was appointed CEO of the firm. This comment may irritate those collectors who appreciate watches suffused with dust and patina, but I prefer pristine bodywork and dials blessed with a flawless complexion.
Now, the brand has unveiled a new series of watches celebrating four legendary planes of yesteryear, namely, the P-51 Mustang, the Vought F4U Corsair, the Curtiss Warhawk and the Mosquito. Each model has its own identity, yet every member of the series shares several elements in common, including a generous 46mm case, a three register design and, most notably, the Breitling Manufacture Caliber B04.
Despite the Breitling Super AVI collection being blessed with handsome, chiselled features, each watch surpasses mere looks alone. The in-house movement is fully integrated and features the optimal pairing of a column wheel and vertical coupling. This sublime arrangement promises superior pushpiece feel and stutter-free actuation of the chronograph. With a 70-hour power-reserve and COSC certification, there is much to like about these latest models.
Prices:
- Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 P-51 Mustang – RRP £7,900
- Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Corsair – RRP £7,900
- Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Curtiss Warhawk – RRP £7,900
- Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Mosquito – RRP £8,000
- Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 P-51 Mustang in 18k red gold, RRP £19,200 (this model won’t be available until early 2022)
The brand’s press release
Super AVI, the newest watch series from Breitling, is a celebration of aviation history with designs inspired by the original 1953 “Co-Pilot” Ref. 765 AVI aviator’s watch and four legendary planes: the North American Aviation P-51 Mustang, the Vought F4U Corsair, the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, and the de Havilland Mosquito.
“This collection embodies that sense of nostalgia for the early days of aviation when pilots relied on their watches as onboard tools,” says Breitling CEO Georges Kern. “But you don’t have to be a pilot or vintage-aircraft buff to appreciate the exceptional craftsmanship and rugged design.”
In the 1930s, Breitling’s Huit Aviation department made its name inventing precision cockpit clocks for the then nascent field of aeronautics. Two decades later, in 1953, Breitling introduced the world to yet another novel flight instrument, this time in wearable form. The Ref. 765 AVI pilot’s watch was an instant hit and a first of its kind that inspired many others. Beloved by aviators, it quickly became known as the “Co-Pilot.” In 2020, Breitling also launched the AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-Edition, a carefully researched and crafted re-edition honouring this classic chronograph’s legacy.
That pioneering watch is the inspiration for today’s Super AVI, the debut series in Breitling’s Classic AVI collection. Its launch marks nearly a century of aviation timepieces from a brand that has shared some of the field’s finest moments. From brave first takeoffs to the birth of commercial air travel, Breitling’s history is inseparable from that of flight.
Drawn from vintage aviation aesthetic
The collection comes in five unique versions honouring four powerful and memorable aircraft, whose filigree silhouettes adorn the watches’ sapphire case backs.
- – The Super AVI P-51 Mustang pays homage to the best all-around fighter plane of its era in two distinct versions: a stainless-steel case with a black dial and gold-brown leather strap, and an 18 k red gold version with an anthracite dial and a black leather strap exclusive to Breitling boutiques and Breitling.com.
- – The Super AVI Tribute to Vought F4U Corsair features a blue dial, tone-on-tone chronograph counters, and a black leather strap that take their design cues from the characteristic livery of the record-breaking naval aircraft.
- – The Super AVI Curtiss Warhawk, with its military-green dial, white contrasting chronograph counters, and red accents, plays on its namesake’s famous shark-mouth nose art that gave the plane its unmistakable identity.
- – The Super AVI Mosquito features a combination polished and satin-brushed black ceramic bezel and a black dial with white contrasting chronograph counters. Its red and orange elements recall the roundels and markings found on the versatile plane, dubbed the “Wooden Wonder”.“Our watchmaking DNA is what dominates here, while the interpretations of the four aircraft give the series its emotion and bold graphic appeal. Taken together, these elements evoke the spirit of early flight,” says Breitling Creative Director Sylvain Berneron. “We can’t forget that Breitling pioneered aviation tool watches like the Ref. 765 AVI. That heritage is so strong, we had to not only keep it intact, but rewrite it for the 21st century.”The Super AVI’s distinctive design includes large, highly legible Arabic numerals on the dial and bezel. Its sturdy case measures 46 mm, and the oversized crown sits at 3 o’clock. Knurled bezels provide optimal grip, and top-stitched calfskin straps give a nod to the seams found on leather flight gear of the era.Pilots and other travellers will appreciate the ability to track a second time zone using the 24-hour marking on the inner bezel and the red-tipped GMT hand. The engine of the Super AVI is the COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Caliber B04 movement, which provides approximately 70 hours of power reserve.While the Super AVI reminds us of the days before digital timekeepers when pilots’ watches were their trusted flight instruments, its robust aesthetic and enduring precision are what make the Super AVI just as relevant today.
Further reading