What we have here is a very accurate re-edition of a Replica Breitling Navitimer from 1959. This isn’t just a watch with vintage cues or a design that was inspired by something from the past – it’s pretty close to a carbon copy.
Since this is a re-edition of a popular copy watch that predates the advent of the automatic chronograph, a hand-wound in-house movement like this one seems like a logical choice, and indeed this is a caliber that Breitling has made specifically to power the historically influenced re-edition.
In fact, Breitling says that the only concessions to modernity that the current watch makes are its increased water resistance and the use of Superluminova in lieu of radium.
The dial, while undeniably busy, draws me in each time I encounter it, and I find myself wondering why I don’t own one. This is a great-looking modern classic vintage replica watch, and I have no doubt that Breitling will easily find homes for the 1,959 examples of the Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition that they are making.