Sunday, April 7, 2019

BREITLING – Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph 42 Pan Am Edition

BREITLINGNavitimer 1 B01 Chronograph 42 Pan Am Edition

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO


BREITLING CELEBRATES AVIATION’S GOLDEN ERA WITH
THE SECOND
AIRLINE EDITION IN THE CAPSULE COLLECTION

Breitling recently launched its first capsule collection – the Navitimer 1 Airline Editions – celebrating the brand’s important role in the golden era of aviation and some of the most emblematic airlines of that time. The collection took off with Swissair, the former national airline of Breitling’s home country. The second member of the collection honors a true American legend, Pan Am.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

Breitling’s first capsule collection captures the spirit of a memorable time for commercial flight and revives the cool and evocative style of the 1960s and 1970s. The Navitimer 1 Airline Editions pay an affectionate tribute to the pioneers of civil aviation and celebrate some of the most emblematic airlines of the era. Switzerland’s iconic Swissair has now been joined by Pan Am.

Click, to see the large size.  BIG FOTO

Breitling CEO Georges Kern says: “We are introducing these Airline Editions in a new capsule collection that is produced for a limited time and consequently in a limited volume, but the watches are not numbered. With these capsule collections, Breitling aims to tell specific stories rooted in the history of its core collection. This distinguishes them from our limited editions, which will retain their original intent: to be limited to a small, fixed number of watches.”


Breitling’s Capsule Collections: 
The Storytellers

Breitling’s Chief Marketing Officer Tim Sayler also highlights the storytelling aspect of the capsule collections, adding: We are delighted that our first capsule collection underscores Breitling’s important role in aviation in the mid- to late twentieth century – truly the golden era of commercial flight. The watches also focus on the young, cool design styles of the 1960s and 1970s, which are particularly relevant right now and have a huge influence on current design trends.”.

Click, to see the large size. FOTO

In the 1950s and 1960s, commercial aviation experienced an unprecedented boom. The world suddenly became smaller as the dream of flying was no longer limited to a privileged elite. Flying had become ac- cessible to a wider group of passengers, who, for the first time, could consider flying across a continent or even an ocean. Breitling played a key role in the emergence of commercial flight. Its onboard chronographs became standard equipment, first in propeller-driven planes and later in the jets produced by the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers.

Click, to see the large size. FOTO

BREITLING – advertisement 1950s
------------

When the Breitling Navitimer wrist chronograph was launched in 1952, it became an instant favorite with aviators and notably with the dashing pilots of the late 1950s, who flew their iconic passenger aircraft, such as the Boeing 707 and the Douglas DC-8, across countries or on intercontinental flights.

Click, to see the large size. FOTO

 BREITLING Navitimer Chronograph Vintage 1950
-----------

The Navitimer featured a circular slide rule that allowed the pilots to make any critical calculations they might need to make in the air. In these glory days of commercial aviation, the Navitimer chronographs were the original wrist-worn onboard computers and ultimately established Breitling – already highly regarded for its onboard chronographs – as the unrivaled official supplier to the world of aviation.

Click, to see the large size. FOTO

BREITLING Catalog - 1977-1978
-----------------

Breitling CEO Georges Kern points out: “For civil aviation history lovers and watch aficionados, the very mention of these legendary carriers calls to mind the excitement and adventure associated with long-haul flights. For a more fashion-oriented clientele, there’s the allure of the style of a time captured in classic movie scenes of passengers enjoying the premium service provided by smiling, colorfully uniformed crew members. Breitling was the preferred supplier of more than 15 leading companies and aircraft manufacturers back in the 1960s, and, with our first capsule collection, we are really excited about commemorating the most emblematic airlines of that era, starting with Swissair.”


The Breitling Capsule Collection 
Navitimer 1 Airline Editions

The Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph Airline Edition watches are powered by the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01. The in-house mechanical chronograph movement has been acclaimed as one of the world’s finest and delivers both remarkable precision and a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. All models feature a bidirectional rotating bezel fitted with the famous circular slide rule, which serves to perform the entire range of calculations relating to airborne navigation.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

Their distinctive straight hands give the watches a dynamic, contemporary interpretation of a classic look. This first Breitling capsule collection will be available from April 2019 at Breitling boutiques and official retailers for a limited period of time.

The Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph 43 Pan Am Edition

The officially licensed Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph 43 Pan Am Edition is distinguished by one of the most recognizable logos in the history of aviation printed on its transparent sapphire caseback. For decades, Pan American World Airways was a dominant force in commercial aviation and, long after the airline ceased operations, it is still closely linked with the excitement of air travel.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

The Pan Am Edition has a stainless-steel case with a blue dial, silver subdials, and a vintage-inspired brown leather strap, a Breitling Air Racer bracelet, or a stainless-steel mesh bracelet. The Pan Am Edition is the second member of Breitling’s capsule collection, joining Swissair. Keep an eye out for another legendary airline that will be taking off shortly!

-------------------------------------------
Technical Specifications

Model : NAVITIMER 1 B01 Chronograph 42 Pan Am Edition

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

Reference: AB01212B1C1A1, AB01212B1C1A2 or AB01212B1C1X1

WATCH MOVEMENT
Caliber: Breitling Manufacture Caliber
B01
Diameter: 30 millimeters
Depth: 7.2 millimeters
Winder: automatic with dual-acting ball-bearing rotor
Power reserve: approximately 70 hours
Number of components: 346
Balance frequency: 28,800 a/h or 4 hertz
Chronograph:
Ratchet wheel control, vertical coupling,
30-minute and 12-hour counters
Display: hour, minute, second, window date
Certification: COSC-certified
CASE
Material: stainless steel
Diameter: 43 millimeters
Height: 14.25 millimeters
Water resistance: up to 3 bar (30 meters)
Glass: sapphire, convex, double anti-reflective
Caseback: screwed, sapphire glass
Crown: non-screw-locked
Bezel: bidirectional with circular slide rule
DIAL/HANDS
Blue
Super-LumiNova® luminescent hour markers and hour and minute hands
STRAP
Brown leather strap with pin buckle, Breitling Air Racer bracelet with folding clasp,
or stainless-steel mesh bracelet with folding clasp

---------------------------------
Press Release - 2019
--------------------------------------------
ROMY HEBDEN
Head of Public Relations

BREITLING SA
Schlachthausstrasse 2
2540 Grenchen
Switzerland
Telephone: +41 32 654 54 54
Mobile: +41 79 731 90 28
E-mail: romy.hebden@breitling.com
--------------------------------------------------
www.facebook.com - Breitling
------------------------------------------------------
www.Breitling.com

Saturday, April 6, 2019

De Bethune – DB21 Maxichrono Reedition

















De BethuneDB21 Maxichrono Réédition Chronograph Titanium 44.4 mm Limited Edition


Simplification can sometimes be singularly complicated.
This is the first reinterpretation
of this revolutionary chronograph designed in 2006.

A model that was pure, absolute and radical in its approach, thanks to its principle of five hands mounted on a single central axis and controlled by a simple single pusher... De Bethune now presents the first reissue of this chronograph which has become an icon for Fine Watchmaking connoisseurs

Only ten of these timepieces will be produced.

Building the watchmaking of tomorrow by imagining what the great Master Watchmakers of the 18th century might have created today. Deconstructing so as to eliminate unfounded assumptions; pushing back the boundaries of knowledge; exploring new horizons... And returning to mechanical and aesthetic aesthetics embodying a perfect balance.

First presented in 2006, the first DB21 "Maxichrono" was born from a precise and clear vision of the chronograph in the mind of Denis Flageollet, Master Watchmaker and co-founder of the Manufacture De Bethune.

The vision? To create watchmaking’s purest and most absolute chronograph. To endow it with a resolutely contemporary expression. And to rethink its design, along with its architecture and technical construction.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO






































No one had yet dared to take such a radical path. The result? A timepiece that remains revolutionary in many ways, resulting from an approach that is free of any acquired knowledge or preconceived ideas. In the centre, on a single axis, are five remarkably mounted hands following a vertical sequence of carefully fitted pillars and wheels... a real technical feat.

This extremely pared-down system paradoxically requires extremely complex development involving a mechanism that operates with several interdependent column wheels, all five axes in the centre, embedded into each other and yet working independently. Each can be zero-reset on demand, and autonomously restart. And as if to push the limits of technical and aesthetic purity even further, everything is controlled by a single pusher at 6 o'clock because this is the easiest position to access the controls quickly and simply when the watch is on your wrist. It is all the more convenient in that the case is fitted with the famous patented De Bethune floating lugs.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO





















Thus eliminating multiple counters that create visual distraction, the result is a timepiece that resembles sports timers designed for actual timekeeping work; a real reading of chronograph counters, seconds counter, minutes counter and hour counter; along with an ability to measure long times, thereby offering a real timekeeping range of up to 24 hours in a row (whereas the usual de facto limits are 9 to 12 hours, and 30 to 45 minutes) with tenth-of-a-second accuracy.
Beating at a frequency of 36,000 vph, enabling fifth-of-a-second readings, the DB2030 movement is equipped with the De Bethune absolute clutch*, a patented system resulting from more than seven years of research and development.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO














The DB21 Maxichrono is a reliable and precise time-measurement instrument that is both aesthetically pure and highly readable. Endowed with a remarkable five-day power reserve (one of the longest on the market), it proclaims a classic heritage that is smoothly combined with modernity in a highly distinctive aesthetic balance.

Today, 13 years after presenting the first prototype, De Bethune is for the first time introducing a re-edition of its famous DB21 Maxichrono, crafted on this occasion in grade 5 titanium. De Bethune remains to date the only Swiss manufacturer to have presented such a pure and accomplished chronograph.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO








































*De Bethune absolute clutch system : a patented chronograph invention

In 2014, De Bethune’s research and development department announced the filing of a patent application n° CH00076/14 for the chronograph mechanism. De Bethune’s absolute clutch aims to improve the performance of chronographs by correcting the faults identified in current mechanisms.

This mechanism makes the most of the advantages of the horizontal and vertical clutch systems while eliminating their faults. It thus benefits from a marked reduction in the friction that affects the movement both when the chronograph is running and when it is functioning without the chronograph engaged.

The absolute clutch operates in a system engaging the two traditional clutch methods to allow the different chronograph counters to function semi-autonomously:

    • The chronograph seconds are governed by the new absolute clutch system;
    • The minutes counter is controlled by a shifting pinion;
    • The hours counter is engaged by a horizontal clutch.


Three different types of clutch behind three semi-independent systems controlled by three column-wheels thus govern the different chronograph elapsed-time counters.

In this way De Bethune marks a significant technological breakthrough in the history of chronographs. A constant quest for innovation relying on an extensive knowledge of age-old expertise has enabled the brand to simplify and enhance the reliability of the absolute clutch system so that it can be implemented in a movement manufactured by the production workshops in the Swiss Jura village of L’Auberson.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO



















Founded in 2002, Manufacture De Bethune is an independent watchmaker that develops and produces all its own timepieces.

While its production remains extremely modest in terms of volume, De Bethune displays peerless inventiveness and is distinguished by the highest level of quality and innovation within the extremely exclusive sphere of Swiss Haute Horlogerie.

Since its founding, De Bethune has developed no less than 26 calibres, presented 30 or so world firsts, filed a number of patents and launched around 150 one-of-a-kind models. Its timepieces have won awards in major international competitions.

Through its creations, De Bethune is perpetuating the work of the great 18th century master watchmakers in their quest for perfect time measurement backed by a sense of supreme aesthetic beauty. Leveraging cutting-edge scientific and technological discoveries, its efforts are devoted to inventing unique, innovative and high-performance solutions.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO







































Not doing more, but doing better; drawing inspiration from the past so as to perpetually reinvent it and create bridges with other fields of knowledge: such are the principles guiding De Bethune in developing horological mechanisms and expressing artistic creativity.

Testifying to this quest for perfection and this tireless pursuit of beauty, the pure style, taut lines and slenderness of the cases embody a contemporary interpretation of the watchmaking art according to De Bethune.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO







































Shaping 21st century watchmaking while safeguarding the finest traditions, firmly rooted in history and resolutely looking to the future, De Bethune pursues an outstanding approach effectively combining art and science.

----------------------------------------------
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Collection:  DB21

Name: DB21 Maxichrono Réédition

Reference: DB21RE

Limitation: Limited annual production of 10
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Mono-pusher chronograph with 24-hour,
60-minute and 60-second counters
Movement: DB2030
Type: Mechanical hand-wound movement
Adjustment: By the crown at 6 o’clock (2 positions) for winding and setting the time
Via a push-piece integrated in the crown for the chronograph function

Movement
Technical features of Calibre DB2030
Number of parts: 426
Jewelling: 51 jewels
Diameter: 30 mm

Power reserve: 5 days, ensured by a self-regulating twin barrel
De Bethune Innovation (2004)
Specificities: Titanium balance wheel with white gold inserts, optimised
for temperature differences and air penetration
De Bethune Patent (2016)
"De Bethune" balance-spring with flat terminal curve
De Bethune Patent (2006)
Silicon escape wheel
"De Bethune Absolute Clutch "
De Bethune Patent (2014)
Frequency: 36,000 vibrations per hour
Adornment: Bridges mirror-polished, sandblasted and snailed by hand
Steel parts polished and chamfered by hand
Display
Display: 5 curved central hands – hand-polished steel for hours
and minutes hands and flame-blued steel chronograph
hours and seconds indicators Chronograph minutes indicator in red
Dial: Three-dimensional dial constructed on different levels to
maximise readability. From the centre to the periphery:
silver-toned central hours counter – hours ring in titanium
with blued markers – silver-toned minutes ring and minutes
counter transfer-printed red numerals – silver-toned 1/10 th
of second graduated outer ring for seconds counter
Case and strap
Case material:
Grade 5 titanium
Case diameter: 44.4 mm
Case thickness: 12 mm
Lugs: Short or long floating lugs in blued grade 5 titanium - DeBethune Patent (2006)
Crystal: In sapphire crystal (1800 Vickers hardness) with double anti-reflective coating
Case back: Revealing the mechanism with hand-polished steel bridges
Sapphire crystal (1800 Vickers hardness) with double anti-reflective coating
Water resistance: 3 ATM
Strap
Extra-supple alligator leather, alligator lining
Buckle: Buckle in blued grade 5 titanium and pin in grade 5 titanium


Year: 2019

Limited Edition  to only 10 pieces


* Manufacture De Bethune innovations and registered patents

--------------------------------------
Press release -- Geneva 2019
--------------------------------------
De Bethune Geneva Office 
25 Grand-Rue 1204 Geneva
Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 310 22 71
Fax: +41 22 310 33 40
-----------------------------------------------------
www.facebook.com - DeBethune
-------------------------------------------------------------
www.DeBethune.ch