Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph Owner Review : Fascinating, enthralling and mythical

When I was still a novice, only 2 luxury watch brands came to mind: Rolex and Breitling, the second perhaps because of the 3 brothers for forty-somethings who have the reference :-) And for me Breitling, it was the Navitimer. I had a friend who owned one about fifteen years ago, and I found it magnificent at the time. As I became more interested in watches over time, the Navitimer had completely disappeared from my mind. I saw it regularly but no longer really had any interest in it, I found it too busy and unsightly. At the dawn of my 40th birthday, I was looking for a new acquisition with the only criterion, an icon. My choice fell on a Moonwatch, which I looked at for hours on Youtube. I finally decided to try it on and on this occasion, well, nothing happened at all. What a disappointment! I didn't have any other model in mind at the time. A friend told me about the new version of the Navitimer but I wasn't that interested in it. I let time pass, I tried other models and the Speed again, but still nothing. And still surfing, I came across the new Navitimer released at the end of 2022. I talked about it again with my friend who replied: you're stupid, I've been talking to you about it for 2 months! Well, I hadn't noticed... So here I am back in the store for a test and there, the magic happened. My choice fell on a Navitimer Chronograph B01 43mm sunray silver background. I bought it on a steel bracelet, with the addition of the black crocodile and a rubber that also suit it very well. I'll take the opportunity to rant: good God Breitling, make us quick-change bracelets! I know it's complicated on steel but honestly on soft ones it's super simple. This would prevent budding watchmakers like me from accidentally scratching their beauties... Well what a beauty this Navitimer is! Despite the theoretical diameter, its 43mm are not too imposing and fit my 17.5cm wrist very well. What is fascinating about this watch is the incalculable number of extremely well-made details: its domed glass and the absence of flange and bezel give it an incredible dial opening. Its polished indexes and hands, its slide rule, the different angles of the sub-counters, the perfectly integrated date, the polished and brushed pushers, the chamfers, the beauty of the movement highlighted by the sapphire crystal back, the historic logo, the red details... And so on and so forth. There is a lot of information, but it is not at all overloaded like the previous models. The designers managed to integrate all the DNA of the Navitimer but with an unmatched finesse and poetry that you can spend hours contemplating as there are so many details. It's crazy, everything is different and yet I would be incapable of listing the changes. The designers really worked hard, it's a feat! This is just my opinion but I find that the light dials (and especially mine :-)) do it much more honor than the original black that I like much less. Frankly it is not cheap but I think you get what you pay for. I have had it for almost a year now and I have worn it on various occasions and on its 3 bracelets. It is very easy to wear and goes with a lot of styles. It is simply not the one I would choose for a ceremony or in an ultra chic context but frankly it is to nitpick, and maybe also because I have some that are more suitable for these occasions! If I have to sum up, go and try it and you will be able to contemplate the finesse of its details and the quality of the realization of the most legendary of aviator watches.