I really like the Breitling of aviation, the one of the big models, the one of the generous and solid leather! I found my nugget at a big dealer in the second-hand, a model of 2015, coming from the United Kingdom, you have to bring the watch from there but too bad! It is magnificent and it attracts me! So I try it on the capital, a treat. The details are crazy, the tip of the red second hand, the logo of the brand opposite the second hand, the details of the graduations, this particular noise of the chronos when you reset them to 0... winding a chrono manually... it's a real experience.

I am 30 years old, a milestone, a stage, a symbol of moving into a new decade. As usual, every important gift is related to a timepiece. For my 20th birthday, the Speedmaster seemed obvious to me as I had seen this watch on the wrists of my childhood heroes. For this one, the choice was more complex, because no model was unanimous in my mind, Cartier Santos, Reverso, Black Bay... Months go by and still no internal consensus, at the turn of an evening, I notice on the wrist of a friend a watch that I have rarely had the opportunity to see in real life, a Navitimer. I had a rather negative idea of this watch that I saw overloaded, illegible and above all huge! What was my surprise to see that it is in fact a model in its vintage version I specify, a quite sublime watch. The proportions are good and easy to read, the 41 mm case does not really change the format of my speed and I like the leather strap knowing that I do not have one in my collection yet. In short, this meeting guides me in my search until I find an ideal model in Le Mans. This model from the 60s brings together everything I like, a story thanks to the heritage of the Navitimer but also by this LIP inscription on the dial testifying to a French-speaking partnership that is almost forgotten today. In addition, this model in very good condition has a patina to which I am not insensitive. Since it entered my collection, I have had trouble storing it, I no longer wear it. Its main strength and its ease of association with any type of clothing makes it very versatile In short, dear reader, I would highly recommend this timepiece that I never leave home without.

For a long time I hesitated to take the plunge, I already have chronos, more readable ... But I came across this model with a magnificent patina "as I like them" of 41mm without crown, not too thick, tritium, original plexi not scratched, case in remarkable condition, paper box ... a 7750 very well known and "easy" to have serviced. I have a Breitling leather strap of correct quality but not very glamorous, a rubber not necessarily period but of Breitling origin and quality. And above all I equipped it with a strap custom-made by ABP in Aligator with very precise specifications. This watch has a history beyond the history of this "aviator" model because it belonged to a pilot of the Canadian Air Force. A precision to which I am sensitive having the pleasure of wearing a watch that I like and which had a hectic life!

This Navitimer has a crazy charm! This vintage gold and steel model was the model worn by Serge Gainsbourg who had replaced the leather strap with a steel bracelet at the time because of his sweating problems. Its more contained case with its 41mm is more easily wearable for small wrists than the recent 43mm models. The reverse panda dial, the old winged logo and this gold/steel combination make this Breitling a must have for any collector of watch icons.

This is the one that started it all. Acquired in 1989, when I was 16, with the salary from my first summer job, it satisfied the desire to be older. At the time, I think we talked more about Breitling and Cartier than Rolex. I had the opportunity to buy this quartz model for 3,000.00 francs and since then, despite all the criticism I have heard about its reliability, it has only had two servicings and battery changes. Worn daily for 10 years, and still today when nostalgia arises, in the city as well as at the beach, winter as well as summer, in quiet as during my National Service in an Infantry Regiment, it has never let me down. It had the particularity of being sold new with different variations of bezel (graduated in one direction or the other, with the cardinal points in compass style, etc.). Obtained with a bracelet called "nautical shark" which did not last, I quickly abandoned the steel acquired at a high price at the time because it was much too heavy and uncomfortable. Today the bracelet, which I still have, must be worth more than the watch but yet it will be the one that remains when the end comes and I will have passed on the others.

The spirit of the Navitimer in a dress watch! Having long been amazed by the Breitling universe and more particularly the Navitimer, I have long been frustrated by the very imposing diameters that the brand offers. This 3-hand Navitimer was an obvious choice for me when its release was announced. The “simplicity” of its dial, the superb finishes, the return of the beaded bezel and the finesse of the case make this watch the perfect in-between for those looking for Breitling’s DNA and an elegant timepiece.