BY DHANANJAY PATHAK
The Navitimer is to Breitling what the Speedmaster is to Omega an iconic watch that immediately comes to mind when one thinks of Breitling. The Navitimer is an aviation-inspired timepiece and is highly sought after by collectors who are looking to add a luxury pilots watch to their collection and today we have some interesting news for you in this regard. Breitling has introduced three new military inspired watches as a part of the Aviator 8 Curtiss P-40 Warhawk collection. Based on the relatively new Navitimer 8 collection, these new watches pay a tribute to the US aircraft manufacturer Curtiss Wright and its famed fighter plane the P-40 Warhawk.
Breitling Aviator 8 Automatic 41 Curtiss Warhawk
Let’s begin by looking the simplest and the cleanest of the newly launched Curtiss Warhawk trio. The Aviator 8 automatic 41 Curtiss Warhawk features a modestly sized 41mm stainless steel case which has been DLC coated to give it a stealthy look. The case is water resistant to a healthy 100 meters and also features a nicely knurled bi-directional bezel on the top. Moving on to the dial you have a matt finished military green base with printed Arabic numerals which have been coated with Superluminova to aid low light visibility. On the outer periphery is a rail-road style minute track with triangular markers at intervals of five and there is also a neatly done date window at 6. Breitling has also added some nice vibrant touches to the dial in the form of red accents on the tip of the second’s hand as well as the bezel and the 60 minutes marking on the dial. The watch is powered by the automatic Breiling caliber 17 which is based on the ETA-2824 and has been COSC certified to ensure high timing accuracy. The movement has been hidden behind a closed case back which has been engraved with the famous and distinctive Shark mouthed P-40 Warhawk plane and the Curtiss logo.
Breitling Aviator 8 Chronograph 43 Curtiss Warhawk
Next up we have the Breitling Aviator Chronograph 43 Curtiss Warhawk one of the two chronographs launched as a part of the new collection. The dial has once again been presented in the military green shade and features a familiar looking Valjoux 7750 style layout. There are 3 recessed sub-registers at 6, 9 and 12 to track the chronograph hours, running seconds and elapsed chronograph minutes respectively. Surrounding them are printed Arabic numerals, followed by the chronograph seconds track on the outer periphery of the dial. As was the case with the three hand version, the hour/minute hand along with the hour markers have been coated with luminous paint to aid night time vision. Finally, to complete the dial there is a day/date window at 3. The relatively large 43mm case is made out of stainless steel and features two chronograph pushers at 2 and 4 along with a screw down crown at 3 that makes it water-resistant to 100 meters. The case seems to be nicely finished with some polished beveling around the edges and also comes equipped with a bi-directional bezel GMT bezel which can help to track a second-time-zone. The watch is powered by Breitling’s caliber 13 which is based on the venerable ETA 7750 chronograph movement. Is COSC certified and offers a power reserve of around 42 hours. Once again you flipping the watch over you are greeted with the Curtiss logo and the picture of a P-40 Warhawk.
Breitling Aviator 8 B01 Chronograph 43 Curtiss Warhawk
Last but not the least we have the Breitling Aviator 8 B01 Chronograph 43 Curtiss Warhawk. As the name suggests this watch is also a chronograph but comes with a few key differences as opposed to the previously discussed 7750 based variant. First is the layout, which looks a little more balanced with sub-registers at 3, 6 and 9 to track the elapsed minutes, hours and running seconds along with a date window between 4 and 5. This is arrangement is a result of the in-house B01 caliber which powers this watch. It is a column wheel based automatic chronograph movement, which is COSC certified and offers a power reserve of around 70 hours. Apart from the layout, the military vibe continues with bold Arabic numerals laid over the olive green dial and some nice red accents. The case still measures 43mm in diameter and offers a water resistance of 100 meters. Another noticeable difference on this watch is the case back which features a sapphire exhibition glass, offering a view of the B01 caliber. The exhibition window has also been embossed with the Curtiss logo and a green colored print of the P-40 Warhawk.
So, in case you are eager to add a Breitling Navitimer to your collection and are looking forward to something a little special and uncommon, you might want to look at the new Aviator 8 Curtiss P-40 Warhawk collection. All watches would come paired with green colored textile straps and while we currently do not have the prices for these pieces, we would update this space with the relevant information soon.
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