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Ever since Willie Breitling decided to combine wristwatches with the slide rule, there have been many allegations of Breitling not being a conventional watchmaker. People accuse Breitling of deviating from the traditional sense of making watches. Now, Breitling is a watchmaker alright, but the question that stands is whether it fits the definition of a ‘watchmaker’ in the legitimate sense. Breitling is a brand that has been here since 1884. It has gained global popularity and a massive fan following. The brand is a stalwart that has made a name for itself by delivering some of the best watches this generation has ever seen. But has it, in any way, contributed to the art of watchmaking?

Breitling – A Legitimate Watchmaker?

The issue began in the 1940s when Breitling came up with the Chronomat. The watch was less of a time-telling device and more of a calculator as it helped users to make complex calculations right there on their wrist. The wristwatch was so popular among aviators and the airline community that it had to be redesigned into the Navitimer in 1952. This put the brand on the global map and marked the rise of the global phenomenon that we know today.

But watchmaking is much more than just making a calculator. It is the long array of inventions such as the waterproof case, the anti-magnetic technology, and the no-crown technology that have led to the development of the watchmaking industry. Do Breitling watches for men have a claim to such inventions? Even the most well-read watch connoisseurs have difficulty in answering this question at times.

The fact of the matter is that Breitling does have a claim to such inventions.

A Series Of Innovations By Breitling

In 1915, the watchmaker introduced the single push-piece. An invention that broke the chains of an old watchmaking tradition where the chronograph's start, stop, and, restart functions were performed from the crown itself. Then after almost 2 decades later, Breitling came up with the double pusher which separated the stop and restart functions and shifted them to 4 o’clock.

This was not the end, as, in 1969, Breitling watches for women and men joined hands with brands like Dubois Depraz, Heuer, and Hamilton, and delivered the world’s first automatic chronograph calibre. This proved to be the final form of the chronograph as we know it.

These things often get forgotten but it is important to remind ourselves of them every once in a while. Without the influence of Breitling, the most important complication in the history of watchmaking could not have reached its true potential. In a way, Breitling made the chronograph into what it is today.