Breitling

Who are Breitling?

Breitling is a Swiss watchmaker based in Grenchen that began in Saint-Imier in 1884, when Léon Breitling opened his own atelier and specialised in chronographs. It is privately owned, with the investment firm Partners Group as its largest shareholder. This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a pre-owned Breitling in the UK.

Breitling is best known for pilot’s chronographs, above all the Navitimer, and organises its range around three themes: air, land and sea (Partners Group). Since 1999 it has had every watch it makes, mechanical and quartz, certified as a chronometer by COSC (Breitling). Its UK company has its registered office at the Breitling Townhouse on Regent Street, London (Companies House).

The history of Breitling

Breitling’s history runs from a chronograph workshop in Saint-Imier in 1884, through three generations of the Breitling family, to a Grenchen company backed by private equity. The key dates are the independent chronograph pusher (1915), the second pusher (1933), the Navitimer (1952), the sale to Ernest Schneider (1979), full chronometer certification (1999) and the in-house B01 (2009).

Saint-Imier and La Chaux-de-Fonds. Léon Breitling grew up in La Chaux-de-Fonds and opened his atelier in Saint-Imier in 1884. He used the Swiss établissage system, assembling and regulating watches from parts made by specialist suppliers, and specialised in chronographs (Breitling). In 1892 he moved the business to La Chaux-de-Fonds, where it grew into a factory, and in 1899 he added the street name to the company: “L. Breitling, Montbrillant Watch Manufactory” (Breitling).

Three generations. Léon died in 1914 and his son Gaston took over (Breitling). In 1915 Gaston launched a chronograph with an independent pusher at 2 o’clock that started, stopped and reset the chronograph. His son Willy took over in 1932, and in 1933 he filed a patent for a second pusher at 4 o’clock for resetting, which Breitling says gave the modern chronograph its form (Breitling).

Aviation. In 1937 the British War Office invited Willy Breitling to present his idea for a cockpit chronograph, and the following year he set up a division called Huit Aviation for aircraft instruments (Breitling). In 1952 Breitling developed a pilot’s chronograph with a circular slide rule for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association; it became the Navitimer, and production started two years later (Breitling). In 1962 the astronaut Scott Carpenter wore a 24-hour version in orbit; Breitling calls it the first Swiss wristwatch in space (Breitling).

The automatic chronograph. In 1969 Breitling introduced its first automatic Navitimer chronograph, with a movement developed with Heuer, Hamilton and Dubois-Depraz (Wikipedia). Heuer, Breitling and Hamilton presented their automatic chronographs at press conferences on 3 March 1969 (Wikipedia, TAG Heuer).

The Schneider years. The La Chaux-de-Fonds factory closed in December 1978. After Willy Breitling died in 1979, Ernest Schneider, a pilot and engineer who owned the Grenchen firm Sicura, bought the Breitling name, and production moved to Grenchen (Wikipedia; Breitling). Under Schneider, Breitling launched the Chronomat in 1984 and announced the Emergency, a watch with a built-in distress beacon, in 1995 (Breitling). In 1999 the company decided to have every watch certified as a chronometer, and in 2001 it built its Chronometrie in La Chaux-de-Fonds to make that possible (Breitling).

Recent years. Breitling’s in-house B01 chronograph movement arrived in 2009 (Wikipedia). In April 2017 CVC Capital Partners bought 80% of the company, and the Schneider family sold its remaining 20% in November 2018 (Wikipedia). In December 2022 Partners Group agreed to increase its stake to become the largest shareholder (Partners Group). Breitling bought Universal Genève in 2023 and Gallet in 2025 (Wikipedia).

What is Breitling known for?

Breitling is known for chronographs and aviation: the independent pusher (1915) and second pusher (1933), the Navitimer’s slide rule (1952), and instrument watches such as the Emergency. It is also known for having every watch COSC-certified since 1999. The details below are each sourced.

The chronograph layout. Gaston Breitling’s independent pusher of 1915 and Willy Breitling’s second, separate reset pusher of 1933 gave the wrist chronograph its two-pusher form (Breitling).

Pilot’s watches. The Navitimer’s circular slide rule lets a pilot work out rates of climb, fuel consumption and similar sums (Breitling). The Avenger, first released in 2001, is a pilot’s watch built for jet cockpits, and Breitling has made versions for air forces and display teams, including the Red Arrows (Breitling). IWC Schaffhausen and TAG Heuer sit alongside Breitling as the other large aviation- and motorsport-themed chronograph makers at a broadly similar price point.

Chronometers. A chronometer is a watch whose movement has passed an official accuracy test. COSC tests each movement for 15 days, in five positions and at three temperatures, and requires a mechanical movement to keep an average daily rate between −4 and +6 seconds (COSC). Breitling says it was the first Swiss watchmaker to have every watch, mechanical and quartz, certified in this way, from 1999 (Breitling). Our guide to COSC certification explains what the test measures.

In-house movements. The Manufacture Caliber 01, or B01, is a self-winding column-wheel chronograph with a vertical clutch and about 70 hours of power reserve, assembled, tested and cased at Breitling’s Chronometrie in La Chaux-de-Fonds (Breitling). Other Breitling models use movements such as the B19, B20, B23 and Calibers 17 and 32 (Breitling). Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why the difference matters to buyers.

The Emergency. Breitling describes the Emergency as the first wristwatch with a built-in emergency locator transmitter. It was announced in 1995 and could not be sold until Swiss regulators approved it in May 1996 (Breitling). The Emergency II, announced in April 2013, added a signal on the satellite-monitored 406 MHz frequency (Wikipedia).

Which Breitling collections are there?

Breitling’s current range is the Navitimer, Chronomat, Superocean, Superocean Heritage, Avenger, Premier, Top Time and Classic AVI, plus the Professional instrument watches, including the Emergency and Endurance Pro. All nine appear on Breitling’s UK site.

The collections table on this page gives the year each family began and a one-line description. A few points help when you are reading listings:

• Navitimer is several watches. The Navitimer comes in sizes from 32 mm to 46 mm and as time-only, date, GMT, chronograph and perpetual calendar models (Breitling). It is water resistant to 30 metres and is not a dive watch (Breitling); our guide to water resistance ratings explains what that means in use.
• Superocean and Superocean Heritage are different collections. Both draw on the 1957 Superocean, but they are listed separately (Breitling).
• Older names. The Navitimer Cosmonaute, the Frecce Tricolori that came before the Chronomat, and the Emergency II are earlier Breitling names (Breitling; Wikipedia), and they appear in pre-owned listings.
• The model number tells you the movement. On Breitling’s numbering, a second letter B followed by a number from 01 to 35 means a Breitling manufacture movement (Breitling).
• Reference numbers. Each version has a reference number that identifies the exact model. The serial number identifies the individual watch.

Who owns Breitling?

Breitling is privately owned. Partners Group, an investment firm based in Baar-Zug, Switzerland, became its largest shareholder in December 2022 and, with CVC Capital Partners and Breitling’s management, controls the company. Breitling is not listed on a stock exchange.

Partners Group’s announcement of 23 December 2022 said it had agreed, on behalf of its clients, to increase its stake to become Breitling’s largest shareholder; that Partners Group, CVC and the management team would continue to control Breitling; and that its co-founder Alfred Gantner would become chairman of Breitling’s board (Partners Group). Partners Group did not publish the size of its stake.

Before that, the Breitling family owned the company until 1979, Ernest Schneider and his family owned it until 2017, and CVC bought 80% in April 2017 and the remaining 20% in November 2018 (Wikipedia). The Breitling group now includes Universal Genève (bought 2023) and Gallet (bought 2025) (Wikipedia).

In the UK, Breitling’s company was named Breitling UK Limited from 2005 until April 2026, when it became H.O.B. House of Brands UK Limited. It was incorporated on 11 November 1987 and is registered for the wholesale and retail sale of watches (Companies House).

Buying a pre-owned Breitling in the UK: what to check

Check that the serial and reference numbers on the watch match its papers, that the papers, COSC certificate and any service records are genuine, and that the watch is not recorded as stolen. For a watch made since 2013, ask the seller to transfer its Breitling digital passport to you.

1. Papers and the full set. A new Breitling comes with a warranty card with a QR code and a COSC certificate, both of which can also be held in a digital passport (Breitling). Ask exactly which items are included and whether they are originals. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves and what it does not.

2. The digital passport. Breitling’s digital passport records a watch’s details, warranty status and ownership history, and the owner can transfer it to a new owner through their Breitling account; the new owner receives a notification to accept the transfer (Breitling). It is available for Breitling watches produced since 2013. If a seller says a watch has a passport, ask them to start the transfer as part of the sale.

3. Serial and model numbers. The serial number and model reference on the watch should match the card and any receipts. Breitling’s model number also shows whether the watch has a manufacture movement: a second letter B followed by 01 to 35 (Breitling).

4. Authenticity. Fake Breitling watches exist, and vintage Breitlings can have replacement dials, hands or bezels. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns, and have the watch checked by a watchmaker you choose. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

5. Stolen-watch check. Before you pay, check the serial number against a stolen-watch register and ask the seller to confirm the watch is not reported lost or stolen. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers and how to use them.

6. Warranty and servicing. Breitling’s international warranty runs from the date of purchase: two years for watches without a Breitling manufacture movement and five years for those with one (Breitling). It stays valid only if any service or repair is done by an authorised Breitling service centre, and it does not cover a watch whose warranty was never activated (Breitling). Ask when the watch was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork. See watch warranties explained.

7. Who you buy from. There are three main routes in the UK:

Sources: Breitling, warranties and digital passport (checked 29 October 2026).

We found no Breitling-run certified pre-owned programme for the UK. For how independent dealers compare with appointed retailers, read grey market versus authorised dealer.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Where was Breitling founded?

In Saint-Imier, Switzerland, in 1884, by Léon Breitling. The company moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1892 (Breitling) and is now based in Grenchen (Wikipedia).

Who owns Breitling?

It is privately owned. Partners Group became the largest shareholder in December 2022 and controls the company with CVC and Breitling’s management (Partners Group).

Is every Breitling a chronometer?

Breitling says that since 1999 it has had every watch, mechanical and quartz, certified as a chronometer by COSC (Breitling). For an older watch, check its papers.

Does Breitling make its own movements?

Some of them. The B01 chronograph has been made in-house since 2009 (Wikipedia), and Breitling’s numbering marks manufacture movements as B01 to B35 (Breitling). Other models use other movements.

How long is the Breitling warranty?

Two years, or five years for a watch with a Breitling manufacture movement, from the date of purchase (Breitling).

What is a Breitling digital passport?

A blockchain-based record of a watch’s details, warranty status and ownership history, which can be transferred to a new owner. It covers watches produced since 2013 (Breitling).

What is the Navitimer?

Breitling’s pilot’s chronograph with a circular slide rule, developed in 1952 for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (Breitling).

Did Breitling invent the chronograph?

No, but it shaped the modern wrist chronograph: the independent pusher came in 1915 and the separate reset pusher in 1933 (Breitling).

What is the Breitling Emergency?

A watch with a built-in distress beacon, announced in 1995 and on sale from May 1996 (Breitling). The Emergency II of 2013 added a satellite-monitored frequency (Wikipedia).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Breitling.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.