The Breitling legacy began in a small workshop in the Swiss Jura Mountains and was fortified by the skilful hands of Leon Breitling in 1889. He rapidly attained a formidable reputation with his numerous patents for innovative chronographs.
By the 1930s, Gaston Breitling had assumed control of the company and Breitling chronographs were considered an essential piece for pilots. It was around this time that the company began to manufacture chronographs for aircraft cockpits and instrument panels which was entrusted to Willy Breitling after his father’s unexpected passing. With the war looming, it was fortunate that the company’s successor was a man of passion, acumen and bravery.
As World War II erupted and the Nazi military began to control the Swiss border, a microcosmic conflict ensued. That of the Breitling business, founded in Switzerland but finding its fortune in the needs of the British Royal Navy. The young tycoon had made himself positively acquainted with the British and the demand for reliable aviation instruments had soared as a result of the war. Ceasing trade would threaten the business but continuing would threaten his life. The choice was clear. He was nineteen at the time, and while other young men snuck out at night to visit eager lovers, Willy Breitling would meet a British Royal Air Force plane in a secret meadow. With only the moon as a witness, he would load the plane with a box of aviation chronographs for the British Hurricanes and Spitfires. The risk of aiding a Nazi enemy was immense. To avoid suspicion, he would then engage in drunken tomfoolery and fisticuffs in the nearby towns and purposefully secure night in jail.
It was Willy Breitling’s bravery that enabled the business to survive and grow with the demands of the war. Not only did Willy Breitling adapt, but he also dominated the industry becoming the official supplier for aircraft cockpits and pilots. He unrelentingly pioneered innovative designs which were tested for every stress of combat, including temperature fluctuation, vibration and magnetic force.
In 1936, he designed an aviator chronograph that glowed in the dark and in 1938 he established the renowned Huit Aviation Department. ‘Huit’ meaning eight in French, reflects the eight-day power reserve of the Breitling dashboard clocks, manufactured to meet the needs of military aviation. By 1943, Willy Breitling had begun to transform the brand to accommodate civilian daily life with a focus on elegance and intricacy which continues to this day.
One must appreciate the irony of a watch brand that defies time. The 1970s saw the introduction of the quartz watch movement which posed a threat to heritage luxury brands and in the age of the smartphone, the art of watches has become obviated. Even though Breitling’s focus was no longer aviation, they continued to soar. So how did they endure the test of time?
The Breitling marketing strategy emphasised the artistic and historical merit of their watches. Their rich history did not render this a difficult task, and today, Breitling watches are an icon of masculinity.
When you wear a Breitling watch, you carry on your wrist a history of aviation, military prowess, strength, tragedy, victory and of course, Willy Breitling’s immeasurable bravery.