Actress Charlize Theron embarks on a new journey with Breitling and its new Navitimer 36 and 32

In 1952, Willy Breitling – grandson of the maison’s founder, Leon – was approached by the US Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) with a request to create a new chronograph for its members. His response was an innovative wrist-worn instrument that would enable pilots to perform all necessary flight calculations, including average speed, distance travelled, fuel consumption, rate of climb or descent, and conversion of miles to kilometers or nautical miles.

At the time, calculations required a logarithmic slide rule. Willy therefore adapted the original logarithmic slide rule of the 1940s Chronomat for aviation purposes and integrated it into a rotating bezel, surrounded by small beads to make it easier to manipulate. The size was set to a generous 41mm for maximum readability, with radium-filled Arabic numerals put in place for the same reason.

The Navitimer would go on to become a commercial success and a collector’s favourite, maintaining most of its design signatures – its size, most critically. This was always a man’s watch with really masculine proportions, even as women increasingly started to actively opt for watches traditionally made for men. In recent years, however, the Navitimer has become less of a boy’s toy and more of a tool watch for haute horlogerie enthusiasts – while a small proportion of customers would certainly have used it for its intended purpose, its heritage and mechanical mastery gradually refined its appeal, transforming it into a symbol for those plotting their personal journeys through life.

In conjunction with the 70th anniversary of the Navitimer last year, Breitling launched its For The Journey campaign featuring the Navitimer Squad, made up of basketball superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland and aviation pioneer and explorer Bertrand Piccard. Each has charted a course and stayed on it through sheer determination. And each one is en route to achieving their next set of ambitions. Using powerful visuals and the squad members’ narration, the campaign gets to the heart of these moving journeys. The campaign was launched alongside a new Navitimer collection, discernible by its boldly coloured dials.

This year, Breitling introduces two new additions to the Navitimer collection, in new 36- and 32-mm sizes for people who love the look and feel of a smaller diameter watch. But these showstoppers offer so much more than just trim new sizes. Pops of pastel, mother-of-pearl, and traceable precious materials combine with the Navitimer’s distinct beaded bezel to create timepieces with a jewellery-like appeal.

The 36mm Navitimer features the iconic beaded bezel and iconic circular slide rule, but this time is coupled with trio of chic metallic dial colours (mint green, silver, and anthracite) with baton indices, or with a white mother-of-pearl dial set with round-cut “better diamonds”. Part of Breitling’s mission to do better, these diamonds are lab-grown and traceable to accredited producers who have achieved the SCS-007 Sustainability Rated Diamonds Standard. Similarly, the full-gold version and gold bezel on the duo-tone are crafted in “better gold”, traceable to artisanal and small-scale mines that meet the Swiss Better Gold Association’s criteria for social and environmental impact. All watches in the line that feature better gold, better diamonds, or both, carry the Origins label, a marker of their precious materials’ product integrity. The Navitimer 36 is powered by the COSC-certified Breitling Caliber 17, providing three-hand time and automatic winding.

The Navitimer 32, a dazzling new interpretation of this classic aviation timepiece, forgoes the slide rule in favour of a simplified dial design suited to its slim diameter. Where this small watch packs a big punch is in its mother-of-pearl dials in powdery pink and light-blue—a first for Breitling—along with classic white. As with the larger 36, the 32 features better diamonds across the line as well as better gold on the full-gold version and on the bezel of the duo-tone, and they all carry the Origins label. The power behind this watch comes from the Breitling Caliber 77, a supremely precise SuperQuartz movement that, as with all of Breitling’s quartz calibres, has the added distinction of being COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres)-certified. It also features a 50m of water resistance.

The more diminutive proportions and feminine aesthetics of the Navitimer 36 and 32 are perfectly suited to Theron’s fragile, delicate beauty, while the strength and power of the movements within resonate with her own sense of purpose. “My journey has always been about being up for any challenge,” says Theron. “I travelled from South Africa to Los Angeles when I was quite young and both that physical journey and the journey of being open-minded and ready for new experiences has served me well personally and professionally.”

Visit The Hour Glass today to see the new Navitimer watches.