Breitling Navitimer Ref 806 1959 Re-Edition: Malaysia Price And Review

Leong Wong 21 June 2019

Rebirth of an icon.

Every once in a while, we need to be reminded of our roots to truly appreciate where we come from, and in doing so, legitimise our existence. This philosophy aptly reflects Breitling’s recent decision to celebrate its legacy with a series of nostalgic drops, starting with the Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition.

As Breitling CEO Georges Kern himself acknowledges: “In the past year, we’ve been thrilled to learn that there are so many people who have always been passionate about Breitling’s legacy and that there’s enormous interest not only in our new products but also in our heritage and our early timepieces.”

When it debuted 60 years ago, the Navitimer was a game-changer for pilots because its innovative slide allowed critical mid-flight calculations. And so, it’s obvious why Breitling has chosen this revolutionary wrist-worn chronograph as its first re-edition timepiece.

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“The Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition will give new Breitling fans and people who have followed the brand for decades a chance to own and enjoy their own exclusive piece of our legendary past,” Kern notes.

The re-edition is an almost-faith rendition of the original Navitimer Ref 806, of which the rotating bezel would be a particular highlight for purists. It has 94 beads — the same as the 1959 model. According to Breitling, the number varied throughout the timepiece’s production period from as many as 125 in the early 1950s to as few as 93 in 1960.

Those with a love of minutiae will appreciate other signature elements that have been carried over, such as the 40.9mm stainless-steel case that was developed specifically for this re-issue; all-black dial with tone-on-tone subdials; famous circular slide rule, positioned beneath a piece of highly-domed Plexiglas; and Breitling inscription in capital letters and unsigned winged logo.

But where improvements can be made, Breitling has introduced three key changes: Water-resistance to a depth of 30m and a hand-finished Super-LumiNova coating with a colour that matches the ageing of the luminescent material on earlier watches.

Last but not least, a completely new manual movement has been developed to replace the original one that powered the early Navitimer. The in-house Breitling Manufacture Calibre B09 is a hand-wound COSC-certified movement based on the Breitling Calibre 01 and developed specifically for historical re-editions.

The Navitimer Ref 806 1959 Re-Edition has a limited production run of 1,959 pieces worldwide, so get your name on that waitlist quick, whether you are a die-hard Breitling fan or simply someone who isn’t prepared to let go of his boyhood dream of becoming a pilot yet.