Aviation Navitimer

This Aviation pilots watch looks pretty familiar, right? No, this is not a lame Breitling Navitimer homage, so let us tell you about this great watch and why it is an interesting piece of horological history. Breitling was founded in 1892, and while still around today, the company is no longer in the hands of the Breitling family. The late 1970s was a turbulent time for the Swiss watch industry, and many storied houses were swept away by the Quartz Crisis. By 1978, Breitling was in trouble due to the illness of its leader, Willy Breitling, and the steep decline in sales that had befallen the entire industry. Unable to keep operations going, the Breitling company was liquidated, and parts, toolings and naming rights were sold off. The Ollech & Wajs company, founded in the 1950s, was one of several groups who bought some of the Breitling properties, and they began producing Navitimers under the Aviation brand name soon afterward. The Aviation Navitimers are nearly identical to their