The story
First released in 1953, the original Ref. 765 AVI, dubbed the “Co-Pilot,” was a workhorse timepiece designed to serve pilots in the often unforgiving conditions of a single-seat cockpit. Its size, legibility and ease of use made it a trusted flight instrument. By the 1960s, the AVI’s simplified style and oversized proportions made it a watch to wear well beyond aviation circles, and was to be seen on the wrist of celebrities and sports stars of the time. The Ref. 765 AVI 1964 Re-Edition, released in a limited production of 164 pieces, faithfully reproduces the Ref. 765 AVI’s design. It includes a true-to-the-time hesalite crystal, as well as the baton indexes and lumed pencil hands used on the original. It also features modern improvements, like the durable amorphous diamond-like-carbon (ADLC) coated bezel that gives it its black finish. To maintain its vintage character, the watch is powered by the Caliber B09, a current Breitling manufacture movement that is, appropriately, manual wind. Its limitation references the watch’s original 1964 release with the caseback engraving “One of 164.”
