The Premier made its debut in 1943 as the watch that took the chronograph out of the cockpit and into society. It was the gentleman’s chronograph, a symbol of “impeccable taste,” in the words of its inventor, Willy Breitling, that also happened to be a highly functional tool watch. The anniversary edition in solid 18k red gold retains the Premier’s distinctive Arabic numerals, contrasting minutes scale and signature square pushers. The strap is black alligator leather with elegant tone-on-tone topstitching and an 18k gold folding buckle.

The Navitimer was the first watch for pilots to combine a chronograph with the brand’s proprietary wrist-worn circular slide rule. Originally developed in 1952 for members of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the Navitimer quickly found favor with a broader audience that included celebrities, athletes, and astronauts. In 1962, it even became the first Swiss wristwatch in space. The anniversary edition features the famous slide rule in black on an attention-grabbing 18k red-gold dial. The strap is alligator leather with contrasting topstitching and an 18k gold folding buckle.

The Chronomat first launched in 1983 as the official watch of Italy’s aerobatics team, the Frecce Tricolori. The popularity of its design led to a wider release a year later. This quartz-era timing was significant—the Chronomat was instrumental in restoring the popularity of mechanical chronographs. The anniversary edition features the model’s distinctive design with four raised rider tabs at the 15-minute marks, an “onion” crown, and a rubber version of the model’s classic Rouleaux bracelet. Ceramic inserts give it a supercharged look. Plus, it marks another first for Breitling: a dramatic skeletonized dial.

With the 140th-anniversary limited-edition timepieces Breitling introduces its newest manufacture movement, the chronograph Caliber B19, based on Breitling’s original manufacture Caliber 01. Designed and assembled at the Breitling Chronometrie in La Chaux-de-Fonds, it’s a unique homage to the brand’s illustrious history of firsts. The Caliber B19 is the first manufacture movement produced by Breitling to include a perpetual calendar that, with regular wear or winding, can run without major adjustment for nearly a century. Montbrillant, the original factory where the Breitling family manufactured its timeless watches and lived for three generations, is engraved on the oscillating weight visible through the caseback. While heritage at Breitling may be about the past, it is also about a history of firsts and the future.