Breitling

Breitling was founded in 1884 by Léon Breitling in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, initially specializing in chronographs and precision counters for scientific and industrial use. When Léon died in 1914, the business passed to his son Gaston, and then to grandson Willy in 1935. In 1942, the Chronomat introduced a circular slide rule bezel. The Navitimer, launched in 1954, became the company's most recognizable model. In 1962, astronaut Scott Carpenter wore a modified 24-hour Navitimer Cosmonaute during his Mercury-Atlas 7 space flight. In 1969, the first automatic chronograph movement was co-developed by Breitling, Heuer, Hamilton, and Dubois-Depraz. The Breitling factory closed in December 1978. Willy Breitling died in May 1979, and Ernest Schneider purchased the brand name that same year, moving production to Grenchen. Historically, Breitling sourced movements from Valjoux, ETA, and Venus. In 2009, the company developed the B01, its first in-house chronograph movement. The Schneider family sold to CVC Capital Partners in 2017 for $870 million. Partners Group acquired the majority stake in December 2022. In 2023, Breitling acquired Universal Genève. In 2025, Breitling acquired Gallet.