Breitling

Breitling was founded in 1884 by Léon Breitling in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, initially specializing in chronographs and precision counters for scientific and industrial purposes. In 1892, operations moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds, the epicenter of Swiss watchmaking. When Léon died in 1914, the business passed to his son Gaston, and then to grandson Willy in 1935. The company pioneered aviation timing instruments, introducing the circular slide rule bezel on the Chronomat in 1942 and launching the iconic Navitimer in 1954. In 1962, astronaut Scott Carpenter wore a modified 24-hour Navitimer Cosmonaute during his Mercury space mission. After Willy Breitling's death in 1979, Ernest Schneider acquired the brand and moved production to Grenchen. The Schneider family sold to CVC Capital Partners in 2017 for $870 million, and Partners Group acquired the majority stake in December 2022.