Léon Breitling established his watchmaking workshop in the Swiss Jura in 1884 and concentrated on the production of chronographs – an area in which the company has been at the forefront of innovation throughout its history.

Because of its work in developing chronographs, Breitling became a natural choice for the early pioneers of aviation and has since become the brand of reference for pilot’s watches. Among the brand’s models, the Navitimer, which was introduced in 1952, is perhaps the most closely associated with the world of aviation because of its navigation computer function that can be used to make all the calculations required for a flight plan.

In its more recent history, Breitling’s partnership with Bentley Motors has spawned an entire collection of watches under the Bretiling for Bentley name.

Breitling is an independent company managed by Théodore Schneider.