A Closer Look At Breitling’s US Navy Academy Avenger Watches

(This article by Roberta Naas first appeared on Forbes.com.)

Last week at the Lone Star Flight Museum in Houston, Breitling unveiled three new timepieces that celebrate United States naval aviation and several of its elite forces. Working with the US Naval Academy and the test squadrons VX-30 Bloodhounds and VX-31 Dust Devils, Breitling celebrates these military factions. The release of the new Breitling Avenger B01 Chronograph 44 Night Mission USN watches also marks Breitling’s 140 Years of Firsts campaign that celebrates the brand’s long-standing involvement in military aviation.

Each of the three new watches boasts the individual squadron’s emblem and color scheme: gray and yellow for the Bloodhounds, red and black for the Dust Devils and blue and yellow for the US Naval Academy (USNA).

The new 44mm watches are crafted in black ceramic with titanium pushers and screw-lock crown and house the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 that is a COSC-certified chronometer, attesting to its precision. The self-winding chronograph movement consists of 292 individual components, including column-wheel chronograph, vertical clutch and timing to 12 hours, 30 minutes and ¼ seconds. The caliber offers 70 hours of power reserve.

On the dial side, the hands and indexes are coated in Super-LumiNova®. Each watch boasts the logo of the Naval Academy at 9:00. The case back of each watch features a sapphire crystal inset for viewing of the movement and the Breitling rotor. The case backs also feature dedicated squadron engravings. Water resistant to 300 meters, the watches also feature a unidirectional ratcheted bezel and are finished with a black military leather strap with color-coordinated stitching.

The three squadrons the brand is honoring each has its own heritage. The USNA, based in Annapolis, MD, is America’s key naval training institution, established in 1845. The Bloodhounds, VX-30, are experimental test pilots stationed in Point Mugu, CA, and the Dust Devils, VX-31, are based in the desert of China Lake, CA. The watches retail for $10,200.

Breitling’s roots in aviation date back to the roots of aviation itself, when, in the 1930’s, third-generation family member, Willy Breitling, formed a special division of the watch company called HUIT Aviation that was dedicated to creating precision instruments for pilots. From those roots, the brand has branched into a host of air-travel timepieces ranging from the Navitimer to the Emergency and the Avenger, among others.

“The Avenger U.S. Navy editions are a tribute to the unwavering spirit of naval aviators,” said Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling, in a press release. “They encapsulate Breitling’s commitment to precision and reliability in the most challenging aerial environments.”