Breitling revives the designs of iconic warplanes for its new Super AVI timepiece collection.
Before there were supersonic jet fighters, wars in the air were fought by the likes of the Mustang and the Warhawk, the American muscle cars of the sky. Paying homage to classic fighters – the North American Aviation P-51 Mustang, the Vought F4U Corsair, the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, and the de Havilland Mosquito – as well as to the original 1953 “Co-Pilot” Ref. 765 AVI aviator’s watch, Breitling has created the Super AVI collection.
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The new lineup embodies that sense of nostalgia for the early days of aviation when pilots relied on their watches as vital onboard tools. In the 1930s, Breitling’s Huit Aviation department made its name inventing precision cockpit clocks for the then nascent field of aeronautics. Two decades later, in 1953, Breitling introduced the world to yet another novel flight instrument, this time in wearable form, with the Ref. 765 AVI pilot’s watch which, in 2020, was reimagined as the AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-Edition.
The new collection comes in five unique versions honouring four powerful and memorable aircraft, whose filigree silhouettes adorn the watches’ sapphire case backs.
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The Super AVI P-51 Mustang pays homage to the best all-around fighter plane of its era in two distinct versions: a stainless-steel case (above) with a black dial and gold-brown leather strap and an 18 k red gold version with an anthracite dial and a black leather strap.
The Super AVI Tribute to Vought F4U Corsair features a blue dial, tone-on-tone chronograph counters, and a black leather strap that take their design cues from the characteristic livery of the record-breaking naval aircraft.
The Super AVI Curtiss Warhawk, with its military-green dial, white contrasting chronograph counters, and red accents, plays on its namesake’s famous shark-mouth nose art that gave the plane its unmistakable identity.
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The Super AVI Mosquito features a combination polished and satin-brushed black ceramic bezel and a black dial with white contrasting chronograph counters. Its red and orange elements recall the roundels and markings found on the versatile plane, dubbed the “Wooden Wonder”.
The Super AVI’s distinctive design includes large, highly legible Arabic numerals on the dial and bezel. Its sturdy case measures 46 mm, and the oversized crown sits at 3 o’clock. Knurled bezels provide optimal grip, and top-stitched calfskin straps give a nod to the seams found on leather flight gear of the era.
Pilots and other travelers will appreciate the ability to track a second time zone using the 24-hour marking on the inner bezel and the red-tipped GMT hand. The engine of the Super AVI is the COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Caliber B04 movement, which provides approximately 70 hours of power reserve.
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