As the last of the mighty 747 airliners rolls off the Boeing production line, Breitling launches a limited-edition Navitimer celebrating the jet that revolutionized air travel.

They may be a little rare these days but it wasn’t that long ago that the Boeing 747 dominated passenger flight globally. Known as the “Queen of the Skies”, from the moment the first production model taxied onto the runway in 1969, the Boeing 747 was destined to change the face of air travel. The original jumbo jet, which had two aisles and two decks, could carry double the passengers of the next-largest jetliner and fly more than 5,000 nautical miles.

The Boeing 747 went on to revolutionize commercial aviation, putting long-haul flights within reach of a new generation of air travellers and connecting the world like never before. Now, as Boeing gets set to deliver the last 747, Breitling commemorates the game-changing aircraft with a special-edition Navitimer, limited to 747 pieces.

The Navitimer, developed by Breitling in 1952, was originally conceived for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and would go on to become the de facto pilot’s watch throughout the golden age of civil aviation, with its defining circular slide rule that could perform all in-flight calculations.

747 First Flight‌-in Flight 7

The new Navitimer Boeing 747 features the AOPA logo at 12 o’clock, representing its heritage as a pilot’s chronograph. The colours on the dial echo the palette found on the original Boeing 747, captured in its cream dial with black subdials and red-and-white slide rule with blue accents. The “Boeing 747” name is subtly integrated into the slide rule’s inner scale, while the watch also features an integrated date window at 6 o’clock. It is available on a black alligator leather strap or a seven-row metal bracelet.

Flip it over and the watch’s open caseback reveals the exceptional Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 movement, which offers approximately 70 hours of power reserve and is backed by a five-year warranty. The caseback contains the special engravings “One of 747” and the phrase “The Original Jumbo Jet” – a poignant tribute to an aircraft that, over more than a half-century of service, opened the skies and changed the way we travel. The 1,574th – and last – Boeing 747 will be delivered this year

For more Road Style stories click here.

STAY IN THE KNOW BY FOLLOWING US ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, & LINKEDIN