Knowledge Center

Professional Authentication Platform

Log InRegister

Bezel

Navitimer circular slide rule

Probable

A working circular slide rule for the arithmetic a pilot needed before electronic navigation: fuel burn, rate of climb, time-speed-distance, unit conversion. The outer bezel rotates against a fixed scale printed on the dial flange, and the two are read together. The beaded bezel edge exists to be gripped with gloves on.

Part reference

Brand
Breitling
Material
Steel bezel with printed scales, over a printed dial flange
Introduced
1952
Identifying marks
Scales printed crisply and registering correctly with one another through a full rotation. The bezel turns bidirectionally with even resistance and no play — it is a computing surface rather than a timing bezel, so it must be settable precisely rather than clicking to positions.

Documented variations

Classification

FactoryDocumented as shipped from the factory for this reference and period.PeriodNot original to this watch, but correct for its production period.ServiceFitted by the manufacturer's own service network. Not a defect.AftermarketThird-party part. Affects originality, not authenticity.ModifiedGenuine parts in a configuration the factory did not sell. Affects originality and value, not authenticity.CounterfeitDeceptive reproduction intended to pass as genuine.UnknownEvidence on file does not settle the question.

  • Working slide rule

    FactoryProbable

    Whole production

    Correct, and testable: set a known calculation on the bezel and read the result. A slide rule whose scales do not produce correct answers is misprinted or misassembled, and that is a check no other watch in this catalog offers.

  • Replacement bezel

    ServiceProbable

    Whole production

    Bezels are damaged and replaced. A replacement affects originality; it also means the bezel's printing style may not match the period of the dial, which is a fitment observation rather than a finding.

Documented on these references

Provenance of this record

Sources & Evidence

Contemporaneous sourceOriginal catalog

Breitling catalogues and aviation-trade advertising, 1940s-1970s

Breitling SA

Accessed
2026-08-18

Cited for

This referenceProbable
Secondary sourceCollector research

Breitling collector research on Navitimer generations and reference numbering

Collector communities and specialist dealers

Accessed
2026-08-18

Cited for

This referenceProbable

Last verified: Not yet reviewed