Breitling Navitimer Becomes A Miles Davis Signature
Breitling celebrates the centenary of Miles Davis with a limited edition Navitimer inspired by the legendary musician’s own watch, the Navitimer ref. 806 Mk5.
Few watches have travelled as far beyond their original purpose as the Breitling Navitimer. Conceived in 1952 as a professional instrument for pilots, its combination of chronograph and circular slide rule established it as one of the defining tool watches of the twentieth century. Yet over seven decades, the Navitimer has become something more. It has appeared on the wrists of astronauts, racing drivers, musicians and cultural icons, its technical origins giving way to an enduring expression of individuality. Among those who made the watch their own was Miles Davis.
To mark the centenary of the birth of one of jazz’s most influential musicians, Breitling introduces the Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Miles Davis, limited to just 500 pieces. Inspired by the mid-1960s Navitimer ref. 806 Mk5 worn by Davis, the new chronograph brings together one of Breitling’s most recognisable references with the unmistakable character of a man who spent his career challenging convention.
The Sound Of Individuality
Miles Davis never simply followed the rules. Across five decades, he repeatedly reinvented jazz, moving from bebop and cool jazz to hard bop, modal improvisation and electric fusion. His music was characterised as much by what he left unsaid as by the notes he played, using space and restraint to create tension and emotion. That same instinct extended beyond music.
Davis understood style as another form of self-expression. His sharp Italian tailoring, exotic sports cars, art and unmistakable stage presence all contributed to an image that was entirely his own. In a 1985 interview, Bob Dylan described Davis as his “definition of cool”. His Navitimer belonged naturally within that world.
Rather than simply wearing a professional pilot’s instrument, Davis transformed it through the context in which he wore it. The watch became part of his personal identity and, in turn, part of the wider cultural story of the Navitimer.
The Miles Davis Estate describes the watch as something Davis chose because it spoke to his individuality and creative instinct. It was not a prop, but an object that reflected the same independence evident in his music.
A Navitimer With A History
The new limited edition takes its principal inspiration from the Navitimer ref. 806 Mk5 that Davis wore during the mid-1960s. Its 41mm stainless-steel case retains the proportions of the original, while the monochrome reverse-panda dial recreates one of the most distinctive characteristics of Davis’ watch. Cream-coloured Super-LumiNova evokes the warmth of vintage radium, while the era-appropriate Breitling Twin Jet logo reinforces its historical character.
The result is deliberately restrained. Rather than reproducing a vintage watch, Breitling has captured the essence of the watch Davis made his own and translated it into a contemporary chronograph. The bi-directional bezel retains the Navitimer’s defining circular slide rule, while the cambered sapphire crystal brings modern durability to a design rooted firmly in the 1960s.
At the heart of the watch is the hand-wound Breitling Manufacture Caliber B09. Its manual-winding architecture is particularly appropriate for a watch inspired by an era before automatic chronographs had become established. The COSC-certified movement operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour and provides approximately 70 hours of power reserve.
Visible through the sapphire caseback, the movement is accompanied by a special engraving marking each watch as “One of 500” and commemorating the Miles Davis Centennial.
The Return Of The Air Racer
Breitling offers the new Navitimer with a choice of two distinct expressions. A hand-coloured gradient brown calf-leather strap introduces warm tones that complement the vintage character of the dial. Alternatively, collectors can choose the newly revived stainless-steel Air Racer bracelet.
First introduced in the 1960s, the Air Racer became particularly associated with musician Serge Gainsbourg during the 1980s. Its distinctive vented construction gives the bracelet a strong period identity, while hinged links near the clasp have been incorporated to improve comfort and wearability. It is a fitting detail for a watch whose story is as much about culture as it is about aviation.
From Cockpit To Culture
The Navitimer was originally developed for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, with its winged AOPA logo appearing on watches sold directly to members. Later civilian models introduced the Breitling Twin Jet emblem, distinguishing them from the AOPA editions.
Davis’ ref. 806 Mk5 occupies a particularly interesting place within that evolution. It was the first to combine the Twin Jet logo with a reverse-panda dial, making the configuration reproduced in the new tribute especially significant. The watch also belongs to a much broader history of the Navitimer escaping the cockpit.
Racing drivers Jim Clark and Graham Hill wore it during the 1960s. Serge Gainsbourg adopted it as part of his unmistakable personal style. And Miles Davis took it into another cultural realm altogether.
As Breitling’s Global Director of Public Relations and Heritage Romy Hebden explains, the Navitimer gradually evolved from a professional instrument into an authentic expression of individuality and style. The new Miles Davis edition continues that journey.
A New Breitling Social Club
The launch also introduces another chapter in Breitling’s evolving cultural universe. The first Breitling Social Club is planned to open in Williamsburg, New York, in late 2027. Conceived as a physical expression of the brand, the club will bring together collectors, entrepreneurs, creatives, artists and Breitling enthusiasts through hospitality, culture and exclusive experiences.
Owners of one of the 500 Miles Davis tribute watches will receive two years of membership. For collectors looking for something even more exclusive, Breitling is also introducing a Lifetime Club Member Set limited to just 50 numbered editions.
The set comprises three Navitimer 806 Mk5 tributes in stainless steel, 18k yellow gold and platinum. The stainless-steel and yellow-gold versions feature the classic black and white reverse-panda configuration, while the platinum model introduces a blue dial with contrasting white subdials and slide-rule scale.
Each watch is paired with a gradient calf-leather strap. Brown accompanies the steel model, black the yellow-gold version and blue the platinum edition.
The presentation case takes its inspiration from a traditional trumpet case, complete with handle, twin clasps and reinforced corners. Inside, a blue lining references Davis’ celebrated album Kind of Blue, while a blue record bearing the words “Miles Davis Edition” sits within the lid and a miniature red trumpet completes the presentation.
Two Originals
There is a certain inevitability to the pairing of Miles Davis and the Navitimer. Both were defined by reinvention. Both became influential beyond the fields for which they were originally created. And both ultimately became symbols of individuality.
The Navitimer began life as a tool for pilots. Miles Davis took it somewhere else, just as he continually took jazz somewhere else. On his wrist, a functional instrument became part of a distinctive personal vocabulary.
The Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Miles Davis is therefore more than another historic reissue. It is a celebration of the moment when watchmaking, music and style converged, and a reminder that the most enduring icons are often those that refuse to remain within the boundaries originally set for them.
For Breitling, it represents another chapter in the ongoing Navitimer Stories celebration, exploring the people, achievements and cultural moments that have shaped the model across aviation, racing, space and popular culture. For Miles Davis, it is a fitting tribute to a man who never simply followed the beat. He created his own.
Technical Specifications
NAVITIMER B09 CHRONOGRAPH 41 TRIBUTE TO MILES DAVIS
Reference
AB09501A1B1X1 or AB09501A1B1A1
WATCH MOVEMENT
Caliber: Breitling Manufacture Caliber B09
Diameter: 30 millimeters
Depth: 6.73 millimeters
Winder: Mechanical hand-wound
Power reserve: approximately 70 hours
Number of components: 244
Balance frequency: 28,800 a/h or 4 hertz
Chronograph: column-wheel, vertical clutch, 1/4th second and 30-minute
Display: hour, minute, second
Certification: COSC-certified
CASE
Material: Stainless steel
Diameter: 41 millimeters
Thickness: 13 millimeters
Height (upper lug tip to lower lug tip): 47.09 millimeters
Water resistance: up to 3 bars (30 meters/99 ft)
Glass: cambered sapphire, glareproofed on both sides
Case back: stainless steel, screwed in, sapphire crystal, special engraving
Crown: stainless steel, non screw-locked, two gaskets
Bezel: bidirectional with circular slide rule
DIAL/HANDS
Black sunray-brushed dial
Old radium super-LumiNova® luminescent indexes, hour and minute hand
STRAP
Brown calf-leather strap with folding clasp or stainless-steel Air Racer bracelet
PRICE
Upon request
NAVITIMER B09 CHRONOGRAPH 41 MILES DAVIS LIFETIME CLUB MEMBER SET
Reference: AB09502A1B1X1
WATCH MOVEMENT
Caliber: Breitling Manufacture Caliber B09
Diameter: 30 millimeters
Depth: 6.73 millimeters
Winder: Mechanical hand-wound
Power reserve: approximately 70 hours
Number of components: 244
Balance frequency: 28,800 a/h or 4 hertz
Chronograph: column-wheel, vertical clutch, 1/4th second and 30-minute
Display: hour, minute, second
Certification: COSC-certified
CASE
Material: Stainless steel
Diameter: 41 millimeters
Thickness: 13 millimeters
Height (upper lug tip to lower lug tip): 47.09 millimeters
Water resistance: up to 3 bars (30 meters/99 ft)
Glass: cambered sapphire, glareproofed on both sides
Case back: stainless steel, screwed in, sapphire crystal, special engraving
Crown: stainless steel, non screw-locked, two gaskets
Bezel: bidirectional with circular slide rule
DIAL/HANDS
Black sunray-brushed dial
Old radium super-LumiNova® luminescent indexes, hour and minute hand
STRAP
Brown calf-leather strap with folding clasp or stainless-steel Air Racer bracelet
PRICE
Upon request
NAVITIMER B09 CHRONOGRAPH 41 MILES DAVIS LIFETIME CLUB MEMBER SET
Reference: KB09501A1B1X1
WATCH MOVEMENT
Caliber: Breitling Manufacture Caliber B09
Diameter: 30 millimeters
Depth: 6.73 millimeters
Winder: Mechanical hand-wound
Power reserve: approximately 70 hours
Number of components: 244
Balance frequency: 28,800 a/h or 4 hertz
Chronograph: column-wheel, vertical clutch, 1/4th second and 30-minute
Display: hour, minute, second
Certification: COSC-certified
CASE
Material: 18k Yellow gold
Diameter: 41 millimeters
Thickness: 13 millimeters
Height (upper lug tip to lower lug tip): 47.09 millimeters
Water resistance: up to 3 bars (30 meters/99 ft)
Glass: cambered sapphire, glareproofed on both sides
Case back: stainless steel, 18k Yellow gold screwed in, sapphire crystal, special engraving
Crown: 18k yellow gold
Bezel: bidirectional with circular slide rule
DIAL/HANDS
Black panda dial with white rehaut and subdials
Old radium super-LumiNova® luminescent indexes, hour and minute hand
STRAP
Black calfskin leather strap with folding clasp
PRICE
Upon request
NAVITIMER B09 CHRONOGRAPH 41 MILES DAVIS LIFETIME CLUB MEMBER SET
Reference: LB09501A1C1X1
WATCH MOVEMENT
Caliber: Breitling Manufacture Caliber B09
Diameter: 30 millimeters
Depth: 6.73 millimeters
Winder: Mechanical hand-wound
Power reserve: approximately 70 hours
Number of components: 244
Balance frequency: 28,800 a/h or 4 hertz
Chronograph: column-wheel, vertical clutch, 1/4th second and 30-minute
Display: hour, minute, second
Certification: COSC-certified
CASE
Material: Platinum
Diameter: 41 millimeters
Thickness: 13 millimeters
Height (upper lug tip to lower lug tip): 47.09 millimeters
Water resistance: up to 3 bars (30 meters/99 ft)
Glass: cambered sapphire, glareproofed on both sides
Case back: Platinum screwed in, sapphire crystal, special engraving
Crown: Platinum, non screw-locked, two gaskets
Bezel: bidirectional with circular slide rule
DIAL/HANDS
Blue panda dial with white rehaut and subdials
Old radium super-LumiNova® luminescent indexes, hour and minute hand
STRAP
Blue calfskin leather strap with folding clasp
PRICE
Upon request
For more information please visit Breitling