Breitling was founded in 1884, and right from the start, specialised in chronographs to that extent that it is fair to say that the form of the chronograph, as we know it today, had been solidified due to the development done by the company. It was in 1942, that Breitling introduced the first watch with a circular slide rule, the Chronomat. Some years later (1954) the legendary Navitimer was also introduced. However, the focus of the article is on the Chronomat, perhaps one of, if not, the most commercially successful Breitling of the past sixty years. Contrary to general belief, it is not the Navitimer but the Chronomat that has proved to be Breitling’s biggest seller. However, before we examine the Chronomat Black Steel 44 SE we must understand how this model evolved.
