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Breitling Navtimer 41mm Stainless Steel
Ref. A13022
The Navitimer's claim on aviation history begins in 1952, and the A13022 — produced through the 1990s and into 2002 — was Breitling's attempt to honour that original ref. 806 while bringing it into the era of automatic winding and a date display. Collectors sometimes call it the Old Navitimer II, a name that acknowledges both its debt to the past and its position in the lineage before COSC certification arrived with the A13322 that followed it. At 41.5mm with a 47.5mm lug-to-lug, it sits considerably more modestly on the wrist than current Navitimer references, and the proportions feel considered rather than accidental — there is enough dial real estate to read the slide rule and the three-register chronograph layout clearly, without the watch announcing itself from across the room. The Valjoux 7750 at its heart is not a glamorous movement, but it is one of the most practically reliable automatic chronograph ebauches ever made, and its presence here explains why so many examples from this period still run without drama decades later. Depending on when in the production run this example was made, the lume plots may have developed the warm patina that tritium acquires with age — a detail that reads differently on the wrist than any catalogue photograph suggests.
- Reference
- A13022
- Brand
- Breitling
- Collection
- Navitimer
- Case size
- 41.5mm
- Case thickness
- 14.2mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Bidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- Breitling 13
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date, Tachymeter
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Vintage
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 47.5mm
- Power reserve
- 42 hours
Learn more about Breitling
Léon Breitling founded a workshop in Saint-Imier in 1884 specialising in chronographs and precision counters for industrial, scientific, and sporting use — deliberately narrow ground at a time when most makers built everything.
The family's technical contribution is the chronograph as we use it. Gaston Breitling introduced a wrist chronograph with a dedicated pusher separate from the crown in 1915, unpicking the start-stop-reset sequence from the winding mechanism. Willy Breitling added the second pusher in 1934, separating reset from stop and completing the two-pusher layout every chronograph has used since.
Aviation followed naturally. The Chronomat arrived in 1942 with a rotating slide rule bezel, and the Navitimer in 1952 refined the idea into a circular flight computer capable of fuel burn, climb rate, and unit conversion. It became the semi-official watch of pilots and remains the brand's signature.
Breitling was among the consortium — with Heuer, Hamilton, and Dubois Dépraz — racing Zenith and Seiko to the first automatic chronograph in 1969.
The company faltered badly in the quartz crisis and stopped trading in 1979. Ernest Schneider bought the name and rebuilt it around aviation and oversized cases. A change of ownership in 2017 brought Georges Kern and a deliberate softening toward slimmer, more archival designs.
- 1884
- Léon Breitling opens his chronograph workshop.
- 1915
- The first chronograph pusher independent of the crown.
- 1934
- The two-pusher chronograph layout is completed.
- 1952
- The Navitimer introduces the aviation slide rule.
- 1979
- The original company closes; Ernest Schneider revives the name.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,847), Stainless Steel Watches (3,197), Automatic Watches (1,736), Chronograph Watches (1,234), Leather Strap Watches (1,049) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (344).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 47.5mm lug-to-lug keeps the 41.5mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
- 14.2mm thick, so it will not disappear under a cuff
Breitling Navtimer alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | A13022 | Q4018420 | 103481 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,850 | £6,150 | £6,415 |
| Case size | 41.5mm | 40mm | 41mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 50m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 42 hours | 70 hours | 42 hours |
| This watch |
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Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 42 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
22mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 47.5mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £5,850, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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