BREGUET｜Limited Chronograph Appears for the French Naval Aviation 100th Anniversary

BREGUET | French Naval Aviation's 100th Anniversary Limited Chronograph

A Watch Rooted in the Type XX

Limited Chronograph Appears for French Naval Aviation's 100th Anniversary

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the French Naval Aviation (Aéronavale). Breguet, which has a deep connection with this aviation corps,Breguethas released a limited editionchronographbased on the Type XX.

Text by OPENERS

A Masterpiece Born in an Era of Soaring Demand for Aviation Watches

On July 25, 1909, Louis Blériot successfully crossed the English Channel by aircraft. A research committee established by Vice Admiral Auguste Boué de Lapeyrère, who was also the French Minister of the Navy at the time, lauded the superiority of aircraft over balloons following this achievement. This marked the origin of the French Naval Aviation (Aéronavale – Aviation Navale), which continues to this day.

Breguet's relationship with the French Navy as a watchmaker can be traced back to the era of its founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet. However, the connection between Breguet and the nascent naval aviation corps was even deeper. The Breguet family were also pioneers of the French aviation industry in its early days. The aircraft manufacturer Breguet, founded by Louis-Charles Breguet in 1911, produced numerous French aircraft until it merged with Dassault in 1971 to become Dassault-Breguet.

The relationship between the French Naval Aviation and Breguet as a watchmaker became closer from 1958 onwards. The 1950s and 60s, an era of rapid advancement in military aircraft speeds and before the advent of GPS, saw a surge in demand for aviation watches to ensure more reliable navigation. In response to this demand, Breguet developed the restarting chronograph, the "Type XX." The Type XX remained a proud military specification for the French Navy until its public debut in 1995 as the Aéronavale (the third generation Type XX, Ref. 3800).

To commemorate the establishment of a permanent corner for the 100th anniversary of the Naval Aviation at the National Navy Museum, Breguet has offered its sponsorship. The "Aéronavale" room, to be located within the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, will open on October 26th, coinciding with the International Maritime and Defence Industry Exhibition (Euronaval 2010).

To celebrate this opening, the "Type XX Aéronavale Limited Edition" (Ref. 3803ST) will be released in a world limited edition of 1,000 pieces. This model, based on the third-generation Aéronavale, features an engraving on the case back commemorating the 100th anniversary of the French Naval Aviation unit. Notably, it incorporates new features not found in previous Type XX models, such as a bidirectional rotating bezel, characteristic of aviation chronographs.

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