Paying tribute to the centennial of American jazz legend Miles Davis, Breitling has created the Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Miles Davis (Ref. AB09501A1B1X1), a limited edition of 500 pieces inspired by the Navitimer Ref. 806 Mk5 worn by Davis in the mid-1960s. The design also reflects the history of the Navitimer. Originally developed in 1952 for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the watch was sold to members with the organisation’s winged logo. Civilian versions later used Breitling’s Twin Jet emblem, and Davis’ Ref. 806 Mk5 was the first to combine that emblem with a reverse-panda dial.

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The watch combines Davis’ watch’s vintage aesthetics with modern materials and Breitling’s hand-wound Manufacture Calibre B09. It features a 41 mm stainless-steel case with 13 mm thickness and 47.09 mm lug-to-lug length. The stainless-steel caseback is screwed in and fitted with a sapphire crystal, with special engraving reading “One of 500” and “Miles Davis Centennial.” The stainless-steel crown is non-screw-locked and uses two gaskets, while the bezel retains the circular slide-rule system. Water resistance is rated at 30 metres.

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Its black reverse-panda dial has white subdials and a white rehaut, along with the vintage Breitling Twin Jet logo. Old-radium Super-LumiNova® is used on the indexes and hour and minute hands. The bidirectional bezel carries Breitling’s circular slide rule, while the cambered sapphire crystal is glareproofed on both sides.

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Power comes from Breitling Manufacture Calibre B09, a hand-wound movement that operates at 28,800 vph, or 4 Hz, and provides approximately 70 hours of power reserve. It uses a column-wheel chronograph with a vertical clutch, capable of measuring one-quarter-second intervals and up to 30 minutes. It is COSC certified and displays hours, minutes, and seconds.

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The watch is offered with either a hand-coloured gradient brown calf-leather strap with folding clasp or a stainless-steel Air Racer bracelet. First introduced in the 1960s, the rally-inspired Air Racer bracelet retains its distinctive vented design and adds hinged links near the clasp for improved comfort.

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Breitling has also introduced a Lifetime Club Member Set, limited to 50 pieces. The set contains three Navitimer 806 Mk5 tributes in stainless steel (Ref. AB09502A1B1X1), 18K yellow gold (Ref. KB09501A1B1X1), and platinum (Ref. LB09501A1C1X1). The steel and yellow-gold versions feature black-and-white reverse-panda dials, while the platinum model has a blue dial with contrasting white subdials and an outer slide-rule scale. They use the same 41 mm case and Calibre B09.

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The set is presented in a case inspired by a traditional trumpet case, with a blue lining referencing Davis’ Kind of Blue album. A miniature red trumpet and a blue record marked “Miles Davis Edition” complete the presentation.

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That’s not all. The launch is also connected to Breitling’s planned first Breitling Social Club in Williamsburg, New York, scheduled for late 2027. Owners of the 500-piece Miles Davis tribute will receive two years of membership, while buyers of the 50-piece Lifetime Club Member Set will receive lifetime membership.

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Images: Breitling

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