The Navitimer AOPA Limited Edition is a remake of Breitling’s most famous aviator’s wristwatch, a tribute to the slide rule chronograph of the 1950s designed for the largest aviation association in the world.

Breitling designed the Navitimer in collaboration with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), which made the Navitimer its official watch in 1952. Since then the Navitimer has become an iconic aviator’s timepiece, with its distinctive slide rule bezel a reminder of aviation before electronics. Made to mark the 75th anniversary of the AOPA in 2014, the new Navitimer AOPA is a 500-piece limited edition that commemorates the original of the 1950s. Being the official AOPA watch, many Breitling Navitimers from the 1950s and 1960s had dials with only the winged AOPA logo, which once again makes it appearance on the modern Navitimer AOPA in gilt print. The rest of the watch is vintage Navitimer, especially the slide rule bezel, designed for pilots to make speedy navigational calculations.

Like most other modern Navitimer watches the AOPA edition is powered by the Breitling Caliber 23, actually a Valjoux 7753 with a COSC chronometer certification.

The polished steel case has a 42mm diameter, with a solid back the bears the AOPA logo. American AOPA members can have their name and AOPA membership number engraved on the back, at no additional cost, via the dedicated Breitling website.

For stuck on the ground, the Navitimer AOPA is available at Breitling dealers. It retails for US$6500 with a calfskin strap and US$7655 on the steel Navitimer bracelet.