10 Breitling Navitimer Homage Watches – The Aviation King For Less
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The Breitling Navitimer is the classic aviation watch. An evolution of the Breitling Chronomat, the Navitimer has been in production since 1952; it’s slide-rule bezel helping pilots to complete complicated calculations in a pinch. Thanks to its iconic design and long history, the Navitimer’s popularity endures to this day, with new models retailing for upwards of £4,500 (typically over £6,000 for most models).
While this is really cool, it’s far from affordable for the average Joe like me. As such, I’ve been on the lookout for some Breitling Navitimer alternatives, which offer that same type of look for far less money. If you’re considering saving up for the real thing, one of these options could more than fill the void until that day occurs.
As with some other lists on Ben’s Watch Club, this will be split into two sections. The first will be watches that are ‘clones’ of the Navitimer design, which are visually almost identical (though do vary in terms of performance).
The second half features a selection of watches that clearly pay homage to the Breitling, but add some more unique design cues and individual flair to the mix. Enjoy.
Jaragar
When you have virtually no money to spend, but still need a watch, China is the place to turn to. In this case, in the form of the Aliexpress Jaragar ‘Navitimer’ homage watch. There’s no doubt about it, this is a super cheap copy and paste job; with most of the basic design ripped straight from the Breitling.
The first thing you’ll notice with this one is the truly enormous size. At 50mm in diameter, this is best suited to large wrists only; I wouldn’t be surprised if this still looked large on both my wrists combined.
Yet, for a ridiculously low price of under £30, this watch somehow features a mechanical movement. By no means will this be a high quality or particularly accurate mechanism, though it’s an impressive achievement nonetheless.
Personally, I’d still avoid this and opt for the next option on the list if you’re on a budget, as the lack of water resistance and questionable case construction gives me doubts about the product’s longevity.
Corgeut Chronograph
This is the very least I would spend on a homage watch, this Corgeut chronograph is an even closer Chinese copy of the Navitimer design, when compared to the Jaragar. They appear to only offer this in two colourways, neither offering the two tone ‘panda’ designs, but aside from that it’s an exact clone of the A13324.
Everything from the indices to the chapter ring and the bezel to the pushers is as close as you can get. Obviously, for under £50, the finishing isn’t nearly to the same standard and this model unsurprisingly features a quartz movement rather than the automatic found in the Breitling.
Nevertheless, without buying an illegal replica, this gives you more or less the exact look, just with the Corgeut logo.
At 46.5mm, the size is slightly more reasonable than the Jaragar too; though is still a very large watch on-wrist. Super cheap quartz movements tend to be more reliable than their mechanical counterparts, so while it might not sound as impressive, they’re often more worthy of a punt.
Casio Edifice EF-527D-1AV
The ‘Edifice’ line by Casio offers some of the most extreme value for money wristwatches on the market. I recently reviewed another in this range and was blown away by the level of quality and finishing for such an aggressively priced piece.
Therefore, I have no hesitation in recommending another watch from the ‘Edifice’ line-up, this one being the EF527D-1AV. This stylish aviator watch has a plethora of handy features, including a decent press-release clasp on the bracelet, a bezel-operating wheel and strong water performance. Something worth noting is that some websites have this listed as having an ‘acrylic’ case. This is incorrect, the watch is in fact constructed of 316L steel; so, should be plenty durable enough.
As Casio watches go, this one is certainly on the large end of the scale, at 45mm. It features a similar tachymeter and triple sub-dial layout to the Navitimer, though isn’t directly a homage. It has a monochromatic look, giving a more understated aesthetic overall, but does retain a sturdy, chunky construction and strong warranty.
The only real downside is that the crown could do with some more grip, but with a quartz movement, it’s unlikely you’ll need to touch it regularly.
Seiko ‘Flightmaster’ SNA411
The Seiko ‘Flightmaster’ (SNA411) was the very first watch that jumped to mind when creating this selection of watches, due to its obvious resemblance to the Breitling legend.
The busy dial and dark colour scheme offer some similarities, whilst the sharp yellow second hand helps this model to stand out. This Seiko has somewhat of a cult following of its own, with a reputation for being one of the best affordable aviator watches.
While this is a quartz watch, like some of the others on this list, it has a couple of extra features that the others don’t. Firstly, it has the best water resistance on the list, thanks to a screw down case-back, crown and pushers. It’s rated at a solid 200m, which is far better than the mere 30m offered by a new Navitimer.
Unlike most affordable Seiko watches, this one actually comes with a great bracelet. It features an unusual striped centre link pattern; giving the illusion of two centre links sitting in unison. To get a smaller fit, you could consider changing this out, as the firm end links protrude past the lugs, increasing its on-wrist presence.
Another attractive feature is the lightly domed crystal, which catches the light very nicely indeed. There’s also a series of lume pips, akin to those on a dive watch, positioned towards the outside of the inner ring. These significantly aid low-light legibility. The Seiko quartz within is also considered to be one of the best out there, rounding out a fantastic watch.
Rotary Chronospeed GS03351/19
Originally founded in Switzerland, Rotary watches are particularly popular in the United Kingdom; which is their primary market. One of their offerings, dubbed the ‘Chronospeed’, is clearly a homage to the Breitling Navitimer; featuring many of the same design cues.
This one could be a great option if you prefer a watch dial with numbers at each hour, rather than just regular markers. The large characters certainly make this watch easy to read amongst the complex design.
Unlike the traditional Navitimer, this Rotary also features a dedicated wheel at the 10 o’clock position for operating the internal bezel. Despite these differences, the overall look is very similar and at a glance, you could even mistake the winged Rotary logo for that of Breitling.
This ‘Chronospeed’ features another useful feature in the form of a screw-down crown. As such, the water seal should be better than other options on this list and give you some peace of mind if you plan on submerging this watch.
Interestingly, Rotary were the official watch supplier for the British Army during the Second World War, due to their reputation for durability. Nowadays, many models such as this are made in the far east, rather than Switzerland, but for a relatively low price, this steel quartz watch is still a pretty good choice.
Invicta 6621
Founded way back in 1837, American brand Invicta are certainly one that divides opinions. Many of their watch designs are ‘experimental’ to say the least, though their most popular models tend to be homages of famous watch designs.
While this 6621 isn’t as unoriginal as the ‘Pro Diver’ submariner clone, it’s still evidently an attempt to imitate the Navitimer chronograph look. The overall layout and case shape are incredibly similar and for less than £100, it’s arguably one for the better value options featured in this article. It comes with an impressively finished stainless steel case, which thankfully foregoes the large ‘Invicta’ inscription that inhabits the flanks of some other models. You also get a great solid link steel bracelet (bar the end links), which is very durable and surprising considering the retail price.
On the case rear you’ll notice some lasered text referring to what they describe as ‘Flame-fusion Crystal’. This is their custom type of sapphire-coated mineral crystal, which gives slightly better scratch resistance than typical mineral glass. Their marketing of this material may have you believe this is also superior to sapphire crystal, though my experience shows otherwise.
Importantly, this model has pretty strong water performance and a decent amount of luminescence, making it quite a practical watch, despite the large size.
While the dial arrangement is very similar to different Navitimer models, the fonts used are different and this model comes in some alternative colourways that set it apart from some of the ‘clones’ featured in this article.
If you’re after something that looks like a Breitling, but has some slight differences, then this Invicta could be the best choice.
Stuhrling Original Monaco 669B.01
Highly popular on Amazon, Stuhrling are another brand dedicated almost solely to homage watches. Many of their pieces look suspiciously like famous designs from the likes of Rolex and Patek Philippe. This ‘Monaco’ is a clear Breitling Navitimer copy, with a near-identical layout and colour scheme.
Admittedly, for close to £150 on Amazon, this watch does look better than it feels. Unfortunately, the bracelet is not interchangeable, though is reasonable quality considering the cost. The clasp does feature 3 levels of micro-adjustments, allowing you to refine the fit further.
This Stuhrling features a primarily polished finish, reminiscent of the original Navitimer, along with a near-identical set of sub-dials and indices. You also get a grippy crown and arrangement that appear to be screw-down; though the limited 5ATM of water resistance suggests otherwise.
Stuhrling also highlight that this model utilises their in-house ‘Krysterna’ crystal over the dial. Aside from their bold claims, this appears to simply be some form of hardened mineral crystal; adding an extra touch of scratch-resistance, without reaching the level of a sapphire crystal.
Louis XVI Artagnan
An enormous beast of a watch, this 47.5mm ‘Swiss-made’ piece is surprisingly affordable, at around £300. This is another option exclusively meant for those with large wrists.
As you might expect, it comes with the usual trimmings, including steel construction and sapphire crystal. If you like the feeling of a very heavy watch, at 150 grams, this certainly gives the impression of quality (by association to density).
This brand doesn’t have the heritage or recognition of most other Swiss-made brands, so won’t retain its value the same way that rivals might.
Outside of the size increase, it certainly looks like a Navitimer, with a coin-edge bezel and similar overall shape. Most variants from this brand tend to harbour more gold accents, seemingly in an attempt to look more expensive or flashy. Nicely, the date window does integrate very well with the dark dial; something that cannot be said for the original Breitling.
Is this a luxury watch? Not in my books. Is it worth buying? Perhaps at the right price. I’d personally consider the Casio or Seiko first, unless you’re looking for the extra bulk.
Krug-Baumen ‘Air Traveller
A more wearable 40mm alternative, the unusually named Krug-Baumen ‘Air Traveller’ is a dirt-cheap Chinese-made Brietling copy, that takes its bling to the next level.
Unlike a couple of other brands on this list, Krug-Baumen has been in the business for over a quarter of a century and while there German sounding name is misleading, they do at least have an acceptable level of quality control to make this list.
Something you should not do is blow hundreds of pounds on one of these watches! Their website is full of pieces with outrageously high RRPs, which make Invicta’s pricing strategy look tame. Ensure you purchase through a third-party site, such as Amazon or eBay, to avoid getting completely ripped off. I’d recommend spending no more than about £70 on one of these at most.
Nevertheless, it certainly looks like a Breitling and even features additional ‘diamonds’ in place of the markers. This reminds me of those on the Orient President, though are only cheap industrial diamonds, rather than the luxury rocks you and me would think of.
The sub-dials have the typical ringed engravings and the mineral crystal over the dial is also domed, which is nice to see. For those with slimmer wrists, this is one of the few options that will likely fit your wrist, rather than dominating it; as is the case with many other homage watches.
Within is just a cheap Japanese quartz movement, which is nothing fancy, but does provide accurate time. There is also a butterfly style deployant on the strap, to keep it in good condition for longer.
While far from my cup of tea and not the highest quality watch around, this Krug-Baumen could be the flashy watch you are looking for.
Sinn 903
Considered by some to be a superior watch to the Brietling Navitimer and available for under half the retail cost, the German ‘Sinn 903’ has a very interesting story behind it.
Due to liquidation, in 1979, Brietling sold the design rights of the Navitimer to watchmaker Helmut Sinn. As such, Sinn were able to legally produce the exact Navitimer design under the guise of the ‘903 Navigation Chronograph’.
Sinn offers this model in a range of versions, many of which have been ‘modernised’ in both specification and design. Unlike the Navitimer, this watch features good water resistance, along with a screw-down crown for added security. It also features substantially stronger luminescence and an internal rotating bezel, rather than a resistance-rotating bezel; arguably making this a more practical watch.
Whilst being constructed of the same material, the 903 has a higher level of finishing and there are also some differences within the case.
Most Sinn models come fitted with an ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic chronograph movement, which is considered one of the very best movements available, or alternatively the highly regarded Sellita SW500; which is essentially a clone of the former (Sellita used to make movements under contract for ETA).
Each of these movements do lack the strong 70-hour power reserve offered by that in the Navitimer, sitting at about 30% less.
Nevertheless, this small downside might not sway your head, when you see the huge price discrepancy between these two luxury aviation watches.
