
Breitling Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Miles Davis.
Before tool watches were co-opted as luxury status objects, Miles Davis was already wearing the Breitling Navitimer Ref. 806 Mk5. Paired with impeccably tailored Italian suits and exotic sports cars, the functional aviation instrument became a defining signature of his personal style in the mid-1960s. To mark the centenary of his birth, Breitling is now returning to that particular chapter with the ‘Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Miles Davis’, limited to just 500 pieces.
The clear starting point is Davis’s own Navitimer Ref. 806 Mk5, the specific reference he wore in the mid-1960s. It was notable for pairing a graphic reverse-panda dial layout with Breitling’s historic ‘Twin Jet’ logo — details carried directly across to the new edition alongside the original 41 mm stainless-steel case diameter.
Yet, instead of simply cloning the vintage watch, Breitling has fitted the tribute with its modern, hand-wound Manufacture B09 calibre, visible through a sapphire caseback and offering a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. “We wanted to capture the character of that Navitimer that Miles Davis made his trademark,” says Breitling CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué. “At the same time, it should offer the performance and craftsmanship expected of Breitling today.”

Miles Davis by Sony Music, Breitling Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Miles Davis.

Breitling Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Miles Davis.
Visually, the composition is deliberately restrained. The monochrome reverse-panda dial, cream-coloured Super-LumiNova® in a vintage ‘Old Radium’ tone and historic Twin Jet emblem provide the essential period references, while a brown, hand-dyed calfskin strap brings a warmer, lightly patinated finish to the stainless-steel case. For a more textured alternative, there is also the option of Breitling’s revived Air Racer bracelet — a perforated, rally-inspired steel band originally introduced in the 1960s and later made famous by French cultural icon Serge Gainsbourg. “At the wrist of Miles Davis, the Navitimer wrote cultural history,” says Georges Kern, CEO of House of Brands. “His self-confidence and originality embody exactly what Breitling stands for.”
The watch’s launch also serves as the starting point for a major new community project: the Breitling Social Club, set to open in Williamsburg, New York, in late 2027. Those who purchase one of the 500 tribute models will receive a two-year membership to the new culture and hospitality hub.
For collectors looking further, Breitling has also created the ‘Lifetime Club Member Set’, restricted to 50 numbered boxes. Each contains three reinterpretations of the Navitimer 806 Mk5, rendered in stainless steel, 18-karat yellow gold and platinum, with the latter distinguished by a blue reverse-panda dial. The trio is housed in a presentation box modelled after a classic trumpet case, complete with blue interior detailing inspired by Davis’s celebrated album ‘Kind of Blue’ and a miniature red trumpet.

Breitling, Lifetime Club Member Set, including Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Miles Davis.

Breitling Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Miles Davis.
The new Breitling Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Miles Davis is available to explore online, at Breitling boutiques and selected global stockists. Discover more here.
photography. courtesy of Breitling
words. Gennaro Costanzo











