Back in the 1950s, the original Co-Pilot Ref. 765 AVI starred next to another Breitling icon: the Navitimer. With its bold design, engraved rotating bezel and extra legible dial the 765 AVI instantaneously became the perfect companion to the Navitimer as the rugged and reliable pilots’ watch. Today, the AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-Edition recreates to the very last detail one of the early executions of the Co-Pilot Ref. 765 AVI. Its all-black dial, protected by a highly-domed Hesalite crystal, has the same Arabic numerals as the original Co-Pilot from 1953, with tone-on-tone small seconds, 15-minute and 12-hour chronograph counters. The hand-applied Super-LumiNova colour has been carefully chosen to recall the original luminescent material and gives the AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-Edition an additional touch of vintage allure.

The 41mm stainless steel case is also identical, and the bezel is secured by three screws that are placed in precisely the same positions as those on the watch from 1953. There are only two concessions to modernity that distinguish this new timepiece from its famous ancestor: the water resistance has been improved up to 3 bar (30 meters) and keen-eyed observers will see that “GENEVE” does not appear on the dial anymore.

The AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-Edition is powered by the in-house Breitling Manufacture Caliber B09, a hand-wound COSC-certified caliber based on the renowned Breitling Caliber 01 and developed specifically for historical re-editions. It is available on a black vintage-inspired leather strap with a pin buckle as a limited-edition of 1953 pieces, each of which is engraved “ONE OF 1953”.

A small detail but an important one for any watch enthusiast, the 15-minute counter of the AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-Edition has the same signature luminescent indexes every three minutes as the original 765 AVI. Back in the 1950s, they were of precious help for pilots in their final plane check, that should not exceed fifteen minutes.