From brave first takeoffs to the birth of commercial air travel, Breitling’s history is inseparable from that of flight. In the 1930s, Breitling’s Huit Aviation department made its name inventing precision cockpit clocks. Two decades later, it introduced yet another novel flight instrument, this time in wearable form: the Ref. 765 AVI. That pioneering pilot’s watch provided the technical backdrop for today’s Classic AVI, a collection inspired by the rugged spirit of famed early aircraft. The Classic AVI Curtiss P-40 Warhawk honors one of those legends.
Conceived as a pursuit aircraft, the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk first flew in 1938 and quickly proved itself as a master of agility. It wasn’t just the plane’s capacity for pulling jaw-dropping turns that gave it an in-flight edge, its robust structure meant it could tolerate harsh weather conditions and even many mid-air collisions. The Warhawk’s defiant shark-mouth nose art sealed its reputation as the rebel of the skies. As a true pilot’s watch designed to withstand the rigors of a vintage cockpit, the Classic AVI Curtiss P-40 Warhawk features large, highly legible Arabic numerals on the dial and bezel. The knurled bezel on the 42mm case provides optimal grip, even in a pilot’s gloved hands. Top-stitched calfskin straps give a nod to the seams found on classic flight gear, while the stainless-steel bracelet provides an elegant alternative. Pilots and other travelers will appreciate its legibility, wearability, and understated style. The engine of the Classic AVI is the COSC-certified Breitling Caliber 23 movement, which provides approximately 48-hours of power reserve.
- Brushed & polished stainless steel case.
- Polished bi-directional rotating bezel with black filled engraved hour markers.
- Green dial & silver sub-dials.
- Polished hands, the hour & minute hands with luminous fill.
- Luminous numeral hour markers.
- Fined printed minute/seconds & fractions of a seconds track.
- Small seconds sub-dial at 9 o'clock.
- Chronograph/Stopwatch functions:
- Column wheel mechanism.
- Large central seconds hand counter, capable of keeping time up to 1/4th of a second.
- 30 minute sub-dial counter located at the 3 o'clock position.
- 12 hour counter sub-dial located at the 6 o'clock position.
- Breitling in-house caliber B23, beats at 28,800 vph (4Hz), contains 27 jewels & has a power reserve of 48 hours.
Condition | New/Unworn |
Edition | Special Edition |
Case Shape | Round |
Case Dimensions | 42mm |
Case Thickness | 14.7mm |
Case Material | Stainless Steel |
Dial Color | Green |
Crystal | Scratch Resistant Sapphire |
Bezel | Bi-Directional Rotating |
Screw-in Crown | No |
Water Resistance | 100m/330ft |
Case Back | Solid |
Band Material | Calfskin Leather |
Color/Finish | Brown |
Clasp | Deployant Buckle |
Lug Width | 22mm |
Movement | Automatic - Chronometer |
Complications | Chronograph |
COSC Certified | Yes |