I’ve been meaning to write this for ages as the same questions crop up time and again about rep Navitimers and which one to buy, so this is a quick reference guide to what is available as of today and the main pros and cons of each model. I’m not going to the history of the Navitimer, as that’s freely available on the web and I would recommend going to Breitling Source or the Breitling Museum (this has all of the Navi models listed from 1954 to present), and for all the info on the modern Navis go to Breitling.com. I’m not providing info on any of the quartz models you can get. If I have missed anything or made a mistake please let me know and I’ll update.
Navitimer 01 (2011 – present)
This is probably the most popular and best known Navitimer. It has 3 sub dials, in the 3 position is the 30 minute sub, at 6 is the 12 hour sub and the sub at 9 shows seconds and runs constantly. Date window is between 4 and 5. The large chrono hand is red. The standard 01 comes with a black dial ONLY, with the choice of sticks or Arabic numerals. However, the 01 has been produced in different colours for limited editions, some with transparent casebacks and contrasting subs and datewheel colours. Standard 01 has black datewheel and white font and 01s have the same datewheel colour as the dial. Gen is powered by the inhouse B01 movement. Gen size is 43mm x 14.25mm. A larger 46mm 01 was introduced in 2014 but there is no rep of it.
There is no completely accurate rep of the 01 because the rep has to use the 7750 movement, which has a natural sub dial configuration in the 6, 9, & 12 positions. 6 and 9 subs are fine but the 30 minute sub at 12 is moved to the 3 position by using a transfer plate and gears. This makes the watch thicker overall and raises the dial above the datewheel resulting in a sunken appearance, which is an instant tell. The Breitling inhouse 01 movement also has a different sub dial spacing than the 7750, which moves the sub dials more towards the centre of the dial and leaves a gap to the dial indices, whereas the rep subs butt up to the indices printing and also squash the ‘swiss made’ text. There is only one real 01 rep and that is made by JF. Quality is pretty good and a lot of the old flaws such as the outer slide rule ring and the dial not lining up have been fixed, but indices on the bezel don't reach the dial as they do on the gen, as can be seen below.
Watch Archive are now offering the JF version with a datewheel fix which overcomes the sunken DW tell.
View attachment 92872
Navitimer Classic A23322 (2003 – 2011)
Also shown by the TDs as a Navitimer 01 is the BP version, but this is incorrect, as this is the A23322 Navi classic made from 2003 until 2011 when the 01 replaced it. This is actually a good rep of the A23322 generally and as you can see the datewheel is flush with the dial and the numbers between 1 and 9 are angled at 90 degrees to the others as in the gen. The flaw is that whereas the gen uses the Breitling 23 movement which is based on the 7753 movement and means there is no sunken datewheel, the rep has to use the 7750 and to achieve the flush datewheel does not have the transfer plate and gears, so the 30 minute sub dial at 3 does not work. The big chrono hand and the other subs still work, so it’s a matter of personal choice whether you can live without a working sub at 3. The A23322 is also smaller than the 01 at 41.8mm by 14.6mm and the rep is accurate here as well. These come in black, white and blue dials with Arabic or stick hour markers. The blue colour is not that accurate with the gen blue.
View attachment 92884
Navitimer World (2005 – present)
This is often referred to as GMT in the dealer websites, which is wrong, the GMT is a different model and dealt with below. As you can see the sub dials on the World are in the 6, 9 and 12 configuration which is standard for the 7750 movement so the issue of moving the sub dial at 12 is not present. The gen with the GMT complication uses the B24 movement which is based on the Valjoux 7754, this is basically a 7750 with a GMT complication. Size of this watch is 46mm by 15.6mm in gen form, reps are accurate on this.
There are basically 2 rep options for the World, one made by BP and a version made by JF. Both versions come in black, silver/white and blue dials. The BP blue dial is less accurate than the JF blue dial, as it has a slight green tinge, however, in all other aspects the BP version wins hands down and is the best Navi rep available in terms of accuracy and in black dial form is verging super rep. You can spot the JF version easily because the slide rule does not line up with the dial, the datewheel is more sunken and the font is wrong.
View attachment 92894
On the JF caseback MOSCOW is spelled MDSCUW and NEW YORK is spelled NEW YDRK and O is missing from the end of RIO.JANEIR. Also missing is the serial number between Noumea and Midway. BP is correct. Not much else to say really, its pretty clear cut.
View attachment 92895View attachment 93278
Navitimer GMT (2014 – present)
The biggest of the Navitimer range at a whopping 48mm, this looks like a larger version of the 01 with an additional GMT hand. Sub dials are in the 3, 6, 9 position and date window between 4 and 5, so an obvious difference to the World. This is not a good rep in terms of accuracy, made worse by an open caseback. Slide rule markings on the bezel don’t line up with the dial, date font is wrong and datewheel is badly sunken, Breitling logo is poor etc. One to avoid if you want a quality Breitling Navi rep.
View attachment 92912
Navitimer 01 (2011 – present)
This is probably the most popular and best known Navitimer. It has 3 sub dials, in the 3 position is the 30 minute sub, at 6 is the 12 hour sub and the sub at 9 shows seconds and runs constantly. Date window is between 4 and 5. The large chrono hand is red. The standard 01 comes with a black dial ONLY, with the choice of sticks or Arabic numerals. However, the 01 has been produced in different colours for limited editions, some with transparent casebacks and contrasting subs and datewheel colours. Standard 01 has black datewheel and white font and 01s have the same datewheel colour as the dial. Gen is powered by the inhouse B01 movement. Gen size is 43mm x 14.25mm. A larger 46mm 01 was introduced in 2014 but there is no rep of it.
There is no completely accurate rep of the 01 because the rep has to use the 7750 movement, which has a natural sub dial configuration in the 6, 9, & 12 positions. 6 and 9 subs are fine but the 30 minute sub at 12 is moved to the 3 position by using a transfer plate and gears. This makes the watch thicker overall and raises the dial above the datewheel resulting in a sunken appearance, which is an instant tell. The Breitling inhouse 01 movement also has a different sub dial spacing than the 7750, which moves the sub dials more towards the centre of the dial and leaves a gap to the dial indices, whereas the rep subs butt up to the indices printing and also squash the ‘swiss made’ text. There is only one real 01 rep and that is made by JF. Quality is pretty good and a lot of the old flaws such as the outer slide rule ring and the dial not lining up have been fixed, but indices on the bezel don't reach the dial as they do on the gen, as can be seen below.
Watch Archive are now offering the JF version with a datewheel fix which overcomes the sunken DW tell.
View attachment 92872
Navitimer Classic A23322 (2003 – 2011)
Also shown by the TDs as a Navitimer 01 is the BP version, but this is incorrect, as this is the A23322 Navi classic made from 2003 until 2011 when the 01 replaced it. This is actually a good rep of the A23322 generally and as you can see the datewheel is flush with the dial and the numbers between 1 and 9 are angled at 90 degrees to the others as in the gen. The flaw is that whereas the gen uses the Breitling 23 movement which is based on the 7753 movement and means there is no sunken datewheel, the rep has to use the 7750 and to achieve the flush datewheel does not have the transfer plate and gears, so the 30 minute sub dial at 3 does not work. The big chrono hand and the other subs still work, so it’s a matter of personal choice whether you can live without a working sub at 3. The A23322 is also smaller than the 01 at 41.8mm by 14.6mm and the rep is accurate here as well. These come in black, white and blue dials with Arabic or stick hour markers. The blue colour is not that accurate with the gen blue.
View attachment 92884
Navitimer World (2005 – present)
This is often referred to as GMT in the dealer websites, which is wrong, the GMT is a different model and dealt with below. As you can see the sub dials on the World are in the 6, 9 and 12 configuration which is standard for the 7750 movement so the issue of moving the sub dial at 12 is not present. The gen with the GMT complication uses the B24 movement which is based on the Valjoux 7754, this is basically a 7750 with a GMT complication. Size of this watch is 46mm by 15.6mm in gen form, reps are accurate on this.
There are basically 2 rep options for the World, one made by BP and a version made by JF. Both versions come in black, silver/white and blue dials. The BP blue dial is less accurate than the JF blue dial, as it has a slight green tinge, however, in all other aspects the BP version wins hands down and is the best Navi rep available in terms of accuracy and in black dial form is verging super rep. You can spot the JF version easily because the slide rule does not line up with the dial, the datewheel is more sunken and the font is wrong.
View attachment 92894
On the JF caseback MOSCOW is spelled MDSCUW and NEW YORK is spelled NEW YDRK and O is missing from the end of RIO.JANEIR. Also missing is the serial number between Noumea and Midway. BP is correct. Not much else to say really, its pretty clear cut.
View attachment 92895View attachment 93278
Navitimer GMT (2014 – present)
The biggest of the Navitimer range at a whopping 48mm, this looks like a larger version of the 01 with an additional GMT hand. Sub dials are in the 3, 6, 9 position and date window between 4 and 5, so an obvious difference to the World. This is not a good rep in terms of accuracy, made worse by an open caseback. Slide rule markings on the bezel don’t line up with the dial, date font is wrong and datewheel is badly sunken, Breitling logo is poor etc. One to avoid if you want a quality Breitling Navi rep.
View attachment 92912
