Breitling, manufacturer of the world's finest men's wristwatches, was formed in 1884 by Leon Breitling, who set up the company at the tender age of 24 in Switzerland. Leon soon developed a reputation for producing technically excellent watches and, as his company expanded, the factory was moved to Grenchen and he began to specialise in chronographs.

The First World War heralded the first real arrival of the aeroplane, especially as a combat machine. As aviation really took off, sorry about the pun, Breitling turned their attention to the field of aviation timekeeping, and it proved to be a good move. During the Second World War, they broke new ground again, introducing the famous "Chronomat" watch which was the first in the world to be fitted with a circular slide rule to aid with navigation. With its reputation as a premium aviator's watch, Breitling soon became the de-facto choice of pilots the world over. This reputation was further cemented when the Airline Owners and Pilots Association named the Chronomat as its official watch. The pinnacle of Breitling's success came in 1962, when astronaut Scott Carpenter wore one of their watches in space - this watch became known as the "Cosmonaute" and is a very highly sought after timepiece today.

The 1970's saw Breitling's fortunes dip somewhat as cheaper, more accurate quartz watches took the world by storm. They had to fight off a rising tide of competition, especially from Japan and the Far East with brands such as Seiko taking a lot of their business. This was turned around in the early 1980's however, by Ernest Schneider who managed to promote the brand using its aviation background and making the comparatively bulky designs actually become a highly sought after asset. Mechanical watches, such as Breitling wristwatches, soon came back into vogue. By the late 1980's the Breitling wristwatch, with its deliberately large case and bezel was a recognisable status symbol the world over, and soon became copied by many of its competitors.

Replica Breitling wristwatches remain the first choice of most of today's commercial and professional aviators and new models such as the Replica Breitling Emergency which sends out a radio distress signal if the wearer becomes lost, continue to keep the brand at the forefront of technology as well as style.