Each timepiece is named after the brand’s patriarchs, spanning three generations of craftsmen.
In 1884, a 24-year-old Léon Breitling opened a workshop in the Swiss Jura town of Saint-Imier, where he began obtaining patents for chronometric instruments. His pioneering creations — which ranged from a pocket-watch tachymeter for measuring a vehicle’s speed to table clocks with weeklong power reserves — were coveted for their technical precision. Léon’s son, Gaston, later expanded the business, developing an early wrist-worn chronograph that became popular among athletes and aviators. In 1932, Gaston’s 19-year-old son, Willy, took over the company and, in 1943, he launched the brand’s Premier collection, with its distinctive Arabic numerals and
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