Breitling Pult Pupitre Chrono-Matic 'Bullhead'

There is perhaps no more versatile complication than the chronograph. 

From race cars to rocket ships, boats to battlefields, you are likely to find a chronograph being employed to measure a plethora of tasks and times. From the Greek khrónos (“time) and gráphō (“to write”), a chronograph is a watch that has the ability to record time, generally via the addition of small sub-counters that register minutes and hours. 

Perhaps one of the quirkiest types of chronographs ever developed is the “bullhead,” a style in which the pushers are moved to the top of an oblong case such that it resembles, well, a bull’s head. Breitling was an early adopter of this configuration in an automatic chronograph, though Seiko and Omega are also known for their versions. Breitling’s Reference 2117 was referred to by the brand in French as a “Pupitre,” or “desk,” as its case actually slopes gently downward from 12 o’clock similarly to a school desk whose top opens. Powered by the automatic Breitling Chronomatic Caliber 12 movement, this was a watch that was truly ahead of the curve — though sales were admittedly poor, and it was discontinued in the 1970s.

This particular 2117 features a 42mm stainless steel case, an acrylic crystal, a signed crown, a bi-directional rotating 12hr & timing bezel, and a multi-tone Tritium dial with pulsation scale and matching white and orange handset. It comes paired to a brown leather rally strap with a steel pin buckle, and it happens to be in outstanding overall condition. Really, could you imagine a groovier watch?

We didn’t think so.

Breitling, one of the most illustrious names in the annals of the “tool watch,” was founded by Léon Breitling in 1892. And though the firm is no longer operated by its namesake family, it still produces some of the world’s best pilot’s watches, many of which now feature in-house movements.

The company first started manufacturing wrist chronographs as early as the 1930s. In 1936 they became an official supplier to military forces of the United Kingdom and Canada. While perhaps best known for the Navitimer and Chronomat lines — which were used heavily by pilots of many nations — Breitling also produced scores of other chronograph models that merit consideration, such as the more affordable Top Time and Premier. Dive watches, such as the Super Ocean, are also part of the company’s offerings.

The late 1970s was a turbulent time for the Swiss watch industry, and many storied houses were swept away by the Quartz Crisis. By 1978, Breitling was in trouble due to the illness of its leader, Willy Breitling, and the steep decline in sales that had cut through the entire industry. Unable to keep operations going, the company was liquidated, and parts, toolings and naming rights were sold off.
Between 1979 and 2017, Breitling continued under the ownership of the Schneider family. In 2017 an 80% stake in the firm was sold to a British private equity firm, with the remaining 20% sold in 2018. In 2019, the company released the caliber B01, an in-house, automatic chronograph movement that’s since found its way into the Chronomat and Navitimer collections, bringing the tale of this famed manufacturer full circle.

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