{"product_id":"breitling-co-pilot-chronograph-as08625","title":"Breitling Co-Pilot Chronograph","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eLike the Breguet Type 20, the Breitling Reference 765 or AVI was designed for helicopter pilots in the French army. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eEager to secure the contract, in 1953 Breitling designed a watch that they thought would be perfect for the job. Unlike the Navitimer, the dial of the AVI displayed only the most essential information pilots needed — the requisite hours and minutes, indicated by large luminescent hands, and registers for running seconds, 12 hours, and 30 minutes. Unfortunately, the French military specification — Type 20 —required a flyback function, which the AVI lacked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eNot to be deterred, Breitling adapted it for civilian use, and in 1964 it debuted as the Co-Pilot. This watch was worn to perfection by Raquel Welch in the 1967 film \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eFathom\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, in which an Italian skydiver (played by Welch as the title character) finds herself embroiled in international espionage.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBreitling ads promoted the watch’s appearance on film, stating that either the watch or the woman “[Steals] the scenes, in film and real life.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThough the Co-Pilot retained the diameter of its predecessor (a whopping 41mm, large for the period), it underwent some cosmetic changes that made it stand out amidst Breitling’s chronograph offerings: The rotating 12h steel bezel, previously steel, was now anodized aluminum. (The bezel was also released in other variants, like the ‘Double-Scale,’ which displayed scales for both 60 minutes and 12 hours. The ‘Double-Scale’ bezel found its way to a cousin of the Co-Pilot, the 765 Yachting.)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAdditionally, the dial — previously black-on-black — was given a distinctive black-and-white colorway now known as ‘reverse panda’ by collectors.The new variant of Co-Pilot with the white chronograph registers found its way on the wrist of someone less glamorous (but no less exciting) than Raquel Welch — Jean-Claude Killy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThough best associated with the Rolex Dato-Compax that now bears his name in collecting circles, Killy also sported a Reference 765 Co-Pilot before pledging himself to the Crown as a brand ambassador. Most notably, he wore the Co-Pilot during the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France, where he won gold medals in downhill, giant slalom, and slalom — the “Triple Crown” of alpine skiing — thus securing his legacy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis particular Co-Pilot, a Reference 765CP, dates to circa 1965 and comes in with a 42.5mm stainless steel case with dual barrel pushers, a signed crown, and a bidirecitonal rotating black aluminum bezel with a 12-hour markers. It features a matte black Tritium 'reverse panda' dial with recessed, silver sub registers, a an outer white minute track, and a matching white painted 'sword' handset.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ePowered by a Venus Calibre 178 manual winding chronograph movement, this piece comes fitted to one of our red Analog:Shift Montone leather straps with a steel pin buckle.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWhether plunging toward Earth from a De Havilland DH-89A like Welch in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eFathom,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e slaloming down the slopes in the French Alps a la\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eKilly, or are a seasoned Breitling collector, this piece makes for a great option!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhile these are not exactly scarce, finding one in excellent overall condition such as this is always a treat.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Breitling","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40216030806103,"sku":"40940072","price":7770.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0809\/1255\/files\/AS08625_40940072_BREITLING_CO-PILOTCHRONOGRAPH_765CP-5_5da93552-51a9-44da-b63a-293a0e436152.jpg?v=1736780610","url":"https:\/\/www.analogshift.com\/products\/breitling-co-pilot-chronograph-as08625","provider":"Analog:Shift","version":"1.0","type":"link"}