Breitling – Buy, Sell and Part Exchange

We have years of experience buying, selling, and part-exchanging Breitling watches. If you want to sell your Breitling or trade it in, please get in touch. We are also happy to source a specific Breitling for you if you are looking to buy a pre-owned watch.

Breitling – Brand History

Founded by Léon Breitling in St. Imier, Switzerland in 1884, Breitling has a rich heritage rooted in innovation and esteem, and was established with a vision to measure, divide, and master time.

Breitling’s genius patented innovations saw quick success, leading to the watchmaker’s humble atelier being quickly transformed into a full-fledged watch factory in the watchmaking capital of Switzerland, and of the world, La Chaux-de-Fonds, in 1892. The brilliance of Breitling’s innovative designs and industry leading chronographs quickly set the benchmark for the watchmaking industry in the late 19th century, attracting the attention of a number of high profile sportsmen, athletes, and aviation pioneers.

In 1905, as automobiles strode into the forefront of the transportation industry, Breitling developed a patented pocket watch tachymeter, an easy-to-read speed scale which acted as a precursor to the vehicle speedometer. Other early 20th century developments included the invention of a second pusher on a chronograph at 4 o’clock. This was a breakthrough chronograph function and the final stroke in developing the chronograph we know today.

In the face of the quartz crisis in the late 1970s, the line of Breitling successors who had nurtured the Breitling brand though the last century of watchmaking ended when Ernest Schneider, a technical and aviation enthusiast who took over the business in 1979 with the understanding that he was the guardian of a unique legacy. To ensure the brand survived, Schneider steered Breitling down a specialised path of high performance watches designed for functionality, reliability, and durability, coining the term “instruments for professionals”.

Breitling’s original vision to measure, divide, and master time continues in the 21st century. The brand’s product portfolio has been restructured around Breitling’s three historic universes: air, land, and sea, and continues to this day as a sustainable and luxurious leading Swiss watchmaker.