Willy's children, however, were not interested in pursuing the family business, so the Breitling factory in La Chaux de Fonds closed in December 1978.

[2][3] On 23 December 2022, Partners Group, a Swiss investment and private equity firm, took over the majority of the Breitling shares from CVC.

[4] The company's mechanical or quartz movements are chronometer certified by the COSC[5] and are usually marketed towards either diving (SuperOcean) or aviation (Navitimer).

[9] The first automatic Navitimer chronograph was introduced to the public in 1969; its movement was co-developed by Breitling, Dubois-Depraz, Heuer, and Hamilton.

[13] The Breitling Emergency watch contains a radio transmitter for civil aviation use, which broadcasts on the 121.5 MHz distress frequency and serves as a backup for ELT-type airborne beacons.

Under normal conditions—flat terrain or calm seas—the signal can be picked up at a range of up to 90 nautical miles (170 km) by search aircraft flying at 20,000 feet (6,100 m).

[citation needed] Reuters reported in January 2003 two British pilots, Squadron Leader Steve Brooks and Flight Lieutenant Hugh Quentin-Smith, crashed their helicopter in Antarctica and were rescued after activating their Breitling Emergency transmitter watches.

[16] The Emergency is available for customers without a pilot's license, but they must sign an agreement that they will bear the full costs of a rescue intervention should they trigger the distress beacon.

[citation needed] The model was heavily advertised by the Breitling Orbiter 3, with both Brian Jones and Bertrand Piccard wearing the Emergency.

As part of the 10th anniversary of a Breitling–Bentley partnership, the Bentley B04 GMT, B05 Unitime and B06 (based on COSC Certified Breitling Calibre B04, B05 and B06 respectively) were produced.

[19] In 2015, Breitling designed the Mulliner Tourbillon dashboard clock for the Bentley Bentayga, which spins 3 times every 15 minutes.

1939: Breitling partnered with the British Royal Air Force (RAF) to provide onboard chronographs.

This collaboration marked the beginning of Breitling's long standing relationship with aviation and military forces.

1962: Astronaut Scott Carpenter wore a specially modified Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute on the Mercury Atlas 7 mission, making it the first Swiss wristwatch worn in space.

This enhances their accuracy and as a result they are 10 times more accurate than standard quartz movements, with an annual variation of only 15 seconds.

2002: Breitling and Bentley Motors started one of the longest standing partnerships between a Swiss watchmaker and a luxury car manufacturer.

2020: The Endurance Pro was introduced, a lightweight sports chronograph designed for athletes, featuring a thermo-compensated SuperQuartz™ movement.

[23] In the British automotive series Top Gear, Richard Hammond uses a Breitling Emergency II watch to be rescued by Jeremy Clarkson and James May.