Breitling - AVI Ref. 765 1964 Re-Edition

Breitling released the AVI Ref. 765 1964 Re-Edition, a 164-piece boutique and online exclusive with a price of €8,300 / $9,050

First released in 1953, the original Breitling Ref. 765 AVI, dubbed the “Co-Pilot,” was a workhorse timepiece designed to serve pilots as a trusted flight instrument thanks to its optimal size, legibility and ease of use (we wrote about its 2020 re-edition here).

In the 1960s, the AVI’s simplified style and oversized proportions made it a watch to wear well beyond aviation circles, and was to be seen on the wrist of celebrities and sports stars of the time. The new Breitling AVI Ref. 765 1964 Re-Edition, released in a limited production of 164 pieces, faithfully reproduces that design. 

The watch comes in a 41 mm x 14 mm stainless steel case equipped with a hesalite crystal, just like the original model, and a bidirectional bezel with a durable Amorphous Diamond-Like-Carbon (ADLC) coating that gives it its black finish. Water resistance is guaranteed up to a pressure of 3 ATM (30 metres / 100 feet). 

The black dial has a tri-compax layout with white contrasting chronograph counters. The baton indexes and pencil hands have been treated with a Super-LumiNova coating, reminiscent of the luminescent material found on the original model.

The AVI Ref. 765 1964 Re-Edition is powered by the Caliber B09, a manually wound mechanical chronograph movement certified by COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute) as a chronometer. Operating at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour), it offers a power reserve of 70 hours. The caseback engraving “One of 164” remarks the limited production of this reference.

Completed by a calfskin leather strap with stainless steel pin buckle, the new Breitling AVI Ref. 765 1964 Re-Edition ref. AB09451A1B1X1 is a boutique and online exclusive with a price of €8,300 / $9,050. breitling.com