SCHWANKE-KASTEN and breitling WILL be at eaa
airventure oshkosh for 20th consecutive year
Watches Paying Homage to the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, TWA, Pan Am and more to be Presented
Wilton, Conn. (July
12, 2019) –
Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, Wisconsin’s only
authorized Breitling Retailer, will be partnering with Breitling at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh for the 20th
consecutive year, presenting watches from the iconic Swiss watch brand Breitling,
in Hangar C, Space 3057.
Breitling’s
affiliation with aviation dates back to the early 1930’s when they manufactured
on-board chronographs for aircraft cockpits. These instruments enjoyed great
success in the various armed forces, including the Royal Air Force, which used
them in World War II propeller-driven fighter planes. The Breitling Aviator
Super 8 was inspired by the reference number 637, a stopwatch that Second World
War bomber pilots wore strapped to their thighs.
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| Aviator Super 8 B20 46 |
Furthermore, this year Breitling produced
three new watches to commemorate an aviation legend, the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. When
the American Aircraft Manufacturer, Curtiss Wright Corporation, was producing
its legendary fighter aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s, Breitling’s Huit
Aviation Department was creating on-board clocks for some of the world’s
leading aircraft manufacturers. This series of watches represent a salute to
the partnership between two true aviation pioneers.
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| Aviator 8 Chronograph B01 43 Curtiss Warhawk |
This solid connection to aviation continued,
and in 1952, Breitling launched its legendary Navitimer watch, featuring a
circular slide rule serving to perform the entire range of calculations
relating to airborne navigation. This model shared the finest sky borne
adventures and was soon chosen as the official watch by the AOPA (Aircraft
Owners and Pilots Association), the world’s largest association of its kind. It
is still a favored iconic model for pilots today and is the oldest mechanical
chronograph still in production. In 1962, Scott Carpenter wore a Navitimer on
his orbital flight aboard the Aurora 7, becoming the first space-going wrist
chronograph.
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| Navitimer 43 B01 Chronograph Pan Am Edition |
As aviation entered its Golden Age of the 60’s
and 70’s, Breitling, this year release its first capsule collection - the
Navitimer 1 Airline Editions – celebrating the brand’s important role in this
era of aviation and some of the most emblematic airlines of that time. The
collection includes odes to Swissair, Pan Am and TWA. For decades, Pan American World Airways was a
dominant force in commercial aviation and, long after the airline ceased operations,
it is still closely linked with the excitement of air travel. The Pan Am
Edition has a stainless-steel case with a blue dial, silver subdials, and a
vintage-inspired brown leather strap, a Breitling Air Racer bracelet, or a
stainless-steel mesh bracelet.
Breitling’s solid connection to aviation and
privileged partnership in the conquest of the skies can be found in its
additional models that will be present at Oshkosh, including the Cirrus
Aerospace Evo, Colt Skyracer and Emergency.
ABOUT
SCHWANKE-KASTEN JEWELERS: Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers has been family-owned and
operated since 1899. As the fourth generation owner, we are true to keeping the
integrity of a traditional jewelry store by offering an onsite gemologist,
goldsmith, watch-maker and engraver, as well as having a professionally trained
sales team. With stores in Whitefish Bay & Downtown Milwaukee,
Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers is able to provide you with excellence in service,
style and selection.
ABOUT BREITLING: Since 1884, Breitling has established a
global reputation for high-precision timepieces, its pioneering role in the
development of the wrist chronograph, and its uncompromising commitment to
design excellence. With the brand’s storied association with aviation,
Breitling has shared the finest moments in humankind’s conquest of the skies.
Renowned for its spirit of innovation, it has also earned a place of privilege
in the worlds of science, sport, and technology. Breitling manufactures its own
movements in-house and the quality of every watch is confirmed by its status as
a COSC-certified chronometer, made in Switzerland.