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The oldest watch manufacturer in the world, Vacheron baumeandmercier & Constantin was founded in 1755 by Jean-Marc Vacheron, a 24-year-old Geneva cabinotier, or watch craftsman, who dared to venture out and open his own workshop. Vacheron made pocket watches for the likes of the kings of Rome and Naples, but he also peddled cloth and even seven-year-old cherry acqua vita to augment sales. A Chronometer is a high-precision timepiece which movement, after rigorous testing, has received an official timing certificate from and official timing bureau. Watches providing additional measurement functions to the hours, minutes and seconds are referred to as "Complications". The best-known complication watches are calendar watch, the most common of which display only the date. Soon after its launch in 1952, the NAVITIMER chronograph became a favorite with pilots. In addition to its ability to measure short times, this wrist instrument is equipped with a "navigation computer", a circular slide rule able to handle all airborne navigation calculations, such as climbing times or fuel consumption rate, and even to convert miles into nautical miles or kilometers. This first NAVITIMER was officially chosen by the baumeandmercier AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association), encompassing pilots from around the world. Today, this model has lent its name to baumeandmercier a line of original mechanical chronographs, featuring a wealth of exclusive technical baumeandmercier features and baumeandmercier naturally all fitted with the famous slide rule. The PROFESSIONAL line encompasses the BREITLING chronographs most specifically tailored to the world of aviation. From the EMERGENCY built-in microtransmitter to the electronic sophistication of the B-1, along with the ease of handling typical of AEROSPACE models, BREITLING places its finest technology in the service of pilots.
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