Willy Breitling took the reins of the Swiss luxury watch company from his grandfather and founder Leon Breitling 7 years before World War 2 broke out.
A part of Leon Breitling’s legacy was the reputation of his timepieces in the aviation industry. Willy Breitling was only a young man when he took over at the age of 19. Unaware of the great war that would soon sweep the continent of Europe, Willy Breitling worked hard to cement the position of Breitling men’s watches amongst pilots. Just one year before the start of the war, Breitling founded the “HUIT Aviation” department.
The department developed precise timekeeping equipment that worked in the extreme conditions of the sky. This equipment would not skip a beat even under -40 degrees Celsius, amongst the roughest vibrations of the early airplane engines.
Right at the break of the war, the British Royal Air Force chose Willy Breitling’s company for their onboard equipment.
Here comes the exciting part – the young Willy Breitling would need to risk his own life to deliver this equipment to the Royal Air Force.
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World War 2 was very much a battle of principles and ideologies, and Willy Breitling chose to stand on the just side. The Nazis naturally wanted to constrict trade with the Allies as much as possible winning on the financial front would translate to a win in the trenches.
The country of France lies between Switzerland and England. Willy Breitling would drive to the French-speaking town of Les Franches-Montagnes in Switzerland to deliver the equipment.
France was a much-fought-over region during World War 2. The consequences of being found out would be dire. Willy Breitling and his friends would drive the equipment to the green pastures of Les Franches-Montagnes only at midnight.
They had arranged a specific light signal with the British. The cars would turn on their headlights, and the British would take off with the timekeeping equipment just as quickly as they would land.
How did Willy Breitling ensure there was no suspicion? He would quickly show up at a busy bar. He would ensure his presence was noted, and he would often go a step further – he would start a brawl and be arrested by the local authorities. There was no better alibi than spending the night at the police station!
And thus, Willy Breitling ensured that the watchmakers stayed alive through one of the most arduous periods in European history. In fact, Breitling would not just survive but also evolve as luxury watchmakers.
Willy Breitling was forward-thinking and incorporated elegance and suave into his high-tech timepieces during his leadership.
And thus, Breitling landed on the style that it is famous for today.
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