Breitling Montbrillant 1903 Special Edition: 100 Years of Aviation

BREITLING Montbrillant 1903 Édition Spéciale 100 Ans d'Aviation watch, ref. A35330. Serial No. 7015XX, year 2003.
In stainless steel. Screw-down, faceted case back with a commemorative engraving of the Wright brothers’ airplane and the inscription “100 Ans d’Aviation 1903–2003” on a sandblasted background. Bidirectional rotating bezel with a mirror-polished, pearl-finished edge and an inner circular scale for aeronautical calculations. Small inner dials with a minute totalizer at 9 o’clock and a continuous seconds hand at 3 o’clock. Date window at 6 o’clock. Curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides. Pilot-style bracelet with seven rows of articulated links.
Breitling Caliber 35 automatic movement, based on the ETA 2892-A2, with a chronograph module.
It works, with all functions operating properly.
Measurements: 48 x 42 mm (excluding the crown and pushers).

The Breitling Montbrillant 1903 “Édition Spéciale 100 Ans d’Aviation” was introduced in 2003 to commemorate the centennial of powered flight. Its name refers to 1903, the year the Wright brothers made the first sustained and controlled flights of a motor-powered airplane on December 17 in North Carolina. Therefore, “1903” refers to the historic event being honored, not the watch’s date of manufacture. This edition connects that milestone with Breitling’s tradition of timekeeping instruments for aviation.

The steel version, reference A35330, combines an automatic movement with a chronograph, calendar, and circular slide rule—a tool that enables calculations useful for navigation. Its design evokes the aesthetics of aeronautical instruments, with concentric scales and a wealth of information on the dial. Its appeal to collectors lies in this fusion of horological functionality, brand identity, and the commemoration of a decisive moment in aviation history.

When the description of a watch states “it works,” it means the watch is functioning. Since collector’s watches typically have delicate and complex mechanisms, the buyer is responsible for any general servicing, inspection, battery replacement, adjustment, or repair that may be necessary. We do not guarantee the perfect functioning of any watch. All photographs of our watches are original and have been taken by our photographers; in other words, we do not use stock photography, which is why the photographs are considered part of the catalog listing.