The first separate chronograph pusher

The need

On the first wrist chronographs the timing pusher sat in the crown, so one part both wound the watch and ran the chronograph. It was awkward, especially with gloves.

Made by

Breitling of La Chaux-de-Fonds, under Gaston Breitling, who had taken over the firm in 1914.

What was new

A separate chronograph pusher at two o’clock. The crown went back to winding and setting only.

Worth knowing

The move made the next step possible: a second pusher, which Breitling added in 1934.

Historian’s noteThe 1915 date comes from Breitling and is widely repeated, but no patent or dated archive entry supporting it has been published. Treat it as probable rather than proven.

SourcesBreitling