The Breitling Navitimer, a watch synonymous with aviation history and precision engineering, features a circular slide rule bezel that's both a fascinating piece of horological history and a surprisingly practical tool. While digital calculators have largely superseded the slide rule in everyday life, understanding how to use this intricate mechanism on your Navitimer adds a layer of appreciation for its design and functionality. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the basics, covering various calculations and offering resources to further enhance your understanding.
Understanding the Navitimer's Slide Rule: A Brief History
Before diving into the calculations, let's briefly touch upon the history and purpose. The slide rule, predating electronic calculators, was a mechanical analog computer used for multiplication, division, roots, logarithms, and trigonometry. Breitling integrated this ingenious device into the Navitimer's bezel, making complex calculations readily available to pilots and navigators. These calculations were crucial for flight planning, fuel consumption estimations, conversion of units (e.g., miles to kilometers), and time-distance-speed problems.
The Anatomy of the Navitimer's Slide Rule
The Navitimer's slide rule bezel is composed of several key elements:
* The Fixed Bezel: This is the outer, stationary ring of the bezel, featuring various scales.
* The Rotating Bezel: This is the inner, rotating ring, also marked with various scales. This is the part you manipulate to perform calculations.
* The Indices and Scales: Various scales (e.g., C, D, R, E, etc.) are engraved on both the fixed and rotating bezels. These scales represent logarithmic values, forming the basis of the slide rule's functionality. Understanding these scales is crucial for effective use. A detailed diagram showing the placement of these scales is essential, and can be found through searches for "Breitling Navitimer bezel diagram" or "Breitling Navitimer bezel chart."
Essential Scales and Their Functions:
While the specific scales may vary slightly depending on the Navitimer model and year of manufacture, most models include the following crucial scales:
* C and D Scales: These are the primary scales used for multiplication and division. The C scale is on the rotating bezel, and the D scale is on the fixed bezel.
* R Scale (or similar): This scale is often used for reciprocal calculations.
* E Scale: This is a square root scale, often used in conjunction with the C and D scales.
* Other Specialized Scales: Depending on the model, you might encounter scales for specific aviation calculations, such as fuel consumption or time-distance-speed problems. Consult your specific model's manual (a search for "Breitling slide rule manual PDF" or "Breitling Navitimer instructions" might yield a helpful document).
Performing Basic Calculations: Multiplication and Division
Let's start with the fundamental operations: multiplication and division. These are performed using the C and D scales.
Multiplication:
1. Align the '1' (or index) of the C scale with the first number on the D scale.
2. Find the second number on the C scale.
3. Read the result on the D scale, directly below the second number on the C scale.
Example: Multiply 2 x 3
1. Align the '1' of the C scale with the '2' on the D scale.
2. Locate '3' on the C scale.
3. Read the result ('6') on the D scale directly below the '3' on the C scale.
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