From the development of the first aircraft to chronographs intended for pilots, the Breguet name runs through the history of French aviation. Among its most striking chapters is the first non-stop Paris–New York flight, completed in 1930 aboard the Breguet 19 Point d’Interrogation.
One name, two territories of invention
Abraham-Louis Breguet transformed watchmaking through his inventions and research into precision. Several generations later, Louis Breguet transposed this same spirit of innovation to a field still in its infancy: aviation.
An engineer and entrepreneur, he founded his own aeronautical company and, for more than fifty years, developed aircraft intended for military and civilian uses as well as long-distance flights.
The Breguet 19
Designed in the 1920s, the Breguet 19 became one of the emblematic aircraft of its time. Its robustness and development potential made it possible to create several versions specially adapted for long-distance crossings. In an attempt to link Paris to New York non-stop, one aircraft was fitted with additional fuel tanks and transformed into the Breguet 19 TR Super Bidon.
Why “Point d’Interrogation”?
Faced with the press’s insistent questions about their chances of completing the crossing, Dieudonné Costes and Maurice Bellonte chose to answer with a sign. A large white question mark was painted on the red fuselage of their aircraft. This symbol soon gave the plane its name and became inseparable from the expedition.
Paris–New York, September 1930
On 1 September 1930, Costes and Bellonte took off from Le Bourget. After a flight of more than 37 hours over the Atlantic, they reached New York on 2 September. They thus completed the first non-stop Paris–New York flight, from east to west, against the prevailing winds. The feat permanently inscribed the Breguet 19 and its two aviators in the history of aeronautics.
From the Breguet 19 to the Type XX
A few decades later, Breguet placed its watchmaking expertise at the service of pilots. The Type 20 and Type XX chronographs were developed to offer immediate readability and reliable measurement of flight times. The “flyback” function makes it possible to reset the chronograph to zero and instantly restart a new timing sequence with a single press. It responds directly to the needs of air navigation.
A story engraved in the timepiece
The engraving of the Breguet 19 Point d’Interrogation recalls this encounter between two branches of the same story. It links the inventiveness of Abraham-Louis Breguet with the aeronautical research of Louis Breguet.
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