ReviewThe New Breitling Chronomat—The Revamped Edition Of The All-Purpose Sports Watch
Launched in 1984, the Breitling Chronomat is quite an icon in the horology universe as it was the first chronograph to introduce a unidirectional bezel with rider tabs for countdown as well as count-up functions. The brand have now revamped the line and introduced new models with a modern-retro design for men and women, who expect good looks but greater performance from their timepieces
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Any discussion around sports chronographs is incomplete if one doesn’t factor in Breitling. A brand synonymous with reliable tool watches, and in the business of manufacturing them since 1884—continues to stay true to its DNA, even today. Breitling have an impressive line-up of iconic chronographs—such as the Navitimer and Avenger, suited for aviation, and the SuperOcean, popular with diving enthusiasts and professionals. However, it’s the Chronomat that actually serves as an all-purpose sports watch, while also keeping the brand’s name in the upper echelons of precision timekeeping when one talks about the reliability and accuracy of Swiss watches. Introduced in 1984, the Chronomat questioned the existing order of the day, back when Swiss mechanicals had been relegated to the shadows as the haute horlogerie business had taken a hit due to the advent of the cheaper, mass-produced, and easily available quartz, battery-powered movements that helped watchmakers cut costs and expand production. A dark chapter that was unleashed in 1969 when Japan introduced the Seiko Astron—the world’s first quartz wristwatch; wiped out a sizeable chunk of the mechanical watchmaking business as most players drifted towards quartz technology to stay afloat.
But Breitling took a gamble—one that paid off and how. They placed their bet on a robust mechanical timekeeper, swimming against the tide of ultra-thin quartz watches. And, it emerged a winner since it struck the right chord between design and functionality, and was way ahead of its time. It stood out for its iconic bezel with rider tabs, and the circular slide rule, which helped pilots with crucial flight calculations. Today, nearly four decades later, the brand have revamped this icon to suit the tastes and needs of women and men, who like the cool chronograph aesthetic, and never shy away from taking on challenges in life.
A New World Order
While the current global pandemic has forced everyone to shift gears towards the ‘new normal’, Breitling, too, launched the new Chronomat collection amidst the COVID-19 crisis, albeit in a novel format. The brand showcased their novelties through a webcast hosted by CEO Georges Kern, who has been at the helm since the last three years. He explains that Breitling have reduced the case size for the men’s Chronomat to 42mm while the ladies’ versions are available in 36mm (automatic) and 32mm (quartz). This has helped to get back the original symmetrical shape, where the round crown inspired by the 1980s design has also been retained. “We have brought back the Rouleaux bracelet, also inspired by the original Chronomat and it makes the watch instantly recognisable. It blends in perfectly with our modern-retro style,” says Kern.
The new Chronomat is highly versatile and can be worn for a red-carpet event, where the wearer wants the watch to convey their personal style statement or during outdoor activity. Kern further explains, “The unidirectional bezel is another striking feature. The original model was equipped with interchangeable rider tabs that offered a countdown feature for pilots and a count-up function for divers. The new models also have this feature and our customers can get these riders changed at any of our Breitling boutiques or retailers, depending on what purpose they want to use them for.”
Since the bezel moves in a counterclockwise direction, the user can activate the countdown function by switching the 15- and 45-minute rider tabs, so as to have 45 minute at three o’clock and 15 minutes at nine, which means the seconds (or minutes) hand will countdown the seconds (or minutes) from 60 to 45 to 30 and so on. This feature is also useful for timing regattas. With the 15- and 45-minute tabs at the regular three and nine, respectively, the bezel becomes a regular timer scale. Rider tabs were initially used to keep the bezel in place by screwing them down. They are also visual markers, grip aids since they make the watch easy to use even with gloves on, and also protect the domed sapphire crystal glass from damage. “There’s also a tachymeter scale in the inner bezel, which measures the average speed—a feature that was often used in motor-racing of yesteryears,” adds Kern.
The Genesis
The original model was inspired by the Frecce Tricolori watch of 1983—launched in partnership with the Italian aerial squadron of the same name. With its launch a year later, it marked Breitling’s centenary, as well as sealed the company’s position as a leader in mechanical chronographs. However, the La Chaux-de-Fonds-based manufacture was no stranger to the world of chronographs. In fact, Breitling defined the modern configuration of chronographs when they presented one of the first wristwatch chronographs with a mono-pusher in 1915. This was improved further over eight years with the introduction of an independent push-piece at two o’clock for the start, stop and reset functions. In 1934, they broke all conventions of traditional watchmaking with the introduction of the revolutionary dual-pusher chronograph wristwatch—a first of its kind. This enabled the second push-piece at four o’clock to take charge of the reset function, while the start/stop functions were controlled by the two o’clock push-piece. This is the basic operating template that a most contemporary chronographs use.
While the earlier models were powered by Valjoux-made manual-winding movements, providing a 40-hour power reserve, Breitling switched to their own calibres that can tick for at least 70 hours. However, specialisation in in-house movements was not really the brand’s forte till more recently. The real impetus to become self-reliant came in 1999 when the Swatch Group announced that it was cutting off supplies to various brands. That’s when the company put together a team of design and development engineers in Geneva to create Breitling’s first in-house mechanical chronograph movement. And, at Baselworld in 2009, for the 125th anniversary of the brand, they presented the Chronomat, fitted with their first in-house movement, Calibre B01.
Designed For The New Generation
Breitling named the watch Chronomat—a portmanteau of ‘chronograph for mathematics’. “The 1984 Chronomat has a very important place in our modern history. It represents the rebirth of Breitling as well as the mechanical chronograph as it marked a return to mechanical movements towards the end of the quartz era,” Kern explains. “It was a phenomenal success, and influenced the industry for years to come. The new Chronomat collection is a tribute to the amazing watch that, more than any other, reconnected us with our heritage.”
One version of the Chronomat has a 42mm stainless steel case with a choice of a silver, copper, or blue dial with black contrasting chronograph counters. It is also available with a black dial with silver contrasting chronograph counters. Each model is presented on a stainless-steel Rouleaux bracelet with a butterfly clasp.
The Chronomat Bentley celebrates Breitling’s longstanding partnership with the British luxury carmaker. It stands out for its signature Bentley green dial and black contrasting chronograph counters. It also features the Bentley name engraving around the transparent sapphire crystal caseback.
The collection also pays tribute to the 1983 Frecce Tricolori watch that inspired the brand to launch the Chronomat. The new Chronomat Frecce Tricolori Limited Edition of 250 pieces has an all-blue dial, with the Frecce Tricolori logo at 12 o’clock. Its caseback is engraved with the limited edition number. It is also presented on a stainless steel bracelet with a butterfly clasp.
There is also a model fitted with 18-karat red gold crown and pushers, and a bezel with 18-karat red gold rider tabs, numerals and indexes. This gorgeous model has a silver dial. Another striking dual-tone Chronomat comes in two options: an elegant blue dial an anthracite-and-black dial. It is topped by an 18-karat red gold unidirectional rotating bezel, complemented by 18-karat red gold crown and pushers. All timepieces in the new Chronomat collection are water-resistant to 200m.
The collection is also making waves in the ladies’ watches segment with Breitling introducing new Chronomat models for women in 36mm (automatic) and 32mm (quartz). “Our inspiration for this collection is the Breitling woman. From chic to sporty—she is at the top of her game, and is always a woman of purpose, action and style. This is the perfect watch for her since it’s sporty yet elegant—a truly versatile option,” explains Kern during the webcast. The dials are available in copper, blue, white and mint green, which happens to be Kern’s favourite. The bezel is with or without diamonds. Despite showcasing all the traditional elements of the Breitling Chronomat, these watches are developed for the 21st century independent woman, who knows exactly what she wants.
The Chronomat is a legend in its own right and currently, there is no other brand that is so focused on technical chronographs that are highly functional. To this day, the Chronomat is one of the brand’s highest-selling collections, and the rich heritage of innovation and development bear testimony to the fact.
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Breitling Chronomat
AB0134101K1A1
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Breitling Chronomat
IB0134101G1A1
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Breitling Chronomat
AB0134101C1A1
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Breitling Chronomat
UB0134101C1U1
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Breitling Chronomat
AB0134101B1A1
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Breitling Chronomat
AB01343A1L1A1
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Breitling Chronomat
AB01344A1C1A1
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Breitling Chronomat
UB0134101B1U1
