Jewellery & Watch News
Big, bold and beautiful, Breitling have launched a brand new Super Chronomat watch collection during episode five of their digital Summit Webcast. Breathing life back into past designs is a particular talent of this luxury Swiss watch manufacturer and by taking inspiration from the original Frecce Tricolori watch that Breitling engineered for the Italian Air Force’s aerobatic fleet in 1983, the Super Chronomat becomes another example of a reinvented, all-purpose sports watch just as elegant as it is robust.
“This is a watch you’ll get noticed in without having to worry about it,” says Breitling CEO Georges Kern. “This watch is tough enough for every pursuit, but it won’t get in the way of your sense of style.”
Since its launch, the Breitling Chronomat has been a flagship for the brand remaining instantly recognisable for its archaic onion-shaped crown and the use of unique rider tabs on the bezel. True to the original Chronomat, the new Breitling Super Chronomat watches continue to utilise these tabs for additional protection of the sapphire crystal glass and for easier manipulation of its unidirectional functionality. The ones at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock are also interchangeable so wearers can choose whether they want to use the timepiece to count up or count down. Slightly larger in size to the Chronomat B01 42, the Super Chronomat comes in at 44 millimetres and transforms the iconic bezel with a new ceramic insert – the very first seen on a Chronomat. The 2021 releases also debut a new choice of rubber strap inspired by the iconic rifle-linked Rouleaux bracelet.
There are 11 new Breitling Super Chronomat watches in total. The first six see’s the Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 in three colourways, two engineered in stainless steel with blue dial-and-bezel-combinations and two in stainless steel but with a black dial and bezel. Each of these are then paired with a choice of a Rouleaux bracelet or rubber strap. The fifth and sixth model come dressed in elegant 18 carat rose gold with a rich brown dial and bezel similarly matched with a metal bracelet or rubber strap. The next reference is a Breitling Super Chronomat UTC which follows all the same specifications as the black-dialled Super Chronomat B01 44 but utilises a unique UTC module embedded in the Rouleaux bracelet. The last four models are the Super Chronomat 44 Four-Year Calendar watches which boast a semi-perpetual calendar mechanism in two colourways. The first delivers a black dial and bezel and the second delivers a blue dial and a blue ceramic bezel both detailed with rose gold elements.
Breitling Super Chromomat B01 44
The leading six Breitling Super Chronomat watches are not the most complicated out of the new collection but are certainly going to be everyone’s first choice. Their sporty, robust and masculine style is defined by the iconic four tabbed bidirectional bezel with interchangeable tabs at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions now handsomely adorned for the first time with a ceramic insert. Available in a choice of blue, black or brown, the ceramic insert matches the colour of its dial with a Rouleaux bracelet or new Rouleaux-inspired rubber strap which has been created with state-of-the-art injection molding techniques.
Each Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 watch, whether it’s engineered from stainless steel or 18 carat rose gold, measures to 44mm and comes equipped with sapphire crystal glass, a screw in crown, Superluminova indexes and hands and a screwed exhibition case back water resistant to 200 metres. At its centre, the Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01 automatic winding movement powers the column wheel and vertical clutch chronograph with a 12 hour totaliser, 30 minute counter and central chronograph seconds hand. The in-house calibre also promises a power reserve of 70 hours and a frequency of 28,800vph.
Specifications: (AB0136251B1A1, AB0136251B1S1, AB0136161C1A1, AB0136161C1S1, RB0136E31Q1R1, RB0136E31Q1S1)
- Case Size: 44mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel or 18 carat rose gold
- Bezel: Steel or gold with ceramic insert, unidirectional ratcheted, Superluminova coated rider tab numerals
- Glass: Cambered sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides
- Crown: Screw-locked, two gaskets
- Case Back: Screwed, sapphire crystal
- Water Resistance: 200 metres
- Movement: Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01, self-winding
- Functions: Hours, minutes, chronograph seconds, small seconds, date, 30 minute counter, 12 hours counter
- COSC: Yes
- Power Reserve: 70 hours
- Jewels: 47
- Frequency: 28,800vph
- Dial: Black or blue (Steel), Brown (Gold)
- Strap: Rouleaux bracelet or rubber
- Buckle: Folding
- RRP: £6,750 (Steel + Rubber), £7,050 (Steel + Bracelet), £19,200 (Gold + Rubber), £27,600 (Gold + Bracelet)
Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 UTC
Those looking for something totally unique will gravitate towards the Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 with UTC module. Following in the same footsteps as the black dial and bezel colourway above, boasting the same case size, materials and movement, the design differs only in the UTC module embedded into the stainless steel Rouleaux bracelet. Referring to Universal Time Coordinated, this rare feature provides a way to keep track of a second time zone.
Like it’s main watch face, the Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 UTC Module has a smooth black dial with Superluminova luminescent detailing, a smooth locked crown water resistant to 200 metres and flat sapphire crystal glass glare proofed on both sides. It is powered by the Breitling Calibre 61 quartz movement which has a 60 month battery life and delivers a second time zone with hour and minutes. Blending in perfectly with the bracelet, the 26mm module is engineered from stainless steel and even possesses its own fixed bezel adorned with engraved numerals.
Specifications: (AB0136251B1A2)
- Case Size: 44mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Bezel: Steel with ceramic insert, unidirectional ratcheted, Superluminova coated rider tab numerals
- Glass: Cambered sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides
- Crown: Screw-locked, two gaskets
- Case Back: Screwed, sapphire crystal
- Water Resistance: 200 metres
- Movement: Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01, self-winding
- Functions: Hours, minutes, chronograph seconds, small seconds, date, 30 minute counter, 12 hours counter
- COSC: Yes
- Power Reserve: 70 hours
- Jewels: 47
- Frequency: 28,800vph
- Dial: Black
- Strap: Rouleaux bracelet
- UTC Module: 26mm, black dial with Superluminova, fixed steel bezel, Breitling Caliber 61 quartz, hours and minutes, screw in crown, sapphire crystal, 200m water resistant
- Buckle: Folding
- RRP: £7,990
Breitling Super Chronomat 44 Four-Year Calendar
As the name implies, the new Breitling Super Chronomat 44 Four-Year Calendar watches deliver a semi-perpetual calendar mechanism at its core alongside all the iconic characteristics of the Chronomat. There are four versions, all engineered from stainless steel, two with a black dial and bezel and two with a blue dial and bezel. They measure to 44mm in diameter like the rest but with 18 carat rose gold detailing on the dial, bezel and Rouleaux bracelet. The designs also boast cambered sapphire crystal glass, screw locked crowns, 100 metre water resistant screwed case backs, tone-on-tone chronograph dials.
The real centrepiece of the Breitling Super Chronomat 44 Four-Year Calendar is of course the calendar mechanism powered by the Breitling Calibre 19 autoamtic movement. The unique mechanism needs adjustment just once every leap year, or every 1,461 days, and delivers a semi-perpetual calendar movement with day, date, month and moon phase indicators. The Swiss made calibre also ensures classic chronograph complication with vertical clutch, 1/4th second, 30-minute and 12-hour counters and a power reserve of 42 hours.
Specifications: (U19320161C1U1, U19320161C1S1)
- Case Size: 44mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Bezel: 18ct rose gold with ceramic insert, unidirectional ratcheted, Superluminova coated rider tab numerals
- Glass: Cambered sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides
- Crown: Screw-locked, two gaskets
- Case Back: Screwed
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Movement: Breitling Calibre 19, self-winding
- Functions: Hours, minutes, chronograph seconds, small seconds, date, month, moonphase, 30 minute counter, 12 hours counter
- COSC: Yes
- Power Reserve: 42 hours
- Jewels: 38
- Frequency: 28,800vph
- Dial: Black or blue
- Strap: Steel bracelet or black rubber (Black-dial), Steel + gold bracelet or blue rubber (Blue-dial)
- Buckle: Folding
- RRP: £11,500 (Black dial, rubber), £11,990 (Black dial, bracelet), £12,450 (Blue dial, rubber), £13,650 (Blue dial, bracelet)
