Jewellery & Watch News
One reference that stood out to us in Breitling’s freshly released Super Chronomat collection was the B01 44 UTC watch. Following suit to the rest of the collection with an upsized case size, bold stylings and black ceramic insert bezel, the all-purpose sports watch has captured everyone’s interest for its unique UTC module embedded into the Rouleaux bracelet.
After the success of the Breitling Chronomat B01 42 collection relaunched last year, the Swiss watch manufacturer wanted to go bigger, to deliver a supercharged sports watch with levelled up aesthetics and new complications. This is where the Breitling Super Chronomat comes in. There were three key designs unveiled: the first being the classic B01 44 Chronograph, then the Four Year Calendar and lastly the Breitling Super Chronomat B01 UTC watch. You can read a review on all three of these watches here. Each design retained the iconic DNA of the original Breitling Chronomat Frecce Tricolori watch created for the Italian Air Force’s aerobatic team in 1983 but with an increased case size, new ceramic insert bezel and a fresh rubber strap design.
For us, the Breitling Super Chronomat B01 UTC watch was a curious addition. Referring to Universal Time Coordinated, the rare feature allows the wearer to keep track of a second time zone, not on the main dial like so many classic UTC watches, but on a separate dial embedded into the stainless steel bracelet and powered by its own movement. There are only a select few luxury watch manufacturers in the world to have used a UTC module like this, and as far as we know, Breitling themselves haven’t showcased the design since the 1990’s. With that said, it’s a welcome addition to the new Breitling collection.
The UTC Module
Before we go into detail about the Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 watch it sits upon, let’s take a look at the UTC-module embedded into the Rouleaux bracelet. The component is essentially an entire watch in itself, measuring to 26.1mm in diameter and 6mm in thickness and engineered from stainless steel to blend elegantly into the strap. The dial matches the look of the main watch face, dressed in black with Superluminova luminescent indexes and hands, large Arabic numerals for markers 12, 3, 6 and 9 and red lettering to mark its use as a UTC complication.
The UTC-module has its own non-screw locked crown at 3 o’clock with two gaskets to help assist in a 200 metre water resistant rating and a matching stainless steel fixed bezel engraved with a 60 minute scale. Above the dial is a layer of flat sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective coating on both sides and housed beneath is the Breitling Calibre 61 movement, a quartz calibre with a battery life of approximately 60 minutes.
The Breitling Super Chronomat B01 UTC Watch
The UTC module is integrated into one of Breitling’s iconic Rouleaux bracelets, a design that was reintroduced last year with the Chronomat B01 42 collection. Engineered from over 100 components, the bracelet has become somewhat of a signature for the Chronomat with rifle-shell style links bound together by polished inner links that blend seamlessly through the case and lugs. Speaking of the case, the case of the Breitling Super Chronomat B01 UTC measures to 44mm and diameter and 14.45mm and is equipped with cambered sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective treatment on both sides and a brand new ceramic insert bezel.
Unidirectional and ratcheted for easy manipulation, the bezel is for the first time in Breitling Chronomat history engineered from a combination of stainless steel and ceramic. The eight ceramic inserts are black to match the central dial and maintain their unique interchangeable technology which allows the wearer to swap over the tabs at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions depending on whether they wish to count up or down. The case of the Breitling Super Chronomat B01 UTC watch also invites a screw locked crown with two gaskets, a water resistance rating of 200 metres and a screwed steel exhibition case back offering a view of the automatic winding movement within.
Powering the Breitling Super Chronomat B01 UTC watch is the Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01 automatic winding movement, an in-house COSC certified movement with vertical clutch and column wheel chronograph complication. 12 hours and 30 minute counters are displayed on the dial at 3 and 9 o’clock, opting for contrasting silver subsidiary dials and silvered luminescent hands. A small seconds dial sits between these at 6 o’clock and tells continuous time alongside the central hands for hours and minutes also coated in glow in the dark Superluminova. Similarly at the centre is a bright red chronograph seconds hand. The Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01 movement promises a power reserve of 70 hours, 47 jewels and beats at a frequency of 28,800vph.
For more information on the Breitling Super Chronomat B01 UTC watch and to shop the entire Super Chronomat collection, head over to the C W Sellors website here or get in touch with the team on 01335 453543.
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
