FEATURED: The New BREITLING Super Chronomat

Breitling calls the new Super Chronomat as stylish and sturdy. Could this be an option, to the watch buying community out there, as a daily beater? 

The Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 comes in three versions. Two are encased in stainless steel with blue or black dial-and-bezel combinations. The third is a rich brown dial-and-bezel combination with a case in 18 k red gold. 

All feature contrasting silver chronograph counters powered by the COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01, a vertical clutch column-wheel chronograph, provides about 70 hours of power reserve. This Super Chronomat is water-resistant up to 200 meters.

Breitling to be living up to its promise, we believe. The watch strikes a good balance between being a precise timekeeper and a rugged yet aesthetically appealing exterior, though the 44mm case diameter could be a deterrent to quite a few many wrists. 

For those wanting something extra special, there’s a black dial version with a UTC-module embedded in a Rouleaux bracelet. Referring to Universal Time Coordinated, this provides a way to keep track of a second time zone and is a quirky Breitling feature dating back to the 1980s. Most buyers would get limited by this option, if they were drawn to the dial options other than the black one. 

When Breitling introduced its Chronomat in 1984, it signified the comeback of mechanical Swiss timepieces after quartz watches had dominated the market throughout the 1970s. The impressive new mechanical watch proved to be a winner – challenging its skinny quartz rivals with its bold proportions and becoming an icon of its era. With the new Breitling Super Chronomat the rider tabs on the bezel protect the sapphire crystal. The ones at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock are interchangeable, so the wearer can use them for countdowns as well as count-ups. With a case measuring 44 millimeters, the Breitling Super Chronomat collection is the boldest of its kind. Key new features include a stainless-steel bezel with a ceramic insert – a first on a Chronomat – plus the choice of a Rouleaux-inspired rubber strap or our iconic metal one with a butterfly clasp. The new rubber strap is created with state-of-the-art injection molding techniques. Its three distinct textures – matte, slick, and woven-looking – give it remarkable depth.

The 4th version, as its name implies, the Breitling  Super Chronomat 44 Four-Year Calendar has a semi-perpetual calendar mechanism that needs adjusting just once every leap year – or every 1461 days. It comes in two versions: black dial with tone-on-tone chronograph counters, a stainless-steel bezel with a black ceramic bezel inserts, and 18 k red gold elements, or blue dial featuring tone-on-tone chronograph counters and a bezel in 18 k red gold with a blue ceramic insert. Water-resistant up to 100 meters, this timepiece is powered by the Breitling Caliber 19, a COSC-certified chronograph movement with a semi-perpetual calendar with day, date, month, and moon phase indicators.

“This is a watch you’ll get noticed 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.” To the gentlemen who dress more athleisure than formal, this could be a great wrist companion.