Breitling
The Flight B01
Breitling = Flying; Over the past century, this motto has been the single overriding view of Breitling as a watch brand. As the years have gone by, Breitling has entrenched itself as THE watch for the aviation industry. But while the brand is well known for that part of the business, fewer people might realize that Breitling is among the world’s leaders in developing COSC-certified mechanical watches and has a revolutionary history in terms of making ultra-accurate quartz movements. Surprisingly, with all of that technical history, it is interesting to note that in the past, Breitling has generally not built movements in-house.
As the industry moved toward movement making as a core part of the business, the way to evolve Breitling became obvious; to match its design expertise with an actual in-house produced movement. Enter the B01, Breitling’s first in-house produced movement, and a chronograph at that. To celebrate the new movement, Breitling is creating the Chronomat B01, which houses the caliber B01 movement. Built to guarantee a high degree of sturdiness, water tightness and shock resistance, this piece features a unidirectional rotating bezel, an essential aspect in measuring flight or dive times. Like all other Breitling movements, the chronometer is certified and has undergone the fifteen days of torturous testing performed by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute, better known as the COSC.
Size indeed matters, thus explaining the oversized hands and hourmarkers on the dial of this timepiece and further accentuated by aluminescent coating to guarantee optimal readability. Exceptionally water-resistant to a depth of 500 metres, the Chronomat B01 has all the makings of an authentic professional diver’s watch.
Available in four versions, all-steel, steel with bezel with four solid gold quarter hour markers, steel with a gold bezel as well as all gold, this “instrument for professionals” has an impressive up 70- hour power-reserve and is designed with an instant date-change calendar that can be adjusted at any time of day without the risk of damaging the movement.
Breitling’s 125th anniversary so to celebrate, they have released a new limited edition Navitimer, Breitling’s most recognizable series. Breitling’s close history with professional instruments and passion for chronographs is reaffirmed through the anniversary edition, available in a mere 2,009 pieces. Breitling also celebrated their anniversary with a special edition collector’s book that illustrates their journey since 1884.
