When Breitling introduced the Chronomat in 1984 the Swiss watchmaking industry was in crisis. Extra-thin quartz timepieces pioneered in Japan in the early 1970s offered consumers accurate, automatic watches in an ever expanding range of styles at lower and lower prices. Inspired by the Chronomat Frecce Tricolori, a watch it developed and launched in 1983 for the famed Italian aerial squadron of the same name, Breitling doubled down on traditional watchmaking with its new mechanical chronograph. The name Chronomat purposely called attention to the self-winding mechanical movement powering the watch. The watchmakers gamble paid off. Mechanical Swiss watches regained their popularity and were soon transformed into luxury accessories appreciated for their aesthetics and craftsmanship.
Breitling’s new Chronomat Collection builds the spirit and style of the original – 80s inspired bezels with rider tabs, Rouleaux bracelets with butterfly clasps – into a line of decidedly modern watches. The 2020 models are certified chronometers, water-resistant to 200 meters, and powered by the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01, an in-house mechanical movement that delivers an impressive 70 hour power reserve.
One version of the Chronomat, the B01 42 (above) has a 42-mm stainless-steel case with your 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. Like all the new Chronomats, the B01 42 has a stainless-steel Rouleaux bracelet with a butterfly clasp. The expanded collection is available in a variety of materials including 18k red gold with a choice of black, blue, silver, or copper dials.
Above: The Chronomat B01 42 Steel ($8,100.00) from breitling.com.
