A new day, a new Chronomat series from Breitling. The Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 might just be Breitling’s boldest Chronomat to date featuring an upsized 44mm profile, a brand new ceramic insert bezel and a unique rubber strap inspired by the legendary rifle-shell-linked Rouleaux bracelet.
For as long as we can remember, the Breitling Chronomat has been the flag bearer for the Swiss watch manufacturer’s robust sports line. The first timepiece to bear the Chronomat name was back in 1940, a chronograph which made history as one of the first with a slide rule bezel. For most however, the Breitling Chronomat refers to a family of watches first launched back in the 1980’s. The Frecce Tricolori chronograph was a mechanical timepiece designed in collaboration with the Italian aerial squadron of the same name and became instantly renowned for its signature Rouleaux bracelet and interchangeable rider tabs on the rotating bezel. This time last year, as tribute to this historic model, Breitling launched the Breitling Chronomat B01 42 collection which revived these very traits in a modern sports watch. Now, upsizing the design and adding a new ceramic insert bezel, a freshly designed rubber strap and a couple of different complications, Breitling have introduced the new Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 collection.
There are a total of 11 new Breitling Super Chronomat watches, each split into three distinguishing categories. The first is the classic Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 available in three colourways: steel with a black dial and bezel, steel with a blue dial and bezel or 18 carat rose gold with a brown dial and bezel. Each of these are then paired with a corresponding rubber strap or bracelet. Then there is the Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 UTC which delivers the same black dial and bezel combo as above but with a unique integrated UTC module in the bracelet. Lastly, we have the Super Chronomat 44 Four-Year Calendar. Boasting a semi-perpetual calendar mechanism, these models are available in two colourways, the first a black dial and bezel and the second a blue dial and a blue bezel, both detailed with rose gold elements. Let’s take a look at each of these designs in more detail…
Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44
Staying true to the original Breitling Chronomat, the new Super Chronomat B01 44 watches are defined almost entirely by their bezels. Unidirectional and ratcheted for easy manipulation, the bezels for the first time incorporate ceramic inserts in a choice of black, blue or brown while still maintaining their unique interchangeable technology which allows the wearer to swap over the tabs at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions for counting up or down. Their 44mm cases are available in stainless steel or 18 carat rose gold and paired with cambered sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective treatment, screw in crowns, exhibition case backs and matching black, blue or brown dials with contrasting silver counters.
As well as debuting the first Chronomat with a ceramic insert, the Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 watches are home to a brand new strap design. Alongside a choice of an iconic Rouleaux bracelet, each reference is available on a Rouleaux-inspired rubber strap which has been created using clever injection molding for a matt, slick and woven-looking finish. Housed within each Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 watch is the 346-component Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01 with column wheel and vertical clutch mechanism and a power reserve of 80 hours.
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
Powered by the same movement as the series above, following almost exactly in the footsteps of the black dial and bezel reference AB0136251B1A1, the Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 UTC watch remains almost entirely indifferent until you turn your wrist and reveal the unique UTC module embedded into the watch’s steel bracelet. Governed by its very own Breitling Calibre 61 quartz movement, the module delivers a second time zone complication marked by Superluminova coated hour and minute hands.
The concept takes inspiration from a quirky Breitling feature dating back to the 1980’s which was originally designed to offer young watch collectors and avid travellers an easy way to track multiple time zones. The module measures to 26mm on the side of the stainless steel Rouleaux bracelet and has its own screw in crown water resistant to 200 metres and fixed bezel adorned with an engraved 60 minute scale. The rest of the Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 UTC watch has all the same specifications as the references above with a sleek black Superluminova accented dial, black ceramic insert unidirectional bezel and a Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01 powered column wheel chronograph.
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 B01 44 Four Year-Calendar
Last up in the new Super Chronomat line up is a duo of Four Year-Calendar watches boasting a semi-perpetual calendar mechanism. Powered by the Breitling Calibre 19 automatic winding movement, the complication needs adjusting just once every leap year, with a mechanical memory of 1,461 days, and produces an array of complications including the day, date, month and moon phase alongside the regular central hands for hours, minutes and chronograph seconds, small seconds and chronograph counters for 12 hours and 30 minutes.
The Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 Four Year-Calendar is available in two variations, each then available on a Rouleaux bracelet or rubber strap. The first model comes dressed in stainless steel with an ink black dial and matching black ceramic insert bezel adorned with rose gold detailing. The second is a similar stainless steel model but with a blue dial and blue ceramic bezel similarly decorated with rose gold on the dial, bezel and bracelet. Each variation measures to 44mm in diameter and comes equipped with scratch resistant sapphire crystal glass, a water resistant rating of 100 metres and tone-on-tone counters with Superluminova accents.
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)
