Breitling Chronomat Airborne 41: Best looking Chronomat ever?
Breitling is a curious case of a polarizing brand. A lot of watch enthusiasts can be heard saying: “this dial is too busy” or “Breitling watches are too blingy”. Yet this brand manufactures over 150k pieces a year and has an interesting history marked with multiple horological inventions and achievements.
Today’s example is the 30thyear anniversary edition of the best selling Breitling model – the Chronomat. Dubbed “Airborne” to distinguish it from the main line, it celebrates the first watch Ernst Schneider released after buying the company from Willy Breitling in 1979. At the time, the Italian air acrobatics squad “Frecce Tricolori” was looking to commission a timepiece for the team and Schneider jumped at this opportunity, eager to head the first chapter in Breitling’s new page. His bid was accepted and within a year he presented the Chronomat model to the great satisfaction of the Italian pilots. 1984 saw Breitling establishing the mass production of the model and releasing it to the wider public.
It wasn’t the first time the name Chronomat was used in manufacturer’s history. In the distant 1947, the first Chronomat was a legendary predecessor of the Navitimer line. The choice to revive the old model name showed Ernst Schneider’s respect for the brand’s history and roots.
Fast-forward 30 years later, Chronomat Airborne is released in two sizes (41mm and 44mm) and two colour compositions (black dial with silver sub dials and Silver dial with black sub dials). The model in review is a 41mm silver panda dial on a black textile strap.
It will be brave of me to say that this model is the best looking Chronomat model released to date, however I speak with utmost sincerity. It takes the best technological and design decisions from its 30 year history and distills it into this attractive timepiece.
The silver dial has a warm cream tinge to it. It is adorned with applied polished hour indexes with yellow luminous material a-la vintage. The minute and hour hands match the indexes, while the resting central second hand cuts in half the applied “wings” logo at 12. Three recessed black sub dials count seconds, minutes and hours completing a true “panda” look. The dial’s symmetry is only broken by a framed date window between 4 and 5.
The polished case lines and contours should be familiar to all Chronomat owners. It’s water resistant to 300 meters (44mm version is 500m). Unlike in the regular Chronomat, the perfectly aligned unidirectional bezel has the original rider tab design and brushed metal finish which tones down the bling factor commonly associated with the flying B. Black rubber inserts are present on the minute markers. Half onion crown and screw down pushers complete the assertive look of the watch. The steel back carries an engraving of a Frecce Tricolori plane and “Edition special 30e anniversaire” text.
Inside beats the chronometer certified manufacture B01 chronograph movement. Vertical clutch and column wheel give it a high end feel, while downright cool patented features like auto centering resetting hammers and date change protection (you can change the date any time without damaging the mechanism) make it exclusive. My example averages at +2 sec /day with a 3 second deviation between 5 positions. The pushers are firm but feel great. The second hand doesn’t jump when the chronograph is engaged thanks to the vertical clutch and the auto centering hammers bring back the second hand perfectly into the center when reset.
The case proportions are what you expect from any chronograph. 41mm wide, 15.4mm tall and 50mm lug to lug. It feels much thinner than 15mm to me and sits comfortably on my 6.25 inch wrist making it accessible for a variety of wrist sizes. The black textile strap is thick and I like it way more than a pilot bracelet with this dial colour configuration.
My only complaint about this watch is an underwhelming lume. For a watch that incorporates diving capabilities one expects higher-grade luminous material.
Overall, this is a great robust tool watch for every day wear. I was pleasantly surprised with its versatility looking equally good with t-shirt and sneakers as well as tweed jacket and slacks. I haven’t worn it in a business dress setting but I can picture it looking smart with a quick strap change. With a chronograph function, bezel and 300m water rating, this is an all-in-one watch and a serious contender to be the main watch in rotation. The screw down pushers are a welcome feature to protect from water and kids, while the super robust case feels like it can take all the beating in public transit and rock concerts.
