Up, Up, and Away: Introducing the New Breitling Super Chronomat
When Breitling launched its new Chronomat last year, it revived a classic 1980s pilot’s chronograph and imbued it with a 21st-century appeal. With its “Rouleaux” bracelet and rider tabs on the bezel to protect the sapphire crystal, it had all of the hallmarks of the original model but was modernized with touches like rose gold accents, a more contemporary 42mm case size and a green-dialled Bentley version. We loved the old Chronomat, and we love the new one, too. They’re everyday-wearable chronographs with a great history and a lot of unique design. Someone, however, (perhaps Breitling’s famously colourful CEO Georges Kern) must have thought it wasn’t quite special enough. That, one can only assume, is how we ended up with the newly revealed Breitling Super Chronomat, a brand new collection of aviation chronographs that’s just a little bit more super than its little brother. Let’s dive in, shall we?
A Watch With Its Own Watch
This Super Chronomat B01 44 comes in three distinct versions, all with their own unique merits, but the one that’s going to get the most attention is the black dial version with a second, mini-me-like watch (which Breitling calls a UTC-module) embedded in its Rouleaux bracelet. This quartz-powered watch-within-a-watch displays a second time zone and is powered by a Breitling quartz movement with a 60-month battery. As one of the most unusual dual-time styles we’ve seen, this one is a collectors’ special in the making.
Slightly More Super in Every Way
In making the Super Chronomat slightly more super than the Chronomat, Breitling added lots of interesting details to set these new models apart. There’s the case size (44mm up from 42mm), as well as a new ceramic bezel insert complete with Super-LumiNova coated rider tab numerals. The Super Chronomat is also available with three new Rouleaux-style injection-moulded rubber straps (black, blue and brown) that mimic the texture of the watch’s steel bracelet.
Bold Colours
Aside from its larger, punchier proportions, the Super Chronomat also showcases some very bold colour combinations, the boldest of which features a rich brown dial-and-bezel combination with a case in 18 k red gold. For those looking for something a bit more traditional for their daily driver, it’s also available in black and blue dial/bezel versions.
A Four-Year Calendar
In an interesting twist, the most complicated of the new Super Chronomats isn’t available in gold but rather stainless steel (although it does feature some tasteful 18 k red gold elements on its ceramic bezel). The Super Chronomat 44 Four-Year Calendar is an interesting take on the perpetual calendar in that it needs adjusting just once every 1461 days (or once a leap year). With its classic steel sports watch looks and a ton of complexity under the dial, this is a great example of what the Super Chronomat has to offer over the Chronomat.
