I wanted to start off this blog about watches with the first company most people think of when thinking about luxury watches, and that of course is Rolex. But while doing some research for this blog, I fell in love with the Breitling Chronomat B01 and noticed I couldn't get this watch out of my mind! It happened to me not long ago in 2005 when Breitling released the predecessor to the B01, the Chronomat Evolution. I was obsessed with that watch for more than a year before I decided to indulge myself in a reliable luxury replica. Now, in May of this year, they've done it again, the new and improved B01 offers many changes that, although no one complained about it's forerunner, are nonetheless thoughtful and welcome.
The Breitling name has been around since 1884, and they introduced the world's first push-button chronograph in 1915. It was improved as time went along, being able to use the crown as an adjuster in 1923, and in 1934 with the invention of a second push-piece to reset the chronometer. The Chronometer Evolution has been a best-seller of the self-proclaimed "Instruments for Professionals" for years. It's aeronautic design included diamond-polished hands reminiscent of airplane wings and of course their famous symbol on the minute hand. An anti-glare-treated rounded crystal gives you amazing reading clarity from any angle. In 2005 it did away with it's previous angles and was remodeled with an elongated face and down-turned lugs that gently hugs the wrist. Like I said, after a year of pining for the thing, I went and got myself a high-quality Swiss watch replica - steel Pilot band, maritime blue face, and diamonds circling the bezel. http://www.tnsdiamonds.com/Breitling/DSC_9535.jpg I've coveted this watch for 3 years now, taking comfort in the fact that I was on haitus from collecting, knowing that I already have a favorite watch for every occassion. Then Breitling did it to me again...
After 5 years of development, we the public receives with great excitement the Chronomat B01 - a name strangely reminiscent of Bvlgari's B.zerol collection, but we won't call Breitling copycats by far. For their 125th anniversary, Breitling introduces us to the Chronomat B01, and with it introduces us to the company's first Breitling made mechanical movement - an accomplishment that catupults the company into a different league entirely. This move was in response to market demand for in-house manufacture of the watch movement in the luxury watch sector. The automatically winding chronograph movement, first introduced in 1969 as caliber 11, now flaunts a 1/4 second accuracy. It was given COSC (Swiss Official Chronomtere Testing Institute) approval, no small feat considering that only 5% of all watches tested come out with the certification.
The watch is 43.5mm in diamtere, and comes in four mouth-watering colors - the all-steel and the two versions of two-tone are water resistant to 500m and inspiring red gold model up to 100m. You get to choose between 5 bracelet options from crocodile leather (don't tell PeTA!) to diver's band to the classic Pilot link band. And with 14 different face colors and the option between luminous hour markers and Roman numerals (doing away with the Evolution's option of Arabic numbering), you get a totally personalized timepiece. In addition, the lower-profile uni-directional bezel makes adjusting the watch much more comfortable than it's previous incarnation. It also boasts a power reserve of 70 hours, almost double that of the last generation of Evolutions. Expect to pay between $6500-$21,500 for the B01, and in my humble collector's opinion, for all what you get in this watch the price is almost a bargain.
Now for my less-than-factual comments:
The technological and aesthetic design of the Breitling Chronomat B01 is for me unsurpassed. I can spend long periods of time just admiring the mechanical genious and cultivated creativity of this wristwatch. I'm dreaming at night of the all-steel or red gold versions, each in turn...the pure beauty of this watch exhilarating and causing my heart to skip a beat. Once again I am left by Breitling longing to wear on my wrist this breath-taking work of craftmenship...
