Best pieces from the past have been given a facelift to create a superb land-air-sea trio Breitling has been keeping itself busy this year, revamping three of its past successful models into bigger, better and more impressive products, while also coming up with a new GMT watch for its Breitling for Bentley brand. Three of Breitling's past innovations - the 1969 self-winding chronograph movement that paved the way for the development of the Chrono-Matic chronographs, the Cockpit model, and the Avenger M1 - have been given a makeover, and the resulting Chrono-Matic 49, redesigned Cockpit and Cockpit Lady, and the Seawolf Chrono make up the new and improved land-air-sea trio. The Chrono-Matic 49 looks back to 1969, the year when Breitling, along with a second manufacturer, were the first to create a self-winding chronograph movement. The new model is so called because of its massive 49mm-diameter case, and revisions from the 1969 model include a black rubber-moulded steel constructed bezel and a woven steel bracelet. The chronograph has second, hour, and 30-minute counters at 3o'clock, 6o'clock and 9o'clock respectively, includes a date window at 6o'clock, and is also available in a limited red gold edition. The Cockpit and Cockpit Lady have been given a quick facelift, but nevertheless maintain the classic look that they are known for. The Roman numerals on the indexes are larger, as are the hands on the dial, and the dial itself has a square-cambered grid pattern in the centre. The watches are available in a variety of dial colours, wristbands and cases, with the option of having a gem-set bezel in steel and gold cases. The Cockpit is water-resistant to 300 metres, while the Cockpit Lady is resistant to 100 metres. The Avenger Seawolf Chrono, like its predecessor the Chrono Avenger M1, is water-resistant to 1,000 metres and has a fully operational chronograph at that depth, made possible by Breitling's patented magnetic push-piece technology. While most chronographs fail at that depth due to the push pieces letting water in, these unique Breitling models make use of a magnet that avoids the problem. Like the M1 model, the Avenger Seawolf Chrono has three counters at 2o'clock, 6o'clock and 10o'clock, with the one at 2o'clock being a counter for one-tenth of a second. For yachting enthusiasts, the models also have a 10-minute graduation function for the countdown prior to the start of a regatta. The Seawolf differs from the M1 in that it's made out of stainless steel rather than titanium, and its dial design is slightly different. Breitling for Bentley was created in 2003 and, at the time, was already positioned as a separate brand. While Breitling's main focus has always been on performance, Breitling for Bentley concentrates on complications, and the new Bentley GMT is no exception. The watch has a chronograph function, with second, six-hour and 15-minute counters at 3o'clock, 6o'clock and 9o'clock, with a date window at 6o'clock. An additional independent hour hand makes one rotation in 24 hours with corresponding hour markings on the dial, and is used as an indicator for a second time zone. A particularly interesting addition to the watch is the inner bezel that is printed with the names of 24 cities. When aligned, such that the desired time zone corresponds with the additional hour hand, the other cities will also be situated according to their relative time zones around the dial. The creators of the model were careful to include design details that would be reminiscent of the Bentley car models, such as the knurled motif on the bezel and the rims on the chronograph counters that were inspired by Bentley dashboards. The watch is water-resistant to 100 metres, comes in steel or red gold, and is available in either a rubber strap or Speed bracelet.
