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.