Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 Watch Review

A bolder, sharper iteration of the famous Breitling Chronomat, now with a redesigned bezel and a Rouleaux-style rubber band option. The Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 has arrived...

Whether up in the air, below sea level or with feet firmly fixed on dry land – the new Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 watch features a stainless steel or 18ct rose gold bezel with a ceramic insert for the very first time in the entire Chronomat series. It also features a Rouleaux-inspired rubber strap as well as the classic metal Rouleaux bracelet. Comprising the new collection is a blue dial steel case and black dial steel case option – both available on a stainless steel bracelet or a corresponding coloured rubber strap. Furthermore, Breitling has unveiled a more indulgent iteration, clad in sumptuous chocolate brown tones for the dial and a rich 18ct rose gold case. This model is available with a matching rose gold Rouleaux bracelet or a supple brown rubber strap. In addition to this, Breitling has released a Super Chronomat watch with an interesting twist - a steel case with a black dial version, equipped with an innovative second time zone function embedded into its stainless steel bracelet – the Breitling Super Chronomat UTC. You can learn more about that here. There are also two models named the Super Chronomat 44 Four-Year Calendar watches – a black and steel iteration and a blue and steel version, both with 18ct rose gold accents, tone-on-tone chronograph dials and both available in a choice of Rouleaux-inspired rubber strap or a steel bracelet version. We covered that one in a little more detail here. For now, Let’s take a look at the roots of the famous pilot-come-diver’s watch.

What makes the Breitling Chronomat so special?

Despite its original intentions as a luxury pilot’s watch, the Breitling Chronomat has undergone some subtle changes over the last year or so. Without dropping their aquatic abilities either, the models are clearly geared towards the tastes of men and women with a penchant for sport and adventure, as well as those considered specialists at navigating the skies. The original Chronomat watch defied the odds stacked against it having been re-born during a turbulent era within the luxury watch industry. The very first model from the collection was actually developed and released in 1942, just 6 years after the brand’s first aviator chronograph. Nevertheless, by the time the next generation of the Chronograph was born, it was hit with the quartz crisis, which ripped through the Swiss watch industry, pushing mechanical timepieces so much into the background that it looked unlikely they would ever emerge again. Luckily, mechanical wristwatches made a comeback and thus the luxury watch industry returned stronger than ever. Breitling has continued to offer both quartz and automatic watches since the 1970s and after deciding it would buck the trend and relaunch the Chronomat in 1984, the popular watch was once again given a mechanical chronograph movement. This was later replaced by the brand’s first fully in-house made chronograph Calibre B01 movement in the year 2009.

Just last year Breitling tweaked the legendary model once more, giving it an overall neater, sharper and cleaner look for pairing with sophisticated attire should the occasion arise. Today, the Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 is decidedly bolder and fits the bill as an all-purpose sports watch. Its design since its re-launch in 1984 has always been inspired by the Frecce Tricolori watch, released just a year before (in 1983). This was a collaborative effort between the Swiss watchmaker and the Italian aerial squadron. Not only did its distinctive rider tabs and Rouleaux bracelet mark the return of the mechanical chronograph, but it also represented a centenary of pure, authentic watchmaking.

The new Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44

The new Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 watches are all-purpose sports watches that have become a distinct icon within Breitling’s catalogue – particularly for their Rouleaux bracelets, securing with a refined butterfly clasp and the famous rider tabs located around the bezel. In the design of the new Super Chronomat B01 44 watch, the 3 and 9 o’clock rider tabs are once again interchangeable making for an innovative and easy tool for carrying out countdown and count-up tasks. The blue, black and brown dial variations all share one feature in a common – a sophisticated trio of silver-filled chronograph counters placed at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. The rugged steel and 18ct rose gold cases are all guaranteed a water resistance of 200 meters and feature a screw-locked crown and two gaskets to help uphold this watertight environment for a COSC-certified self-winding movement. With a hefty 14.45mm case depth, the Chronomat remains very present on the wrist – a quality that has represented the collection since it launched back in 1984. Back then, of course, it was a much chunkier alternative to the very slim quartz models that were the order of the day back then.

The new blue and black Breitling Super Chronomat watches features a ceramic insert fitted into the unidirectional rotating bezel that corresponds to their respective dial colours. Likewise, the brown dial is framed by a matching brown bezel. The rider tabs on the bezel bear Arabic numerals and these markings - to match the hour batons and central hands on the dial - are coated in Super-LumiNova material for assisted readability in dark conditions. The chronograph counters on the dial offer 1/4th of a second, 30-minute and 12-hour functions alongside a date nestled inside the 6 o’clock sub-dial. The central chronograph hand is coated in red for added legibility and the 12 o’clock hour marker is represented by the double index that is commonly seen throughout the existing collection. Aligning the bezel with the minute hand will enable the diver to keep track of remaining time underwater whilst he dives – its ratcheted design promoting an easy grip under slippery diving gear.

A cambered sapphire crystal glass lens is galeproof on both sides to grant a clear view into the dial at all times, whilst on the back of the case, the glass serves as a viewing window to the self-winding Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01 – a COSC-certified movement that has undergone a minimum of 8 stringent quality tests to crown it with this level of Swiss certification. It beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and produces a 70-hour power reserve as it does so. The column wheel movement has a vertical clutch for a more seamless performance, minimising any jolting of the seconds hand as it parades the dial.

As mentioned the new steel and 18ct rose gold variations of the Breitling Chronomat range are offered on a choice of rubber strap or metal bracelet. The brown dial and 18ct rose gold iteration is available on a matching 18ct rose gold Rouleaux bracelet with a refined butterfly clasp or a matching brown-coloured rubber strap with a folding clasp, also styled in the same Rouleaux design. The blue and black Super Chronomat watches follow suit, with a black or blue corresponding rubber option. These rubber straps are one of the additional modifications promoted in this new series. Using cutting-edge injection moulding techniques inside Breitling’s workshops, these rubber straps echo the rolls of the famous metal bracelet featured exclusively on the Chronomat watch and are remarkably detailed, boasting a mix of woven, matte and slick finishes to create their distinct sport-chic appeal on the wrist.

To find out more about the new Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 watches, you can call our team today on 01335 453453 and register your interest with us now.

Technical specifications of the Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 watches

• Case: Width: 44mm - height; 14.45mm – stainless steel/18ct rose gold– fine-brushed and polished finishes – ratcheted unidirectional rotating bezel with corresponding-coloured ceramic inserts and rider tabs – 200-meter water resistance – cambered sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective treatment on both sides – sapphire crystal glass caseback
• Dial: Blue/black/brown – silver-filled chronograph counters at 3, 6, 9 o’clock – 1/4th of a second, 12-hours, 30-minute counters – date at 6 o’clock – Super-LumiNova coated hands and hour markers – red-coated central chronograph seconds hand
• Movement: Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01 – 70-hour power reserve – 28,800 v.h.p – column wheel with vertical clutch – 346 components – hours, minutes, seconds, 1/4th of a second, 12-hours, 30-minutes, date
• Strap: Stainless steel or 18ct rose gold Rouleaux bracelet – butterfly clasp – blue/black/brown Rouleaux-inspired rubber strap – folding clasp
• References: AB0136251B1A1 - black dial steel case on steel bracelet / AB0136251B1S1 – Black dial steel case on black rubber strap / AB0136251C1A1 – blue dial steel case on stainless steel bracelet / AB0136251C1S1 – blue dial steel case on blue rubber strap / RB0136E31Q1R1 – brown dial 18ct rose gold case and 18ct rose gold bracelet - RB0136E31Q1S1 – brown dial 18ct rose gold case and brown rubber strap
• Prices: Start from £6,750