In-Depth Look at the Breitling Super AVI Chronograph GMT Mosquito

As part of Breitling’s brand-new Super AVI watch series, the Breitling Super AVI Mosquito Chronograph GMT 46 watch has been unveiled, featuring a satin-brushed and polished black ceramic bezel and a reverse panda chronograph dial. Recalling the roundels and markings found on the “Wooden Wonder”, the new Breitling Super AVI Mosquito watch features distinct red and orange accents, breathing new life once more into the wings of the popular vintage aircraft.

Five top-tier aviation-inspired chronographs have been released by Breitling as part of the brand’s new Super AVI watch series. The designs are inspired by the manufacturer’s original 1953 Ref. 765 AVI aviator’s watch, nicknamed the “Co-Pilot” but also pay homage to four legendary aircraft. The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang, the Vought F4U Corsair, the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, and the de Havilland Mosquito are all brought to life in this new quintet and will appeal not only to vintage aircraft lovers but also those who have committed to collecting many of Breitling’s aviation instruments in the past. The debut Super AVI series comprises the Super AVI P-51 Mustang, available in a steel or 18ct rose gold version, the Super AVI Tribute to Vought F4U Corsair watch, with a blue tone-on-tone chronograph dial, the Super AVI Curtiss Warhawk, with a military green dial, and the Super AVI Mosquito, which we’ll be looking at in a little more detail in this article.

The new Super AVI watch collection by Breitling honours the legacy of a very classic chronograph. Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling extends; “This collection embodies that sense of nostalgia for the early days of aviation when pilots relied on their watches as onboard tools, but you don’t have to be a pilot or vintage-aircraft buff to appreciate the exceptional craftsmanship and rugged design.”

Without a doubt, the new Breitling Super AVI Mosquito watch is among some of the brand’s most important releases this year. If you were a big fan of the AVI ref.765 1953 reissue earlier this year, this pilot chronograph will certainly appeal to you. Miming its archives with a re-edition of the “Co-Pilot” watch, it harked back to 67 years ago with a 41mm stainless steel case topped with a domed hesalite crystal glass front and vintage-coloured luminous material applied to its large visible Arabic numerals and cathedral-shaped hands. The Breitling Super AVI Mosquito watch, however, keeps the tradition of collectable warplanes alive with a new collectable of its own, housed in a confident 46mm stainless steel case. The model is not only a classic-looking chronograph but a GMT too, resonating with those growing their pilot’s watch collection, but also those who like to travel frequently too.

Breitling’s history in aviation timepieces

Breitling’s Huit Aviation department first climbed onboard its journey in creating watches for the aeronautics industry when it began developing precision cockpit clocks in the 1930s, but it would be decades later when the famous Swiss brand would manufacture flight instruments that could be worn on the wrist. This transition would prove integral to Breitling’s success during the 1950s when pilots needed an instrument that was quick and easy to reference whilst making life-threatening decisions hundreds of feet up in the air. The Ref. 765 AVI pilot’s watch quickly became known as the “Co-Pilot” and would go on to inspire that much-loved reissue from last year, but now also the Super AVI Mosquito Chronograph GMT 46 watch, which follows in these same footsteps with a striking reverse panda chronograph dial executed in black and white.

Breitling’s Creative Director Sylvain Berneron explains; “Our watchmaking DNA is what dominates here, while the interpretations of the four aircraft give the series its emotion and bold graphic appeal. Taken together, these elements evoke the spirit of early flight. We can’t forget that Breitling pioneered aviation tool watches like the Ref. 765 AVI. That heritage is so strong, we had to not only keep it intact but rewrite it for the 21st century.”

 The “Wooden Wonder” legend

The Breitling Mosquito watch honours a true legend that was produced during an era when materials like aluminium and steel were in short supply. Behind the design of the de Havilland Mosquito aircraft, engineers made use of wood instead. The aircraft which soon adopted the nickname “Wooden Wonder” immediately caught people’s attention and caused shockwaves when it outperformed other aircraft built from metal. It become one of the fastest planes built during the 1940s and 1950s, boasting superior manoeuvrability and allowing for a multitude of tasks and roles from a light bomber to a night-fighter to a transporter and even a photographic reconnaissance aircraft.

The new Breitling Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Mosquito

The case of the new Breitling Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Mosquito watch is integrated with 100-meter water resistance and completed with a strong and durable pane of scratch-resistant and anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass. The back of the case also features the same material and is used as a viewing lens into the automatic movement as it performs. It features an image depicting the profile of the de Havilland Mosquito aircraft upon its surface. A screwed-in crown with two gaskets also helps to maintain a dry and constant environment for this in-house manufactured movement.

The Breitling Manufacture Calibre B04 is COSC-certified and capable of providing an impressive 70-hour power reserve once fully wound. The engine comprises a column wheel and vertical clutch, with a 1/4th of a second chronograph hand, along with 30-minute and 12-hour totalisers. The bidirectional and ball bearing mechanism ensures constant, accurate timekeeping and the movement also performs at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour.

The black dial of the new Breitling Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Mosquito watch features white-filled sub-counters positioned at 6 and 9 o’clock offering 12-hour and 30-minute functions respectively. These are accompanied by a small second sub-dial at 3 o’clock accented in red to match the tip of the chronograph second hand and the central hour and minute hands.  A larger and more noticeable hand, tipped in red and shaped into an arrow style, dictates the white 24-hour scale around the periphery of the dial, offering a second time zone for those who need it for frequent flying or whilst travelling on business. The case of the new Breitling Super AVI Mosquito Chronograph GMT 46 watch, executed in a mix of satin-brushed and polished finishes, is fitted to a brown pilot-inspired leather strap with a folding clasp that has been engraved with the iconic Breitling logo.

Technical specifications of the new Breitling Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Mosquito watch

• Case: 46mm – stainless steel – satin-brushed and polished finishes – 100-meter water-resistant – anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass front – sapphire exhibition caseback adorned with an image of the de Havilland Mosquito aircraft – screwed-in crown with two gaskets – black satin-brushed and polished ceramic bidirectional ratcheted bezel – oversized crown
• Dial: Black – white-filled chronograph counters at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock – small seconds, 12-hour and 30-minute totalisers – Super-LumiNova-coated hour and minute hands and stick markers – red-tipped GMT hand – white 24-hour scale – red-tipped 1/4th of a second chronograph hand
• Movement: Breitling Manufacture B04 movement – self-winding – in-house developed – 70-hour power reserve – bidirectional ball-bearing – column-wheel – vertical clutch – 28,800 v.p.h – 1/4th of a second, 30-minute, 12-hour, small seconds, hours, minutes, date, second time zone functions – COSC-certified
• Strap – Brown – pilot-inspired – leather – stainless steel folding buckle – engraved with the Breitling logo
• Reference: YB04451A1B1X1
• Price: £8,000