In-depth Look at the Breitling Super AVI Chronograph Vought F4U Corsair

The new Breitling Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Tribute to Vought F4U Corsair watch belongs to the company’s new Super AVI watch collection – a family of chronographs that honour fighter-planes of a bygone era.

Whether you’re stepping foot on a USS Ronald Reagan or exploring a historical aircraft museum, one thing you will see plenty of is Breitling watches. It’s a standard part of an aviator kit, paired with some aviator shades, of course, to complete the look. Breitling has inseparable links to the aeronautical industry. Much more than a historical footnote, the brand has whole-heartedly dedicated years of its expertise towards creating reliable instruments for the cockpit and began creating onboard chronographs during the 1930s. Such examples are the analogue cockpit clocks utilized in RAF icons like the Spitfire fighter and Lancaster bomber. One particularly significant flight instrument goes by the nickname “Co-Pilot”. The Ref. 765 AVI pilot’s watch, which became an instant hit because it provided pilots with a wrist-worn tool. The special “Co-Pilot” watch has since been revisited recently with the release of Breitling’s AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-Edition with an enlarged case measuring 41mm for a somewhat contemporary update. The original, however, has also inspired this new line of aviation instruments from the brand’s Super AVI series.

This time around, Breitling is releasing five new classic-looking chronographs as part of its new Super AVI watch collection. These go by the names of; 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, with a vintage reverse panda chronograph dial. The new collection pays homage to important wartime aircraft from a bygone era. These models still exist, owned by collectors who strive to keep their memory alive and the integral role they played as fighter planes during crucial periods of conflict.

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.”

The aircraft that these four different models from the Super AVI collection pay homage to are named the North American Aviation P-51 Mustang, the Vought F4U Corsair, the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, and the de Havilland Mosquito. Each timepiece measures a confident 46mm diameter and each houses the in-house Breitling Manufacture B04 Calibre. It’s the Vought F4U Corsair model we’re going to look at in a little more detail in this article. The Breitling Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT Vought F4U Corsair watch shares some other similarities with its siblings. It offers chronograph counters placed in the traditional 3-6-9 layout, plus an additional GMT function for jet-setters and explorers. The watches are forged from a unique formula at Breitling’s manufacturing facilities and are stamped with some instantly recognisable hallmarks.

Breitling 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 Vought F4U Corsair aircraft

The Vought F4U Corsair was designed specifically for tricky landings and take-offs. Its development began in 1938. Vought Aircraft’s Chief Engineer, Rex Biesel produced a prototype, featuring inverted gull wings that gave the aircraft a distinct look when viewed head-on. The Navy was sold on her when she broke the speed record for a single-seat fighter aircraft by exceeding 400 miles per hour in level flight. In 1943 she entered combat and was flown as an attack aircraft in support of ground forces. The Vought F4U Corsair was known for its powerful engine, its speed, ruggedness and firepower, which brings us to the design of the new Breitling Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Tribute to Vought F4U Corsair watch.

The Breitling Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Tribute to Vought F4U Corsair watch

The new Breitling Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Tribute to Vought F4U Corsair watch is a blue tone-on-tone chronograph model with an additional GMT function. The signature blue livery of the Vought F4U Corsair is perfectly captured across the display of the watch, which features a 46mm stainless steel case, complete with an easy-grip oversized crown at 3 o’clock engraved with the famous Breitling logo. The case of the watch is also integrated with 100-meter water resistance and features a cambered sapphire crystal glass front. The scratch-resistant material is also treated with layers of anti-reflective technology to grant a clear view into the dial, equipped with a striking Arabic numeral hour track. The back of the case features a sapphire crystal glass exhibition caseback for viewing the movement at work. It features an image of the Vought F4U Corsair aircraft upon its surface. In addition to this, the case is fitted with a screw-down crown with two gaskets, as well as a knurled bidirectional ratcheted bezel.

The tone-on-tone chronograph dial of the new Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Tribute to Vought F4U Corsair watch echoes the same shade as the aircraft’s livery. The sub-counters are laid out in perfect balance and are surrounded by Super-LumiNova coated hour markers to match the finish of the sword-shaped central hour and minute hands. The 3 o’clock counter offers the small seconds function, whilst the 6 o’clock sub-dial features a 12-hour totaliser combined with a date aperture. The 9 o’clock location features a 30-minute sub-dial. A shot of colour can be seen in the top of the GMT hand, which points to a 24-hour scale around the flange of the bezel.

Inside the case of the new Breitling Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Tribute to Vought F4U Corsair is the Breitling Manufacture B04. This self-winding engine is capable of producing an impressive 70-hour power reserve and beats to the rhythm of 28,800 vibrations per hour. Equipped with bidirectional winding, a vertical clutch and a column wheel, the COSC-certified B04 Calibre delivers superior mechanical performance, and non-stop accuracy whether strapped to the wrist or not. 

This classic chronograph watch that honours the WWII naval aircraft beautifully comes complete on a black pilot-inspired calfskin leather strap with contrast stitching down the sides and a stainless steel folding clasp engraved with the Breitling logo. If you would like more details on the Breitling Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Tribute to Vought F4U Corsair watch, you can view the model’s spec page here or call and speak to a member of our sales team here at Jura Watches on 01335 4534543

Technical specifications of the Breitling Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Tribute to Vought F4U Corsair 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 Vought F4U Corsair – screwed-in crown with two gaskets – steel bidirectional ratcheted bezel – oversized crown
• Dial: Blue – tone-on-tone 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 – 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 – Black – pilot-inspired – leather – white contrast stitching - stainless steel folding buckle – engraved with the Breitling logo
• Reference: AB04451A1C1X1
• Price: £7,900