Presenting the Breitling Chronomat Red Arrows Limited Edition

Securing the skies and securing the wrists – a partnership that Breitling aficionados will never tire of - the Breitling Chronomat Red Arrows Limited Edition watch unites speed and agility with precision once again. The exclusive 160-piece COSC-certified steel chronograph model celebrates the Swiss brand’s partnership with the Royal Air force with a distinctive Red Arrows special. It bears the Diamond Nine formation against the aerial warfare force’s signature blue dial colour.

Instilling values of precision, pursuit and reliability - the limited 160-piece release of the new Breitling Chronomat Red Arrows watch reflects each member of the aerobatics team to have ever flown and served within it since its formation in 1966. It boasts the Red Arrows distinctive emblems, a robust steel case, black-filled chronograph counters and a specially engraved caseback. Meet the new Breitling Chronomat Red Arrows Limited Edition – a watch born for the air.

Forging connections with the Royal Air Force

Breitling has a historical partnership with the Royal Air Force and this can be traced right back to the 1930s when the Swiss brand began creating onboard chronographs for RAF aircraft, enabling pioneers of the skies to calculate fuel and distance measurements whilst navigating the skies. Since its first collaboration, Breitling has continued to produce exclusive timepieces for the wrists of military and RAF squadrons, making them first choice tools for withstanding extreme conditions often encountered by specialist pilots on their daring pursuits. It is, after all, a Breitling watch worn on the wrist by pilots within the Red Arrows aerobatics team as they put on breath-taking displays above the heads of mesmerised crowds both overseas and in the UK. Like the qualities of a Breitling watch, the team must focus on precision and accuracy, creating tight formations and timing their sequences to perfection. For this reason and in tribute to their work, the famous Nine Diamond Shape is reiterated in the design of the new Breitling Chronomat Red Arrows Limited Edition watch and can be seen on the dial, underscoring the operational excellence of the flying team and symbolising first-class agility.

The Breitling Chronomat Red Arrows Limited Edition watch

One fact you may not already know about Breitling - it is the only watchmaker granted permission to feature the instantly recognisable Red Arrows emblems on its designs! The Swiss brand’s collaboration with the Red Arrows began over 30 years ago and the elite team, as mentioned earlier, is paid tribute to on the dial at 12 o’clock, with a rare execution of the Nine Arrows Diamond logo in a striking emergency red colour. The colourful depiction sits against an RAF blue tone-on-tone dial, surrounded by a 42mm stainless steel bezel. Matching these red tones is the tip of the central chronograph second hand. The bezel is both ratcheted and unidirectional and attaches to a strong convex sapphire crystal glass lens integrated with anti-reflective treatment on both sides. Flip the case over to its underside and a glimpse into the performance of the watch’s beating heart is granted. Here the Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01 performs at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour, providing a 70-hour power reserve. The movement is one of the brand’s independently manufactured engines and comes complete with a column wheel and vertical clutch, a 1/4th of a second feature at 9 o’clock, a 30-minute chronograph function at 3 o’clock and a 12-hour totalizer at 6 o’clock. Furthermore, a tachymeter scale runs around the periphery of the dial, perfect for measuring speed based on distance or distance based on time. The self-winding movement is also certified to COSC standards and comprises over 300 individual hand-assembled components. The back of the Limited Edition Red Arrows watch also features a full-colour Royal Air Force Insignia, accompanied by the words “one of 160” and a sapphire exhibition lens for watching the Breitling 01 Calibre at play.

The blue RAF display of this Breitling Chronomat Red Arrows Limited Edition watch also features a date window at 6 o’clock, incorporated into the 12-hour counter, along with luminous hands to match the Super-LumiNova coated baton markers around the hour track. The watch’s robust stainless steel case is not only resistant to scratches, bumps and knocks but is also 200-meter water-resistant and features prominent chronograph push-pieces at 2 and 4 o’clock, not to mention a screw-down crown with two gaskets for added water-resistant protection. The Breitling Chronomat watch comes complete on a robust stainless steel Rouleaux bracelet, but a little more about that in a second…

The faultless Chronomat

Why did Breitling choose the Chronomat’s design for this Red Arrows limited edition model? Well, the Chronomat watch has secured itself a firm place within the brand’s ever-evolving catalogue. Back in 1984, Breitling broke away from the norm to produce a hefty mechanical watch that rebelled against the readily available thin quartz watch. Forty years later, it is still considered an iconic collectable. Despite its official birth during the 1980s, Breitling was using the Chronomat name to identify its automatic chronograph watches from as early as the 1940s. The now all-purpose sports watch is instantly recognisable, thanks to its distinct rider tabs and stunning Rouleaux bracelet, tailored exclusively for the Chronomat series. The model’s signature rotating bezel and retro charm are just a couple of characteristics that keep collectors coming back for more. The Breitling Chronomat takes inspirational design cues from the Frecce Tricolori watch developed in collaboration with the Italian aerial squadron. Once a watch with a sole purpose within the aviation industry - it is now a sporty-chic watch that serves a myriad of purposes on the wrist – one being its ability to make an impact as a statement piece. The addition of its tachymeter scale between the late 1980s and 1990s, seen here in the new Breitling Chronomat Red Arrows Limited Edition watch, has since attracted motor racing fans and Formula 1 teams also.

The Chronomat bezel and bracelet

The bezel of the new Breitling Red Arrows Limited Edition watch is a thing of beauty in itself. Its design is undoubtedly more interesting than you may initially think! With a satisfying click for every minute, the bezel of the Chronomat is ratcheted. Not only that, but it is also unidirectional, ensuring that dive time, for example, can never be extended – only reduced. The design of the bezel was actually created by Breitling's CEO at the time, Ernest Schmeider back in 1982. The 13 screws featured on the dial of a Chronomat bezel serve not only as a sophisticated finish to the watch’s overall design but serve a functional purpose too, holding it securely in place.

More specifically, the rider tabs on the bezel are not just to serve an aesthetical purpose either. Yes, they are visual markers, but they also aid grip through thick pilot’s gloves and protect the surface of the watch’s domed sapphire crystal glass front. To delve into a little more detail, there are several patents behind the design of the iconic Chronomat bezel worth mentioning. Firstly, a patent to firmly secure the bezel of the watch, making it mechanically impossible to remove. Secondly, a patent to ensure that the minute markers on the dial itself are perfectly aligned with the indexes on the bezel. And thirdly, a patent to lengthen the life of the click spring. Furthermore, the rider tabs on the bezel of this Breitling Chronomat Red Arrows Limited Edition watch are interchangeable, enabling the wearer to either count up or count down depending on the task in question.

The Rouleaux bracelet, independently designed for the Chronomat watch exclusively has a distinct “rolling links” look – each one perfectly polished and rounded to create an elegant finish against the wrist. Each link is ergonomically tailored to promote wearer comfort and incorporates several elements of the 1990s classic. Suffice to say, it has made a comeback over the last few years both on the pre-owned and new market. The cylindrical links with rounded points resemble tiny bullets, securing with a dressy butterfly clasp to complete a refined, sophisticated look.

You can call our sales team on 01335 453 453 to secure one of the 160 Breitling Chronomat Red Arrows Limited Edition watches now.