In the Works
Breitling soars to new heights with a leading research and development team called the chronoworks. vice president Jeanpaul girardin tells the details
iven the economic mood of today, any watch brand simply has to be both innovative and sensitive to the market. Not to forget, the ever-evolving smartwatches loom as competitors that might, sooner or later, make a lasting impact on the luxury watch business.
While Breitling did keep up with the competition by launching their own connected watch last year—the Exospace B55 Connected—the aviation-inspired brand has certainly been busy with even more breakthroughs. All of those are, of course, done in a Breitling way. Case in point: the Superocean Heritage Chronoworks.
At a glance, the black-on-black watch serves as a handsomely modern and minimalistic reinterpretation of a classic Breitling timepiece. But admire the details up close and, chances are, you’d be totally impressed by the salient new updates. From the unique rubber bracelet to the significantly improved watch movement, no stone was left unturned by the Swiss watchmaking house. Then again, the overall look of the watch avoids being over the top, and thus appeals to those who want only accurate tickers on their wrists to help attain their professional needs.
The right man to talk to about this particular masterpiece is none other than Jean-Paul Girardin, Breitling’s passionate vice president and head of product development who is also a pilot himself. While he’s not afraid to tackle technical details during the conversation—covering just about everything about the new Superocean Heritage Chronoworks timepiece—his main message is quite simple. Although luxury watches are abundant in the market, Breitling’s timepieces are truly made by and for professionals, and that makes all the difference. DA MAN: One of the most exciting news about Breitling is the Superocean Heritage Chronoworks piece. What is it, actually? Jean-Paul Girardin: The Chronoworks is, indeed, one of the novelties presented this year, and it’s not a concept watch. Limited to 100 pieces, the watch stands for very special innovations in terms of movement. This is the first piece from the dedicated Chronoworks team that we assembled two years ago to study how Breitling could improve the performance of the in-house movement caliber B01. So, we looked at everything; we revisited every aspect; and we found five different