Breitling’s Chronomat is the sum of its parts

Breitling’s retro-cool ‘maths’ chronos return

Breitling’s Chronomat dates back to the mid Eighties. Launched at a time when skinny digital watches were all the rage, the formidable mechanical chronograph was proudly out of step. A mixture of pilot and dive watch styles, it was born out of a collaboration with the Italian Air Force aerobatics team known as Frecce Tricolori.

With its weird name, flat case and chunky screw-on markers at noon, 15, 30 and 45 minutes, the Chronomat was unlike anything else Breitling had produced. The rationale behind these “rider tabs” was that the bezel could be converted into a countdown timer, once they were unscrewed and swapped out. How many people actually did so — and here Breitling sensibly recommended taking it to one of its official boutiques — is a moot point. In its way, it was as distinctive a design detail as the octagonal case on a Royal Oak, or the panda dial on a Daytona. Bruce Willis was a fan, as was Jerry Seinfeld. It was that Eighties.

Now the Chronomat, a portmanteau of “chronograph for mathematics”, has had a 2020 refresh. With prices starting from £6,650, there are four colourways in the main collection, a special Frecce Tricolori model, a collaboration with Bentley cars, and a version in 18k red gold. Rider tabs aside, the most distinctive design detail is its integrated stainless steel “Rouleaux” (“Bullet”) bracelet, reinstated after being discontinued several years ago and topping off the whole retro-cool aesthetic. ○

Clockwise from middle left: Breitling’s updated Chronomat BO1 42mm series includes watches in 18k red gold on a black rubber strap, £15,950; stainless steel on the range’s signature ‘Rouleaux’ bracelet, £6,650; stainless steel with 18k red gold rider tabs and pushers, £7,590; stainless steel with ‘Bentley green’ dial, £6,650

Above: the Breitling Chronomat Frecce Tricolori from 1983, and, right, this year’s 250-piece limited edition tribute model