First off, you see Breitling, and you immediately think, “Pilot’s watch,” right? That’s mostly cuz of the Chronomat. This bad boy, introduced way back in 1941 (I wasn’t even a twinkle in my grandpa’s eye then!), was all about that slide rule bezel. Seriously, who even *uses* a slide rule these days? But hey, it looked cool, and still does, in a kinda retro, “I know stuff about airplanes” way. It’s def got a rich history.
But Breitling ain’t just about flyboys. They got the SuperOcean too, which, as the name suggests, is for diving. In 1957, they dropped two of ’em: a basic time-only diver (Ref. 1004) and the Chronograph (Ref. 807). The Chronograph, the Ref. 807, was supposedly for, uh, “seasoned divers.” I guess these divers needed to time stuff underwater? I dunno, seems kinda stressful to me, but hey, you do you, Jacques Cousteau!
Then there’s the Avenger B01 Chronograph 42. Built for jet pilots, they say. Sounds…intense. Like, I’m picturing Tom Cruise screaming through the sky in Top Gun, except wearing a really expensive watch. It does look pretty tough, though, especially with that green dial. Kinda tactical-chic, if you ask me.
And let’s not forget the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 41. This one’s got a fancy 18k red gold option with a cream dial. Classy, right? Defiantly a look. It’s got that iconic pilot’s chronograph, as they keep saying. It was developed in 1952.
Oh! And the Premier B01 Chronograph 42. They keep saying how Willy Breitling was already dreaming of a time after the war. Like, the watch is supposed to represent a time to come? And it’s got a cream dial too, like the Navitimer. I’m starting to see a pattern with these cream dials.
Now, here’s where things get a little…messy, like my sock drawer. Why so many chronographs? I mean, they *all* tell time, right? And they *all* have those extra buttons and subdials that, let’s be honest, most of us probably don’t use on a daily basis. But that’s the point, isn’t it? It’s about the *option* to time something, the *idea* that you could jump in a jet, or dive to the depths, or solve a complex mathematical equation with a slide rule bezel… even if you’re just sitting on your couch, ordering pizza.
