Breitling unveils three new Perpetual Calendar Chronographs

Introduction

The brand we primarily associate with a chronograph was at the Geneva Watch Days to unveil their 140th-anniversary flagship collection and one of the most complicated and ambitious in-house calibres since 1884.

To achieve this goal, Breitling’s watchmakers picked three specific collections, including the legendary Chronomat and Navitimer and the Premier, whose recent platform currently houses the most intricate mechanical complications.

The perpetual calendar is at home at Breitling.

The perpetual calendar is not new to Grenchen’s workshops as proven by several limited edition models based on a Navitimer or a Breitling for Bentley chronograph, for example.

Engineers then adopted a base ETA with a module, and a gold or platinum case with or without a bracelet.

The four-register layout is rooted in the brand’s recent history. Fast-forward, and that is the same displacement found on the new iterations, powered by a wholly in-house-engineered calibre. With the introduction of the new perpetual calendar complication, Breitling adds a new chapter to its high-end models, placed between a chronograph and a Tourbillon.

The calibre B19

Breitling’s manufactured movements need no introduction: the B01 calibre is among the market’s most reliable and high-performing self-winding chronographs and offers additional complications and a manual winding iteration, too. Unsurprisingly, Breitling was the first premium brand to offer a full five-year product warranty.

Among the most appreciated takes on the B01 is the B02 calibre powering the limited edition Cosmonaute. In true Breitling style, the new B19 is large and thick, capable of offering up to 96 hours when fully wound, i.e., four days before it eventually stops.

Such a performance proves that the engineers optimized the mechanism extensively to offer enough power reserve to manage the energy-intensive chronograph and perpetual calendar together.

Performance is relevant yet not the exclusive target; the celebrative collections raise the bar in style and curated details.

The B19’s winding mass is superbly executed and combines the refinement you expect from a commemorative collection with the sturdiness you ask for in a base industrial mechanical movement. It comes in solid red gold, and on all three iterations, it depicts Breitling’s historic headquarters, Montbrillant.

Premier 42, Navitimer 43, and Super Chronomat 44

Here, they are listed from smaller to bigger. Take the case thickness and a full gold build, and you will get where the main difference stands from each other.

Premier and Navitimer measure 15.6 mm in thickness compared to a Super Chronomat’s 15.3 mm. In contrast, the Super Chronomat is much heftier at 220 grams than the 145 grams Datora and the 135.8 grams Navitimer.

The Super Chronomat’s case is the largest and heaviest of the pack and that might be a deal breaker.

Breitling opted for red gold; its warm tone pays off. Take a Premier B19 42 Datora if you love a classy black lacquered with gold accents, or go for the Super Chronomat B19 44 Perpetual Calendar if a semi-skeletonized dial and a Rouleaux-looking rubber strap are a no-brainer.

The Navitimer is an ode to red gold, with a gold dial on a gold case contrasted by the black slide rule. Breitling has offered three very different options while adopting the exact technical base.

The Super Chronomat and, unexpectedly, the Premier are also waterproof to 100 meters. A Navitimer can swim 30 metres, yet I doubt anyone would be so crazy as to wear such a watch close to a water source. Perhaps the Super Chronomat with ceramic bezel and Rouleaux textured rubber strap is the only option.

Final thoughts

Our assumptions are based on the provided press images. We are staring at three well-executed perpetual calendar chronographs on paper, with the Navitimer standing out in heritage and charm.

The Premier is the most carefully executed, but a Navitimer is timeless. The Super Chronomat is the most functional, and the semi-skeletonized dial places it in the luxury sports watch arena.

Each model comes in 140 pieces and sells for 55,000 Euros, packed into an old-school collector’s box. The Navitimer will probably be the hot seller, but I will not be surprised by the Premier’s sales performance.

Let us wait and see if the B19 calibre is a one-off option for 420 watches or will be deployed across future collections. The perpetual calendar complication market is growing, and a more affordable Navitimer QP in steel is not a forbidden fruit—something I hope is in the works at Breitling’s HQ.

(Photo credit: Breitling)

Giovanni Maria Di Biase @Horbiter®