Breitling Vs. Bell & Ross: the aerobatic display teams’ watches

Intro

On January 15, Breitling revealed the new Avenger B01 Chronograph 42 Frecce Tricolori, teased a few days before on their official website. A few moments later, Bell & Ross unveiled the BR-05 Chrono Patrouille de France, thus fostering a virtual head-to-head competition between the aerobatic teams and their watches. The passion for military-inspired wristwatches knows no limits; most are often unavailable to the market, and when they occasionally hit the market, their street prices skyrocket.

Here are two regularly available limited edition watches that aim to attract a specific group of enthusiasts. They share the Chrono complication but, other than that, couldn’t be any different. Interestingly, both teams crossed their horological paths in the past.

Breitling Avenger B01 Chronograph 42 Frecce Tricolori

The relationship between Breitling and aviation is old and enduring, and the one with the P.A.N. (Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale) dates back to the eighties and holds a special place in Breitling’s timeline. Back then, the Chronomat Frecce Tricolori with a rouleaux bracelet relaunched the brand worldwide from the Italian market. The collaboration has never stopped but has gone through ups and downs to revamp with the latest Chronomat and the Avenger finally.

An Avenger Chrono has become the chosen platform for such partnerships and, therefore, for this edition, where ceramics pair with the Frecce Tricolori insignia for the first time. Breitling crafted the 42 mm Avenger Chrono in black ceramic.

Unlike any ordinary Avenger in steel, the outcome is a light chronograph to manage a hefty 15.5 mm thickness. As always, ceramic comes with titanium for the case back, crown and buttons.

A deep green tone dial contrasts black chronograph counters, one of them housing the official Frecce Tricolori logo (nine o’clock). At the same time, the Italian flag’s colours appear in the thirty-minute chronograph counter’s scale. Forget the latest-gen Chronomat; the new model looks like a tool watch, waterproof up to 300 meters. The B01 calibre needs no introduction; it is a tried-and-tested self-winding movement with 70 hours of power reserve, a column wheel Chrono activation mechanism and a latest-gen skeletonized rotor.

Bell & Ross BR-05 Chrono Patrouille de France

As mentioned above, the two aerobatic teams have crossed their paths since they partnered with Breitling. We cannot forget the stunning Chronomat Patrouille de France and the Navitimer Patrouille de France.

The French aerobatic team now co-brands with the aviation-inspired French watchmaker. It looks bizarre, but the 500-piece limited edition Bell & Ross abandons ceramic and the BR-03 case to adopt the two-counter chronograph BR-05-based platform, i.e. the least “military” BR watch.

Bell & Ross followed a wholly opposite approach. Sporting a 42mm squared case, the BR-05 is 14.25mm thick and not comparable with a ceramic Avenger. It confirms the brand’s mission to make an all-rounder sports watch with a sunray-finished light blue dial and the Patrouille de France logo placed at six. Flip the case, and the aircrafts fly over the see-through case back. Alpha Jet’s pale blue contrasts the light blue dial in the Chrono counters and chapter ring.

The sturdy BR-Cal. 326 mimics the B01’s base specs but cannot compete in refinement; It houses a cam-activated chronograph and is not Chronometer-certified like the Breitling. It is a Sellita SW 510-based movement boasting 60 hours of maximum power reserve and a 360° skeletonized rotor. The watch has an integrated bracelet or a leather strap on a pin buckle.

Final thoughts

Breitling and Bell & Ross share a similar partnership but took different directions. The Avenger B01 Chronograph 42 Frecce Tricolori is a more specialized product; the BR-05 Chrono Patrouille de France is a soft military take on Bell & Ross’ 100-meter sports watch in steel with an integrated bracelet.

The first aims at an audience searching for advanced materials, a refined and top-performing yet industrial in-house movement, but is a niche product. In contrast, the Bell & Ross model is far more adaptable and miles apart from a BR-03 70t^h Anniversary. It is closer to a collab watch than a specialized one.

Heading to Breitling, we would have extended to a three-hand steel option, as seen with the watches named after the Red Arrows or the Patrouille Suisse. Finally, the price gap is relevant: the Breitling Avenger B01 Chronograph 42 Frecce Tricolori retails for 9,350 euros, while a Bell & Ross BR-05 Chrono Patrouille de France sells for 7,500 euros on a bracelet and 6,990 euros if you go for the blue calfskin strap, our favourite.

(Photo credit: Breitling, Bell & Ross)

Giovanni Maria Di Biase @Horbiter®