Like most industries, the watch world is in a bit of a mess right now. April is normally the time when most of the biggest brands take to the traditional watch fairs to unveil their new products for the year, but this year – thanks to Covid-19 – those watch fairs have been postponed. And while that his hit the industry hard, it means many brands will have to rely on some good new-fashioned tech innovation – and, as usual, Breitling is right up the front with this.
Streaming live on a webcast the company’s CEO, Georges Kern just announced that for Breitling this year will be the year of the Chronomat. Well, he didn’t actually say those words, but the newly revamped collection was most certainly stole the show.
A combination of the words ‘chronograph’ and ‘automatic’, the original Chronomat has been a staple in Breitling’s arsenal since it was introduced in 1984, but this new envisaging of the collection makes it bang up to date, and in line with Kern’s vision, which wants to take quality watchmaking to the masses.
The new Chronomat collection now comes equipped with the in-house Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 movement, and a strong, distinctive design which included reducing the size of the case from 44mm to 42mm.
That said, the immediate standout for us is the new retro-inspired ‘Rouleaux’ metal bracelet. The Rouleaux (French for ‘rolls’) bracelet is made up of several parallel cylinders with rounded edges ensures that regardless of the model, the Chronomat wont look out of place in any situation you find yourself in.
