Breitling super charges their popular Chronomat collection with the new 2021 Super Chronomat. Now with the B01 chronograph is 44mm, and a new 4 year calendar model is added to the family.
Press Release details with commentary in italics.
Retail prices. SGD and CHF prices includes Swiss VAT and Singapore GST accordingly.
| CHF Prices | SGD Prices | ||
| Reference | Description | Amount | Amount |
| SUPER CHRONOMAT B01 CHRONOGRAPH 44 – BLACK RING | |||
| AB0136251B1A2 | Black, silver subdials, UTC module, steel bracelet | 9,900 | 14,500 |
| AB0136251B1A1 | Black, silver subdials, steel bracelet | 8,700 | 12,850 |
| AB0136251B1S1 | Black, silver subdials, black rubber strap, FC | 8,300 | 12,200 |
| SUPER CHRONOMAT B01 CHRONOGRAPH 44 – BLUE RING | |||
| AB0136161C1A1 | Blue, silver subdials, steel bracelet | 8.700 | 12,850 |
| AB0136161C1S1 | Blue, silver subdials, blue rubber strap, FC | 8,300 | 12,200 |
| SUPER CHRONOMAT B01 CHRONOGRAPH 44 – GOLD | |||
| RB0136E31Q1S1 | Brown, brown rubber strap, gold FC | 22,900 | 33,800 |
| RB0136E31Q1R1 | Brown, gold bracelet | 34,000 | 49,800 |
| SUPER CHRONOMAT CHRONOGRAPH 44 1461 – TWO TONE | |||
| I19320251B1A1 | Black, steel bracelet | 14,900 | 21,950 |
| I19320251B1S1 | Black, black rubber strap, FC | 14,300 | 20,950 |
| SUPER CHRONOMAT CHRONOGRAPH 44 1461 – STEEL & GOLD | |||
| U19320161C1U1 | Blue, steel & gold bracelet | 16,900 | 24,800 |
| U19320161C1S1 | Blue, blue rubber strap, FC | 15,500 | 22,800 |
Commentary
The Chronomat collection gets a refresh with novelties sporting the B01 Chronograph as well as a new model with a semi-perpetual calendar, which Breitling calls a 4 year-calendar model. All the new models feature Breitling’s in-house manufactured vertical clutch chronograph movement.
The Chronomat chronograph collection was refreshed last year with a reduction in case size from 44mm to 42mm. Here is our hands-on detailed review on the release. But it seems that Breitling has returned to 44mm case size and now re-brands it as the Super Chronomat. This new series is cased in 44m earning it the Super moniker. This new line uses the B01 movement.
What is new, and exciting to us is the 4 year-calendar model with the B19 movement. This movement is half way between the annual calendar and the perpetual calendar. The annual calendar, first shown by the Patek Philippe Ref. 5035 in 1996 requires a correction every year. While perpetual calendars are classical complications and take into account leap years. These run on a 4 year cycle, recognizing the leap year and go from Feb 29 to Mar 1 on its own. And from Feb 28 to Mar 1 on non-leap years without user intervention. Most will only need an adjustment when the Gregorian calendar calls for skips, once every 100 years, though there is an exception once every 400 years. The new Breitling 4-year calendar does not take into consideration the leap year, and will require an adjustment every leap year, a span of 1,461 days. It merely does an annual cycle of Feb 28 to Mar 1. Thus will need user input every leap year to go from Feb 28 to Feb 29 and subsequently Mar 1. This is interesting to see how this works, as the adjustment will need to add one day to Feb, every leap year. As we write this, we have not seen the web-demonstration yet, nor the watch. But will update when we have. The web presentation is live the same time the embargo lifts for this new release.
New Breitling Super Chronomat
The Super Chronomat, Breitling’s boldest Chronomat to date, is the ultimate choice for those who want a timepiece mastering the balance between sturdy and stylish.
Inspired by the Frecce Tricolori watch that Breitling created for the hotshots of the Italian Air Force’s aerobatic fleet in 1983, the Super Chronomat is a supercharged, all-purpose sports watch that’s elegant enough for the evening as well.
Breitling CEO
“This is a watch you’ll get noticed in without having to worry about it. This watch is tough enough for every pursuit, but it won’t get in the way of your sense of style.”
Georges Kern
True to the original Chronomat, the rider tabs protect the sapphire crystal. The ones at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock are interchangeable, so the wearer can use them for countdowns as well as countups. With a case measuring 44 millimeters, the Super Chronomat collection is the boldest of its kind.
Key new features include a stainless-steel bezel with a ceramic insert – a first on a Chronomat – plus the choice of a Rouleaux-inspired rubber strap or our iconic metal one with a butterfly clasp. The new rubber strap is created with state-of-the-art injection molding techniques. Its three distinct textures – matte, slick, and woven-looking – give it remarkable depth.
Three colour schmes
The Super Chronomat B01 44 comes in three versions. Two are encased in stainless steel with blue or black dial-and-bezel combinations. The third is a rich brown dial-and-bezel combination with a case in 18 k red gold. All feature contrasting silver chronograph counters powered by the COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01, which provides about 70 hours of power reserve.
This Super Chronomat is water-resistant up to 200 meters. For those wanting something extra special, there’s a black dial version with a UTC-module embedded in a Rouleaux bracelet. Referring to Universal Time Coordinated, this provides a way to keep track of a second time zone and is a quirky Breitling feature dating back to the 1980s.
Once every leap year
As its name implies, the Super Chronomat 44 Four-Year Calendar has a semi-perpetual calendar mechanism that needs adjusting just once every leap year – or every 1461 days.
It comes in two versions: black dial with tone-on-tone chronograph counters, a stainless-steel bezel with a black ceramic bezel insert, and 18 k red gold elements, or blue dial featuring tone-on-tone chronograph counters and a bezel in 18 k red gold with a blue ceramic insert. Water-resistant up to 100 meters, this timepiece is powered by the Breitling Caliber 19, a COSC-certified chronograph movement with a semi-perpetual calendar with day, date, month, and moon phase indicators.
Historical under-pining
When Breitling introduced its Chronomat in 1984, it signified the comeback of mechanical Swiss timepieces after quartz watches had dominated the market throughout the 1970s.
The impressive new mechanical watch proved to be a winner – challenging its skinny quartz rivals with its bold proportions and becoming an icon of its era. The Chronomat also helped Breitling celebrate its centenary in style, marking the return of the mechanical chronograph on which the brand had built its global reputation. This technical legacy, combined with particularly stylish design codes, made the Chronomat the ultimate sportchic watch of its time. Today, it’s doing it again for everyday superheroes in pursuit of the next great adventure.
We have requested for hands-on and photography sessions to view and handle the novelties, and will publish our detailed review after.
