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Results for The 1969 Automatic Chronograph Race

44,707 articles · 260 videos found · page 158 of 1499

Introducing: The Retro-Futuristic Orient Revival World Map Watch Fratello
Orient Oct 11, 2025

Introducing: The Retro-Futuristic Orient Revival World Map Watch

“Proper ‘70s vibes.” These were the immortal words spoken by our esteemed managing editor, Nacho Conde Garzón, when I sent over this funky revival watch from Orient. Specifically, this new World Map watch takes its cues from the 1969 Orient World Diver. However, we can assume that the original watch lived its best life in […] Visit Introducing: The Retro-Futuristic Orient Revival World Map Watch to read the full article.

Girard-Perregaux’s Brand New Caliber GP4800 Finds Its Home in the Laureato Fifty Worn & Wound
Girard-Perregaux s Brand New Caliber Oct 7, 2025

Girard-Perregaux’s Brand New Caliber GP4800 Finds Its Home in the Laureato Fifty

Let’s orient ourselves in the watch world five decades ago. The year is 1975, and we are in the height of the quartz crisis. Just six years prior in 1969, the watchmaking landscape forever changed with Seiko’s introduction of the first quartz timepiece, which called into question the future of mechanical timekeeping as we knew it. The era also marked the advent of the luxury sport watch, beginning with Gerald Genta’s Royal Oak for Audemars Piguet between 1970 and 1972. These two pivotal moments in horological history gave birth to an icon: the Girard-Perregaux Laureato. The first Laureato entered Girard-Perregaux’s catalog in 1975. The model was modestly sized by today’s standards and was even rather mid-sized for the era with a case measuring just 36mm (by comparison, the first Royal Oak began to set the tone for more oversized watches clocking in at 39mm, but was considered notably large and given the nickname “Jumbo”). The 1975 Laureato featured a two-tone construction, highlighting its mix of curves and geometric shapes. The design echoed Genta’s but with softer edges and a slightly more elevated look thanks to the addition of yellow gold elements combined with stainless steel. In line with the times, the model housed a quartz caliber, but not just any quartz caliber – it was COSC-certified. “The Laureato was more than just a new model for Girard-Perregaux’s catalog,” confirms Beatrice Morelli, Chief Customer Experience Officer. “It represente...

Omega Speedmaster vs Seamaster: The Icons Compared Teddy Baldassarre
Omega Speedmaster vs Seamaster Oct 2, 2025

Omega Speedmaster vs Seamaster: The Icons Compared

If you're relatively new to the watch collecting game and are ready to graduate to your first Omega watch, you're probably pondering a question that has confronted many others before you: Speedmaster or Seamaster? Spaceworthy historical chronograph or tough but stylish diver? Buzz Aldrin or Jacques Cousteau? The official watch of NASA or the official watch of James Bond? Both of these megapopular Omega watches have rich, amazing stories to tell and both today offer a plethora of options in terms of colorways, materials, and even added complications - all while still remaining true to their heritage. In this feature, we compare and contrast the Omega Speedmaster vs Seamaster in the pursuit of helping prospective buyers make a (hopefully) more informed decision on their first - or next - Omega watch.  Omega Speedmaster vs Seamaster: Far From Their Roots In terms of seniority as a product family, the Omega Seamaster has almost a decade on its chronograph sibling. The Seamaster as we know it today is one of the most iconic of dive watches, but in 1948, when Omega introduced the first model by that name, the “dive watch” as we know it in the modern sense didn’t really exist. The original Omega Seamaster was positioned in contemporary advertisements as a watch for “town, sea, and country” - a dress watch for gentlemen that was distinguished from its many competitors by its adoption of a new waterproofing system that Omega had developed for the watches it produ...

Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak “Jumbo” RD#5 pairs a flyback chronograph with a flying tourbillon in an ultra-thin package Time+Tide
Audemars Piguet s Royal Oak “Jumbo” Oct 1, 2025

Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak “Jumbo” RD#5 pairs a flyback chronograph with a flying tourbillon in an ultra-thin package

A new in-house calibre and innovative smartphone-inspired chronograph pushers keeps this complicated "Jumbo" as thin as a normal one.The post Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak “Jumbo” RD#5 pairs a flyback chronograph with a flying tourbillon in an ultra-thin package appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Ming Gets Crazy with the 37.05 Lunatic Worn & Wound
Ming Gets Crazy Sep 24, 2025

Ming Gets Crazy with the 37.05 Lunatic

Late last month, ahead of Geneva Watch Days, Ming debuted the 57.04. It was a big moment for the brand, being not only a very cool release (who doesn’t love a destro monopusher chronograph), but also the first launch in a new generation of Ming watches, complete with a radically new design language. Still, just because the new is here doesn’t mean we’re quite done with the old, and as if to remind us of that, Ming is today announcing a new, slightly more familiar watch: the MING 37.05 Lunatic. This new watch is somewhat of a farewell from Ming. It’s the third iteration of the 37.05, and the brand promises that it will be the final version of the watch, which was first introduced back in November of 2021 and kicked off the 37-series of watches. Like the first two executions of the 37.05, the MING 37.05 Lunatic is a Moonphase and date watch housed in a stainless steel case. Like its predecessors, the watch measures 38mm across and 11.9mm thick - although 3mm of that height comes from the domed sapphire crystals found on both the front and back of the watch - and is powered by a Sellita for MING 288.M1, a hand-wound time, Moonphase, and date movement based on the Sellita SW288.1. While I haven’t had the good fortune to see the 37.05 Lunatic in person just yet, I have been lucky enough to encounter its older brothers, and - assuming no radical change unaccounted for by dimensions or specs - can attest that the 37.05 wears as one would expect from a Ming, part...

Hands-On With The Louis Moinet 1806 Chronomètre d’Observatoire Fratello
Louis Moinet 1806 Chronomètre d’Observatoire I Sep 24, 2025

Hands-On With The Louis Moinet 1806 Chronomètre d’Observatoire

I have had the pleasure of covering releases from Louis Moinet for several years. By and large, most of the watches have featured wild complications and materials. They’ve been fun, limited, and expensive. Therefore, when the brand debuted the 1816 Chronograph at Watches and Wonders 2025, we took notice due to its more modern design. […] Visit Hands-On With The Louis Moinet 1806 Chronomètre d’Observatoire to read the full article.

Modding To The Max: The Artisans De Genève Absolute Ruby Surpasses Anything The Watch Workshop Did Before Fratello
Sep 24, 2025

Modding To The Max: The Artisans De Genève Absolute Ruby Surpasses Anything The Watch Workshop Did Before

You may very well be looking at the pinnacle of watch modding. The Artisans de Genève Absolute Ruby is a personalized creation with a price tag of US$550,000 hanging from it. As the name suggests, rubies take center stage in this world-famous chronograph, which initially looked more humble when the client handed it over to […] Visit Modding To The Max: The Artisans De Genève Absolute Ruby Surpasses Anything The Watch Workshop Did Before to read the full article.

Owner’s Review: a Collector’s Perspective on the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Worn & Wound
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Sep 23, 2025

Owner’s Review: a Collector’s Perspective on the Bulgari Octo Finissimo

The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic first debuted at Baselworld 2017, and I remember every journalist I ran into, telling me to go check out the Bulgari booth. I met with Pascal Brandt (then marketing manager), and a genuine watch geek I had known for some time. He showed me Octo Finissimo Automatic in titanium, and it was a “Wow” moment. I felt like I was holding a future classic in my hands, comparable to someone holding the Royal Oak for the first time in Basel in 1972 (and yes, there is a Genta connection). I had a couple of initial thoughts when I first experienced the Octo – I knew Bulgari had already made two of the slimmest complication Octo Finissimo’s in 2015 and 2016, but I chalked that to a fashion brand making a high complication for their wealthiest clients. But this was different, Bulgari managed to pull off the slimmest automatic watch that is lightweight, yet durable, with a micro-rotor movement for about $12,000. The second thought was that this is something special and, for me, a must own piece. Before I get into the ownership aspect of the Octo, I will give a brief history on how Bulgari got elevated to a serious watchmaking brand. The story of Bulgari’s transformation from a luxury fashion brand to a high-end watchmaker began in the year 2000. The watch industry was struggling after the late 1990’s financial crisis. In July 2000, Bulgari paid 37.6 million Swiss francs to acquire Gerald Genta SA, Daniel Roth SA, as well as Manufacture de Ha...

In-Depth: Girard-Perregaux Debuts All-New Automatic Calibre SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Sep 23, 2025

In-Depth: Girard-Perregaux Debuts All-New Automatic Calibre

Girard-Perregaux (GP) has just taken the covers off a new in-house movement that will serve as a versatile platform for the brand, the Girard-Perregaux GP4800. Historically a significant producer of automatic movements, GP marks a milestone with the new, high-performance base movement that will gradually replace the 3000 family of movements that was once a workhorse employed by several high-end brands. Initial thoughts GP’s most famous creations are undoubtedly the historical Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges and the more recent Constant Escapement. Significant as they may be, neither illustrates the brand’s past strength as a manufacture in the early decades of contemporary watchmaking post-Quartz Crisis, in particular GP’s position as a leading supplier of automatic movements.  It all began with the 3000 family of calibres introduced in 1994. Desirable for its slimness and high performance – the 3000 series was sub-3 mm thick while ticking at 4 Hz – this versatile platform served not only as a base for many of the brand’s own timepieces, but also powered well-known watches made by a number of prominent brands, including Cartier, Daniel Roth, Vacheron Constantin, and even MB&F;. A GP3000 found in the MB&F; HM2 And then inverted in the MB&F; HM8 Mark 2 The new GP4800 is clearly meant to replace the venerable-yet-aging 3000-series. Boasting a modern architecture and fine technical chops, the GP4800 is a step towards reclaiming GP’s past success as a movement ma...

Is The Classic Fusion Black Magic Hublot’s Dark Horse? (Hands-On) WatchAdvice
Hublot s Dark Horse? Hands-On Sep 22, 2025

Is The Classic Fusion Black Magic Hublot’s Dark Horse? (Hands-On)

Hublot are an ever-present disruptor of the traditional watch industry, but do the brand’s horological standards ‘walk the talk?’ Let’s find out! What We Love: Tough, light & unobtrusive on-wrist Bold design married with demure aesthetics Surprising variation of finishes and detailing What We Don’t: No lume on a sports watch? Chronograph operation feels tougher than most Movement choice makes for a challenging value proposition Overall Rating: 8/10 Value for Money: 7/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 8/10 Build Quality: 8/10 When I was first introduced to the luxury watch industry and all the wonders it holds, it was an overwhelming experience. This isn’t a ground-breaking revelation – I’m sure many of you shared the same circumstances at one point – but I found myself quickly scrambling for some watch advice, no pun intended. However, since I was the only watch nerd (that I knew of) in my demographic, I naturally navigated online. There, I was told a great many facts and rules. Some of them were good, like “don’t change the date between 9 and 3 o’clock,” or “take the watch off before you adjust the time.” Other bits and pieces, however, were just opinions disguised as fact. “Never buy [this brand],” “only buy [that brand] …” All the typical drivel we roll our eyes at now; I integrated into my own beliefs as a then watch noob. Of course, this also led me to one of the watch community’s biggest discourses: Hublot. From what I saw, th...

Pedals and Precision: Tudor Pro Cycling at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec Worn & Wound
Tudor Pro Cycling Sep 18, 2025

Pedals and Precision: Tudor Pro Cycling at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec

Québec City carries its history on every corner-stone walls, cobblestones, cafés spilling into narrow streets. For a few days in September, it also carried the buzz of race bikes and the weight of a UCI WorldTour peloton. Tudor brought us here to see their Pro Cycling team take on the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec. The race is unusual compared to most on the calendar. Instead of rolling through countryside, the riders loop through Old Québec, climbing and descending the same punishing circuit until it breaks them. Crowds lean over barricades, the sound of cheers bouncing off limestone walls as the peloton flashes past again and again. Our trip began with a chance to meet the Tudor Pro Cycling riders. They rolled in straight from training, relaxed but sharp, already thinking about the course. Later, in the subterranean car park beneath Hotel 71, we were shown the workshop: rows of bikes worth thousands apiece, mechanics tuning, polishing, preparing. A hidden paddock carved out of concrete, the quiet backbone of the sport. Dinner that evening was with Tudor and a handful of other journalists at Laurie Raphaël. It was polished dining, but the conversation stayed grounded-how a team operates at this level, what it means to link a watch brand with a sport that demands grit and repetition. FXD watches at the table looked at home: tough, precise, made for use. Race day carried a nervous hum. The morning was cool, the sun cutting through by midday. From Tudor’s hospital...

Hands-on - The Spirit of Mr Genta Chimes On in the Gérald Genta Minute Repeater Monochrome
Ming watch Sep 18, 2025

Hands-on - The Spirit of Mr Genta Chimes On in the Gérald Genta Minute Repeater

A legend in his own lifetime and the name behind countless watch icons designed for other brands, Gérald Genta (1931-2011) also produced masterpieces for his eponymous brand founded in 1969, including the Grande Sonnerie, considered the most sophisticated and complex chiming watch in the world. The current custodian of the Gérald Genta brand is Louis […]

Introducing - Citizen adds Blue and Purple Editions to the Tsuyosa 37 Collection Monochrome
Citizen adds Blue Sep 18, 2025

Introducing - Citizen adds Blue and Purple Editions to the Tsuyosa 37 Collection

When Citizen released the Tsuyosa back in 2022, its introduction made some noise… The idea: an accessible, sub-€300 watch with a cool 1980s vibe, an integrated(ish) bracelet, a tonneau-shaped case riding the luxury sports watch trend, and an automatic movement inside. The result was a clear commercial success and a collection that never ceases to expand. […]

Trilobe Takes Up the Mantle of French Watchmaking with the Trente-Deux SJX Watches
Trilobe Sep 17, 2025

Trilobe Takes Up the Mantle of French Watchmaking with the Trente-Deux

Best known for its signature time display comprised of three off-center discs, Trilobe has introduced its first sport watch, the Trente-Deux. It’s yet another sports watch with an integrated bracelet, but the Trente-Deux is more notable for being the debut platform for the new X-Nihilo caliber, which for movement geeks will overshadow the launch of the new collection itself. The X-Nihilo is a relatively simple automatic caliber, and many of its components are produced in Trilobe’s own newly established CNC workshop near the French capital. It remains to be seen whether this domestic manufacturing initiative will prove viable long-term; the recent past is full of false starts aimed at rebuilding the French watchmaking industry. Initial thoughts I admit a certain fascination for watches without hands, that indicate the time with jumping windows, wandering displays, and revolving discs. The Trente-Deux, like the brand’s other watches, is an example of the latter. The hour is read at the top of the dial, using the logo as a pointer. The minutes slip by through a window in the dial, and the seconds disc rotates around a central hub embellished with stamped Clous de Paris. The asymmetrical layout is visually compelling and results in a pleasing amount of negative space that somehow doesn’t feel empty. This might be due to the sunray pattern, which emanates outward from the center of the seconds disc. In terms of colour, grey and navy blue are safe, pragmatic choices tha...

Introducing - The New Hamilton Jazzmaster Skeleton 40mm in Empire Green Monochrome
Hamilton Jazzmaster Skeleton 40mm Sep 17, 2025

Introducing - The New Hamilton Jazzmaster Skeleton 40mm in Empire Green

The Jazzmaster collection, and specifically the Skeleton editions, has earned its place as one of Hamilton‘s distinctive designs, offering a view into the beating heart of a modern automatic movement. It’s a design that balances Hamilton’s classic dress-watch DNA with a contemporary twist. Over the years, the model has appeared in several dial colours, case […]

Seiko Looks to Sci-Fi for the Astron GPS SJX Watches
Citizen has inched ahead Sep 15, 2025

Seiko Looks to Sci-Fi for the Astron GPS

Advanced digital watches haven’t deterred leading Japanese brands from continuing to earnestly develop high-accuracy quartz watches in analog formats. Chief among them is Seiko, which has just unveiled two new limited editions of its satellite-linked Astron GPS Solar. While the SSJ037 appears to be a simple time-only watch and the SSH185 looks like a straightforward dual-time chronograph, each watch is solar-powered and includes an electronic perpetual calendar. Limited to 1,500 pieces for the SSJ037 and 1,200 pieces for the SSH185, the new collection is sci-fi inspired, featuring colours and textures common to fictional depictions of space stations. Initial thoughts There are a couple different approaches to making high-accuracy quartz watches. The first is pretty obvious, and involves developing ever-more precise quartz oscillators. Seiko has long been a champion of this school of thought, although Citizen has inched ahead in recent years. The other approach is to make a reasonably precise quartz movement that automatically syncs with an external signal, which might be a radio signal broadcast from any of the atomic reference clocks positioned around the world, a bluetooth signal from the user’s phone, or, in the case of the Astron, a satellite signal. Since the brand debuted this technology in 2012, Seiko has refined things making the watches sleeker and the interface more intuitive. As a result, the time-only SSJ037 is an ordinary 42 mm in diameter and 12 mm thick;...

Introducing - The Tissot Ballade COSC Powermatic Collection Monochrome
Tissot Ballade COSC Powermatic Collection Sep 11, 2025

Introducing - The Tissot Ballade COSC Powermatic Collection

When it comes to delivering classic-looking, good-quality watches that are usually fully equipped and nicely finished, you can always count on Tissot. Whether it’s a sporty, integrated watch, such as the PRX Automatic, a vintage-looking looker, such as the PR516, a modern all-rounder like the Gentleman or something elegantly old-school as the Heritage 1938 COSC, […]

First Look - The new Grand Seiko Sunrise Tentagraph Limited Edition SLGC006 Monochrome
Grand Seiko Sunrise Tentagraph Limited Edition Sep 10, 2025

First Look - The new Grand Seiko Sunrise Tentagraph Limited Edition SLGC006

Released in 2023, the Tentagraph was Grand Seiko’s first-ever mechanical chronograph… I know, it sounds weird for a brand with about 65 years of history, but all of its chronographs used to be based on a Spring Drive architecture (calibres 9R86 and 9R96) until the launch of the SLGC001. Using the Evolution 9 platform, the Tentagraph […]

A Hands-On Introduction To The New Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Power Reserve Fratello
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Power Sep 9, 2025

A Hands-On Introduction To The New Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Power Reserve

Hamilton’s Khaki Field line is the brand’s most popular and best-known collection. The outdoorsy watches are fan favorites and available in many variations. You can get a Hamilton Khaki Field in myriad sizes, with quartz, automatic, and hand-wound calibers, as well as with many dial options. But today, the brand introduces a new complication on […] Visit A Hands-On Introduction To The New Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Power Reserve to read the full article.

Introducing - The Oris x Bamford ProPilot Altimeter Mission Control Monochrome
Oris x Bamford ProPilot Altimeter Sep 5, 2025

Introducing - The Oris x Bamford ProPilot Altimeter Mission Control

In 2014, Oris unveiled the ProPilot Altimeter, a unique wristwatch that combined an automatic Swiss-made calibre with a mechanical altimeter. Following an update in 2023, that singular idea is revisited this year in collaboration with Bamford Watch Department, bringing fresh design and high-tech case construction to the ProPilot Altimeter. The result is the Oris x […]

First Look - New Vintage-Styled Editions of the Alpina Seastrong Diver Extreme Monochrome
Alpina Seastrong Diver Extreme Alpina Sep 5, 2025

First Look - New Vintage-Styled Editions of the Alpina Seastrong Diver Extreme

Alpina has steadily carved out a niche for robust sports watches that balance land and sea credentials, and the Seastrong Diver Extreme Automatic is a good example of this dual spirit. Introduced last year in a compact 39mm Extreme cushion-shaped case with 300m water resistance, it was already a natural fusion of the Alpiner’s rugged […]

First Look - The New and Unexpected TAG Heuer Carrera Astronomer Monochrome
TAG Heuer Carrera Astronomer Since Sep 4, 2025

First Look - The New and Unexpected TAG Heuer Carrera Astronomer

Since its launch in 1963, the TAG Heuer Carrera has been synonymous with speed, clarity, and performance on the racetrack. Jack Heuer designed it as a driver’s chronograph, stripped down to essentials with maximum legibility. Yet throughout its long life, the Carrera has never been a one-dimensional racetrack watch; it has adapted to aviation and yachting, and […]

What is a Chronograph Watch? Teddy Baldassarre
TAG Heuer Carrera Sep 3, 2025

What is a Chronograph Watch?

Chronograph watches are among the most popular styles of timepieces: iconic models like the Rolex Daytona, Omega Speedmaster, TAG Heuer Carrera, and Breitling Navitimer, for example, have become some of the most famous and collectible watches in the modern era and have contributed to the enduring appeal of the chronograph to generations of enthusiasts. If you're new to the watch game, however, you might be wondering not only what all the buzz is about but what these watches actually do that makes them so special. Read on for a comprehensive primer on chronograph watches, from their earliest ancestors to the most ambitious, avant-garde timekeeping technology available in chronographs today. Chronograph vs. Chronometer As I explore in depth in our guide to chronometers, one of the first hurdles to clear for newcomers to watch appreciation is the clarification of two very common horological categories: Chronometer and Chronograph. Quite simply, a chronometer (from the Greek chronos, meaning time, and meter, meaning measure) is any watch or clock that keeps reliably accurate time, usually as determined by an outside independent testing agency, whereas a chronograph (from chronos and graph, i.e., to “write time”) is any watch or clock with the ability to track and record intervals of time, aka a stopwatch. The terms are not interchangeable but they are also not mutually exclusive: a watch equipped with chronograph functions can also be a chronometer if it has met a s...

Introducing - The Singer Caballero, the Brand’s Take on a Time-Only Watch with the New Calibre-4 Monochrome
Singer Sep 3, 2025

Introducing - The Singer Caballero, the Brand’s Take on a Time-Only Watch with the New Calibre-4

Singer Reimagined has spent the past eight years experimenting with what independent watchmaking can look like. The Geneva-based brand, founded by Rob Dickinson of Singer Vehicle Design and designer Marco Borraccino, established its name with the radical Track 1 chronograph, powered by Agenhor’s Agengraphe. It was followed by the stripped-down Flytrack, the diving-oriented Divetrack, and […]

Orient Gilds the Retro World Map SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Breguet Sep 2, 2025

Orient Gilds the Retro World Map

Orient celebrates its 75th anniversary with a limited edition World Map, inspired by a 1969 fan favourite and priced under US$400. Distinctly retro in style, the World Map features an unusual world time arrangement using a striking map and rotating bezel for global time zones. It’s well priced and well made, and a break from the brand’s usual staples, which tend to be affordable but plain. Initial Thoughts It seems 2025 is a year of many anniversaries: Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Breguet, and of course, Orient. While never the most prominent Japanese watch manufacturer, Orient has built up a strong back catalog over 75 years, which includes the World Map. That said, I’d have preferred a reissue of the more formal looking World Trip, though I imagine the brand is saving that for the up-market Orient Star line. Beyond the watch, it’s important to remember that while Orient is a relatively small brand, it’s part of Seiko Epson, the company behind the Spring Drive UFA that made headlines this year (though a distinct entity from Seiko Watch Corporation that markets and sells Seiko and Grand Seiko watches). For the brand’s 60th anniversary, Orient equipped the Orient Star Skeleton with Japan’s first (and only) silicon escapement. With that in mind, it’s worth keeping an eye on Orient this year, as the brand has more to offer than just a pretty face. Post War Travel Ban and Boom In the aftermath of the Second World War Japan was devastated and isolated. ...

First Look - The Robot-Themed Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R Edition Monochrome
Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R Edition Sep 2, 2025

First Look - The Robot-Themed Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R Edition

As its name suggests, the Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R is an evolution of the dial-side split-seconds chronograph presented in 2021. You might be wondering what lies behind the cryptic R.U.R acronym? Well, the word “robot” comes from the Czech “robota,” meaning “forced labour” or “serfdom,” and it was popularised by another famous Czech-born personality with […]

Breitling Chronomat: The Complete Guide Teddy Baldassarre
Breitling Chronomat Aug 29, 2025

Breitling Chronomat: The Complete Guide

The Breitling Chronomat traces its most emblematic design elements back to the relatively recent year of 1984, but the model’s roots reach much further back, to the dawn of Breitling’s role as a leading innovator of watches for pilots. On the way to becoming one of the watch world’s iconic chronograph wristwatches, the Chronomat has also been the host model for some of the most significant innovations in movement technology. Today, it remains one of Breitling’s flagship models, with an array of sizes, materials, colorways, and complications for men and ladies alike. Here is the story of the Breitling Chronomat, from its groundbreaking origins to its 21st Century revival. The Original Chronomat (1941) Breitling’s long and storied history in the arena of aviation begins in 1938, shortly before the start of World War II, with the founding of the Huit Aviation Department by third-generation company chairman Willy Breitling. Taking its numerical name “huit” from the eight-day power reserve offered by Breitling’s watches and clocks - an innovation pioneered by Willy’s grandfather Léon Breitling -  the Huit Aviation Department was devoted to making the most precise and robust onboard timekeepers for the cockpits of military planes.  Two years later, Breitling unveiled a world’s-first invention destined to make a historical impact on both watchmaking and piloting: the first timepiece equipped with a logarithmic scale on its rotating bezel that could be u...