Anniversaries come and go, and sometimes they can pass by without making much of an impression. So it can often be within the world of horology. On the face of it, anniversary edition watches and the like are fairly prolific, yet a multitude of watchmaking achievements must surely fly under the radar. That’s a real shame, and this fact must have clearly been in the minds of the luminaries at Breitling when they were planning their latest Transocean model. It’s now a full 100 years ago that Breitling succeeded in fashioning the very first ‘independent chronograph pushpiece’, and this is obviously a major milestone not only in Breitling’s history, but also the story of horology as a whole.
Of course, chronographs did exist before Breitling had its 1915 epiphany, but up until that date the common format was to incorporate only one pushpiece behind the crown. This piece could be used to adjust start, stop and zero-reset functions in succession, and in actual fact the complication was largely restricted to pocket timepieces at this point. Therefore, Breitling were also typically quick off the mark when it came to the development of a wrist-mounted chronograph, but it was the then-revolutionary separation of the pushpiece from the crown that really stole the spotlight at the time.
Taking into account the most ergonomic design, Breitling placed this pushpiece at 2 o’clock, as this is the position where a digit comes to rest most naturally. An early modification to the design had stop and start capabilities that were governed by the new pushpiece, whilst the crown retained the ability to zero-reset the wristwatch, but 19 years after the independent pushpiece version was released, a final amendment was included that really heralded the dawn of the modern chronograph; namely, a second pushpiece purely for zero-resetting. As you might expect, this invention became a ubiquitous consideration for all luxury chronographs in a very short time, so it really was a little slice of history.
As we mentioned, this feat is now being celebrated once again by Breitling in the form of a new Transocean. It is titled the ‘1915’ in memory of its forefather, and it also includes just a single pushpiece for similar reasons. However, this is not a hurried or over-indulgent tribute that has just been rushed out, as a substantial amount of reinterpretation has been carried out too. For example, the monopusher has been re-imagined in a new and elongated form, and to assuage the potential issue that might ensue from having the push-piece handle successive functions, Breitling’s two-tiered double column-wheel movement (hand-wound in the traditional style) is on hand to assist.
In fact, this new movement has been freshly patented, which tells you that this is one limited edition that isn’t stuck in the past. Honouring heritage doesn’t have to be totally eschewed though, so the vintage Breitling logo is present and correct, as is an inscription that commemorates the occasion behind this particular Transocean. All the practical considerations like sapphire crystal, a 100 metre water resistance and a 70 hour plus power reserve are present too, as is a choice of leather or mesh strap, so this Transocean certainly ticks all the boxes, even setting aside its highly exclusive status.
That exclusive status is cemented by a production run of an appropriate 1,915 pieces, but many other members of the Breitling Transocean collection are available without any limit being imposed, and you can find a huge array of them right here at Banks Lyon Jewellers. In fact, when it comes to Breitling watches, our stock is truly unmatched, so if you’d like to place an enquiry, or find out more about any model in particular, please contact our friendly team now by calling 01524 38 48 58 or email [email protected] today. We’ll soon locate your ideal wristwatch.
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