The Patrouille Suisse is a celebrated branch of the Swiss Air Force that has been in operation since 1964. Serving primarily as an aerobatic team, six Northrop F -5E Tiger II jets currently make up the squad, although in earlier years the number of pilots was only four or five, and it is this plane that has been the Patrouille Suisse mainstay since 1994. Although the Patrouille Suisse is actually set to be disbanded in 2016, mainly due to the removal of the F-5 jet from the Swiss Air Force, the team has enjoyed a long and proud history, and has won great renown during its tenure.
Always a sterling ambassador for Swiss excellence, the Patrouille Suisse has frequented the highest quality aeronautical displays for many years, and has pioneered many innovations whilst professionally flying the finest supersonic aeroplanes. The high visibility colour on the Patrouille Suisse aircrafts has made them ideal for use as training planes or even target tugs, and they are also the only examples in the Swiss fleet to possess functional smoke generators. Furthermore, this exceptionally revered team is now set to be honoured by an exclusive Chronomat from Swiss watch manufacturer Breitling.
2014 does not only represent the half-centennial of the Patrouille Suisse, but also the 100th anniversary of the Swiss Air Force as a whole, so Breitling have timed their act of homage to perfection. Breitling has always jealously guarded its status as the ‘partner of aviation’, and has previously aligned itself with the Patrouille Suisse to create several singular timepieces. However, this latest offering from Breitling is garnering an especially large amount of attention, as it is set to be based upon the popular dual-time model within the existing family of Breitling Chronomat watches. This mechanical chronograph watch has been designed specifically for pilots, and the new model possesses a number of unique features to emphasise its distinction.
The timepiece bears an onyx black dial that boasts the flight team logo at the 9 o’clock position, and the central hour hand also carries a miniscule silhouette of the F-5E Tiger II aircraft at its apex. This hand is designed with GMT capabilities firmly in mind, especially valuable when the wearer is expecting to traverse multiple time zones, and conveys information relating to a second and even third time zone upon the 24-hour scale. The caseback of a limited edition watch so often provides the final flourish to its aesthetics, and that proves to be the case for this Breitling timepiece as well. The Patrouille Suisse logo is inscribed here alongside the series number of each timepiece; ensuring that each of these new Chronomat watches will be a genuine collector’s piece.
High performance has undoubtedly been Breitling’s mantra when developing this extremely masculine chronometer certified watch, and few would argue that the finished result is anything other than a fitting tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Patrouille Suisse. At Banks Lyon, we have an established history when it comes to stocking a variety of Breitling watches, and also have access to many of the most exciting limited edition watches too; no matter what luxury brand name they can trace their roots to. We are continually receiving new examples of the most up to date timepieces as they are being released, so be sure to call us on 01524 38 48 58 if you ever have an enquiry. We will always be happy to help.
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