Breitling must surely be one of the most active horological brands of all, as scarcely a week – let alone a month – seems to pass without an important announcement being made by the ‘official supplier to world aviation’. After having said all that, an entirely new family of watches is always going to be a particularly special unveiling, and this week has given rise to just such a news story.
Aviation has been a fairly consistent pursuit for mankind throughout the ages, and pilot-themed wristwatches have accompanied many exploits for a generous number of decades. As you might expect, Breitling has been a consistent leader in that particular field, and has been so ever since the early days of the 1950s and 60s. The new assemblage of watches – dubbed the ‘Chronoliner’ – pays homage to those years in more than just spirit, as the aesthetic of the inaugural model is directly inspired by a wristwatch from this era, reinterpreting it into a resolutely contemporary image.
The Chronoliner is being marketed as ‘the authentic flight captain’s watch’, and as such you can expect something a little bit special. To that end, the cut out – in the shape of a star – is totally original, and this is to achieve far more than just an unusual appearance, instead allowing easy visibility of a second time zone. The placement of the chronograph dials is a bit of a departure too, as normally a ‘symmetrical’ visual theme is preferred by situating them at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. However, the Chronoliner carves its own path with 12, 9 and 6 o’clock sub-dials, with the date aperture lying at 3 o’clock. It’s an atypical design, but clearly one that stands out in a crowd.
The Chronoliner is also typified by exemplary attention to detail. The aforementioned star-shaped cut out means that the timepiece is easy to operate using gloves, whilst a small red-tipped hand is judged to perfection in terms of functioning as an aid to readability. The white ceramic numerals have been chosen for just such a purpose as well, as have the ‘oversized’ dimensions of the other hands. Luminescence has been strongly relied upon too, although Breitling hasn’t been shy of including features just for the sake of style, as the engraved planes on the caseback – a fixture within Breitling’s vintage portfolio – and the iconic Breitling steel mesh bracelet should ably attest.
It goes without saying that the Breitling Chronoliner is very exciting addition to the established and widely venerated family of this Swiss horological brand, and here at Banks Lyon we’ll continue to bring you all of the updates about this latest range. Of course, we also have an assortment of other Breitling watches too, so you can count on us to bring you the best Breitling designs, past or present. To find out more about our available stock, contact our amicable team by calling 01524 38 48 58.
{star-snippet}