Land, Sea, Air: A Trio Of Breitling Watches For Any Environment
While Breitling watches are typically associated with aviation, the top-tier Swiss watchmaker makes a lot more than pilot watches. Let’s have a look at a trio of Breitling watches associated with land, sea, and of course, air.
Land: Breitling for Bentley Mark VI Chronograph
The Breitling and Bentley collaboration has been one of the most successful car and watch collaborations in modern horology. What started as a project in 2003, when Breitling became the first watchmaker to design an onboard clock for Bentley’s Continental GT, eventually flourished into a fully fledged brand of watches–Breitling for Bentley.
A fantastic model born from the partnership is this automatic Breitling for Bentley Mark VI Chronograph ref. R26362 in rose gold. Produced from 2006 to 2010, the Mark IV Chronograph lineup takes its name from the Bentley Mark VI car from the forties and fifties. The Breitling for Bentley Mark VI Chronograph ref. R26362 sports a well-proportioned 42 mm case, topped with a bezel decorated with the signature Bentley grille pattern.
On the side of the case are a pair of oval-shaped chronograph pushers–a throwback to vintage Breitling watches from the 1940s. The rich blue dial is a great contrast to the gold case and houses a pair of subsidiary dials and a date window. The blue alligator strap fitted with a rose gold deployant buckle is the perfect watch band accompany the Breitling for Bently chronograph.
Sea: Breitling Heritage Superocean Chronograph 46
In addition to the famed Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, Rolex Submariner, and Omega Seamaster diving watches, which all made their debut in the 1950s, Breitling also launched a diver’s watch in the same decade the form of the Superocean. The first Breitling Superocean watches were released in 1957 and the company continues to make this diver’s collection today. In fact, the Breitling Heritage Superocean Chronograph 46 ref. A13320 is heavily influenced by the maiden models, although a thoroughly modern execution.
While there are several sizes to choose from, this particular Breitling Heritage Superocean Chronograph features a very generous 46 mm case in stainless steel. As a diver, the watch includes a unidirectional rotating bezel, fashioned from blue ceramic. The blue colorway continues to the dial and the sporty rubber strap.
Emphasizing the retro vibe of the Breitling watch are the chronograph pump pushers protruding from the case, along with the broad arrow hour hand on the dial. However, a great contemporary touch is the steel deployant clasp on the strap, complete with a handy push-button slider extension system.
Air: Breitling Navitimer
Among all Breitling watches, there’s probably no model as well-known as the Navitimer. Named after a contraction of the words “Navigation” and “Timer,” Breitling launched the Navitimer in 1952 as a tool for pilots to compute navigational calculations using the watch’s circular slide rule bezel. Since then, Breitling has continued to offer countless iterations of the iconic Navi.
This Breitling Navitimer ref. A23322, a reference first released in 2003, is an especially handsome version with its 41.5mm stainless case, blue dial, and blue leather strap. The blue strap with white stitching includes a steel deployant clasp while the case comes with the traditional pump chrono pushers. The layout of the trio of registers at 3/6/9 is familiar, as is the knurled bidirectional turning bezel. In true Navitimer form, the dial has plenty of numbers, giving it a highly technical, yet vintage, look that so many have fallen in love with.
Whether you want a timepiece for use on land, in the sea, flying through the air, or just to look good anywhere, there is no doubt a Breitling watch out there for that.
The Audemars Piguet Millenary Collection
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