Hands-On With the New Breitling Chronomat Collection

Two weeks ago, I was invited to a Breitling and Aston Martin event for the launch of the new Chronomat collection, held at the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory Augarten.

The outfit I wore for the occasion.

There were some nice cars on display as well.

The Chronomat was updated again after its major redesign in 2020. There are a few small design changes, but the main one is the integration of the bracelet into the case and lugs. It creates a more seamless look and gives the watch a sleeker, more sculpted profile. The update covers the Chronomat 36, Chronomat 40, and Chronomat B01 42 Chronograph. The Chronomat 40 has also been equipped with the new in-house B31 automatic movement.

I think my Top Time B31 on a Riviere Nubuck Molequin strap was a perfect match for the event. I have to admit that, even after two weeks, I still can’t get over how well this strap suits the watch. It’s even cooler than I imagined and exactly what I wanted for summer.

Chronomat Automatic B31 40 in white vs Chronomat Automatic 36 in Stainless steel & 18k red gold with Mother-of-pearl dial

All watches are now slimmer (Chronomat Automatic 36 – 9.68mm / Chronomat Automatic B31 40 – 10.99mm / Chronomat B01 42 Chronograph – 13.77mm). What’s really interesting, and something that was impossible to get from the press photos, is that all the watches wear smaller than they are, because the lug-to-lug distance is shorter than on most watches in these sizes. They also wear thinner than they are because the case is quite slim and the caseback stands out, so when you put the watch on the wrist, the caseback sinks into the skin and the case sits on the wrist, so you mainly see the case and bezel. So the watch seems much slimmer, and really sleek!

Chronomat Automatic B31 40 from the side - it looks very sleek

Side profile of the Chronomat B01 42 Chronograph, where you can see ratio of bezel vs case vs caseback.

The 36mm wears more like a 34mm. But it looks great on my wrist, and because of the size, it has a vintage appeal. I hope they will release more colors in the future. The 40mm wears like a modern steel sports watch, in the best possible way. The white dial version is super clean, but unfortunately they didn’t have the ice-blue version on display, so I will have to go and check it out soon.

Chronomat Automatic 36 on my wrist

Chronomat Automatic B31 40 on my wrist

I was very surprised by the 42mm Chronomat. This is the size that I would never consider, especially knowing that it is 13.77mm thick. But the black and white colorway looks fantastic, and since it was there, I had to try it on. It wears surprisingly well. As I already mentioned, all these new Chronomat watches wear smaller, so I would say this 42mm wears more like a 41mm, maybe even like some 40mm, and much thinner than it actually is. It was a very pleasant surprise and a reminder that when it comes to watches, stats on paper are one thing, but you have to try them on before making any conclusions.

Chronomat B01 42 Chronograph in Black and White

Chronomat Automatic B31 40 on display in white, olive and blue

It’s quite impressive what Breitling have done in the last 12 months. Before that, they were a brand that didn’t appeal to me at all, but I think they really nailed the Top Time B31 last year, and the new Chronomat line is really nice, so I’m very excited to see what they will do with the relaunch of Gallet!

What are your thoughts on the new Chronomat watches?

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