The Breitling Chronomat has been an icon within the master watchmaker’s range since 1984, while Bentley has enjoyed a 17-year partnership with the Swiss manufacturer.
The new Bentley Chronomat introduces a new generation of the seminal Breitling model and is one of a collection of six new chronograph watches.
Bentley and Breitling have celebrated their illustrious 17-year partnership with a bold new mechanical Chronomat watch, designed to appeal to men and women who enjoy sports and active pursuits.
The Breitling Chronomat was originally introduced in 1984, when extra-thin quartz timepieces held sway. Breitling’s impressive mechanical watch proved to be a winner and became an icon of its era. Nearly 40 years later, the newly redesigned Chronomat is an all-purpose sports watch, but one which can travel from the beach and to the red carpet in the same day, and look perfectly at home in either setting.
”Bentley and Breitling both share illustrious heritages which have been the bedrock of future world-leading technological and design developments for our brands,” says Adrian Hallmark, Bentley chairman and CEO.
“The new Chronomat Bentley exemplifies this commitment to honouring our authentic values while creating a new and enduring icon for today’s modern customers.’’
The timepiece’s features recall the classic namesake from the 1980s. The Bentley Chronomat has a 42-millimetre stainless steel case with a green dial and black contrasting chronograph counters. The watch, presented on a stainless steel Rouleaux bracelet with a butterfly clasp, features ‘BENTLEY’ engraved around the transparent sapphire caseback.
The new Chronomat, which is part of a collection of six models, celebrates a significant time in Breitling’s history while providing a vision of the company’s future. When launched it marked a welcome return to mechanical Swiss watches, which had all but disappeared when quartz watches dominated the marketplace in the 1970s.
Inspired by the Frecce Tricolori watch (which had been developed and launched in 1983 in collaboration with the famed Italian aerial squadron of the same name), the Chronomat celebrated Breitling’s centenary in style and marked the return of the mechanical chronograph on which the brand had built its global reputation.
Each timepiece in the new collection is powered by the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01, an in-house mechanical movement that delivers an impressive power reserve of about 70 hours. Like all Breitling watches, the Chronomats are COSC-certified chronometers, an independent confirmation of their precision. All models are water-resistant to 20 bar (200 metres).
Breitling says that today’s passionate and active Bentley customer base will be drawn to the new Bentley Chronomat, which perfectly reflects both brands’ commitment to creating authentic, everyday luxury for men and women who are enthusiastic about active pursuits. The new timepiece capitalises on the original’s design elements and spirit.
“The 1984 Chronomat occupies a very important place in our modern history. It was the watch that boldly proclaimed Breitling was staying absolutely true to its roots,” says Breitling CEO Georges Kern.
“The Chronomat Collection is a fitting tribute to the amazing watch that, more than any other, put us back in touch with our heritage.”
