Breitling Chronomat: A Watch Enthusiast's Guide to Collecting

The Chronomat, Breitling's flagship model and a driving force behind the revival of mechanical watches, has captivated enthusiasts for many years. In 2020, this model evolved into the Chronomat B01 42, with details that evoke the Ernest Schneider-era Chronomat. Shiraichigo, a reader of this magazine and a renowned watch collector, will explore the appeal of each Chronomat model, drawing on his extensive knowledge and experience from his own collection.

The Chronomat and the Eve of the Revival of Mechanical Watches

　Ernest Schneider, who ran the Swiss watch manufacturer Sicra, acquired the prestigious Swiss watch brand Breitling in 1979. Breitling was already particularly known for its pilot chronographs, with the Navitimer and Chronomat models, both equipped with rotating scales, being particularly well-known.

　These high-quality lines favored the classic column-wheel chronograph movements Venus 175 and 178. The pinnacle of this movement was the "Duograph" with the Venus 185 split-seconds chronograph. Among the most famous historical masterpieces, the Navitimer produced for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), a global organization for aircraft owners and pilots, has been beautifully reissued in recent years and has become a highly sought-after collector's piece.

　Shikla, which Ernest Schneider ran before acquiring Breitling, was not a luxury fashion house like one based in Vendôme, but it was successful in producing "stunt watches" equipped with quartz movements, and was able to survive the "quartz crisis" that was raging at the time.

　Meanwhile, Breitling joined the "Chronomatic" camp during the automatic chronograph development competition in the late 60s. The Chronomatic was an ambitious automatic chronograph movement that used a micro-rotor, but other competitors, such as Heuer, also changed management, and the movement generally did not see much growth. Breitling continued to compete in the automatic chronograph race, showing a positive attitude toward quartz by releasing the "Navitimer Quartz LCD," which used a digital display but kept the same case as before, but its business situation was becoming extremely difficult.

　When Schneider took over Breitling, those around him reportedly advised him not to move into mechanical chronographs, which were thought to be the cause of Breitling's decline at the time, but to continue the brand with quartz watches. In fact, Breitling's stock of parts was sold to other companies, and some were subsequently manufactured in small quantities by the buyers. In fact, when Schneider first acquired the company, he introduced quartz watches such as the "Jupiter," and did not immediately begin producing mechanical chronographs.

　However, Schneider's true intention was not to be submissive to those around him, but to restore Breitling to its former prestigious status. First, in 80, Schneider acquired Quellec, a Swiss watchmaking workshop that excelled in modular development. Next, in 82, he responded to a public tender for a pilot's chronograph for the Italian Air Force, the Frecce Tricolori.

　When this story is discussed, it is often told from the perspective that Schneider, who manufactured the affordable Shikla, decided to take on the challenge of making high-end mechanical watches. However, I have doubts about this interpretation. Schneider was a well-known military man, but contrary to the image of Breitling that he would later have, he was not an air force pilot, but rather a high-ranking officer in charge of the communications corps (which may be why he understood the importance of accurate timekeeping and information). Perhaps for this reason, although he never used high-end movements, his Shikla collection also included a diver's watch with a truly dandy design, equipped with a rotating scale. It seems likely that Schneider's interest in military-inspired luxury watches did not suddenly arise after he took charge of Breitling; rather, he had the background and experience to do so.

　Meanwhile, Breitling didn't just produce chronographs using the aforementioned masterpiece luxury column wheel chronographs, the Venus 178 and 175. Their standard line, such as the well-known "Top Time," also used inexpensive cam-operated chronographs, the Venus 188 and Valjoux 7733 (and many Top Time models also used the Venus 178, just to be clear). In that sense, the combination of Schneider and Breitling seems like an ideal fit, allowing both companies to reach new heights.

A look back at representative Chronomat models through the collection

　Now, let's begin with the main topic of this article, the Chronomat. The original Chronomat was created in 1942 by Willy Breitling, the third generation of Breitling's family-run business. It was equipped with the two-counter Venus 175 and was an excellent pilot's chronograph with a rotating slide rule. The Navitimer, which combined a rotating slide rule with the three-counter dial Venus 178, was released in 1952, so the Chronomat predates the Navitimer.

　Although the Chronomat was a very popular collection at the time, it did not have the same stable image as the company's Navitimer or, for example, the Omega Speedmaster Professional or Rolex Cosmograph Daytona.

　While the Navitimer established iconic designs such as the still-famous "AOPA model" with its jet-black dial and AOPA wing logo, as well as other distinctive black dials with silver or gold subdials and the twin-wing logo, the Chronomat, despite being Breitling's original pilot chronograph, had many variations in dial and case. During the 70s, when psychedelic styles were popular and watches grew larger, even a 46mm diameter model was released (though it was still quite a stylish watch).

　It is unclear whether Schneider chose the name Chronomat when reviving Breitling's mechanical chronographs because of its roots in Breitling's pilot chronographs, or whether the Navitimer image was too established in terms of design and other companies were still producing Navitimers using the remaining parts he had sold. However, Schneider chose the name "Chronomat" for his new chronograph.