The "informal" and "all-purpose" Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Japan Edition

The Chronomat B01 42 is the "informal" and "all-purpose" luxury watch that Breitling CEO Georges Kern has been advocating since taking office. Having worn the watch for over a week, I was able to personally experience why.

A historic icon of the new generation whose field of activity has expanded to include "all-purpose"

　Let's take a closer look at the new Chronomat B0142, based on the new criteria for "RagSport" advocated by this magazine. The Caliber 01 it is equipped with is not a free-sprung movement, but rather has a regulator. Considering shock resistance, a free-sprung movement without a regulator would be preferable, but Breitling likely prioritized rate adjustment using a regulator. During wear tests, accuracy was measured at minus one second per day for the T24, zero seconds per day for the T48, and minus one second per day for the T72, showing very small errors and good adjustment.

　The bracelet is the same nostalgic Rouleaux bracelet as the original Chronomat, but its structure has evolved. There's no play on either side, and it holds the wrist firmly. Additionally, each link fits comfortably on the wrist. While each tubular link appears to be independent, it's actually two tubes that make up a single link. It doesn't cling to the wrist more than necessary, and fits comfortably and smoothly to the wrist, making for a comfortable fit. Each link is fastened with pins rather than screws, but these are bar types, not flimsy hairpins, so the bracelet is adequately rigid, though not as rigid as screws.

　The case and bracelet are satin-finished, with the chamfers and center links polished, creating a subtle sheen with the polished sheen acting as an accent. The bezel that frames the dial is polished to a high shine, making it particularly eye-catching. This is perhaps the most "luxury sport" aspect of the Chronomat, which was originally a pilot's watch. However, the tops of the rider tabs placed every 15 minutes are hairline-finished, ensuring excellent visibility of the 15-minute increments, which is a key point.

　The three-dimensional diamond-cut indexes and hour and minute hands have a luxurious mirror finish, but the matte finish of the black dial ensures that the hands and indexes blend into the dial and do not become obscured. Similarly, the three subdials are matte silver, allowing the counter hands, which have polished surfaces, to be clearly read. In addition, the hour markers, hour and minute hands, as well as the chronograph second hand and three counter hands, are coated with luminous paint, ensuring excellent visibility in dark places.

　The 42mm case size is not too large for a sports watch these days and is standard, but thanks to the short lugs and the straight bow of the Rouleaux bracelet, it does not float even on a slender 17cm wrist, and will likely fit comfortably on many Japanese wrists.

　The only thing that bothered me after wearing it for over a week was the thickness of the case. It's a chronograph, so it's understandable, but at 15.10mm thick, it's not suited to desk work centered around a PC. In other situations, it was comfortable, just as Breitling claims it is an "all-purpose" watch. Every time I looked at the gleaming bezel against the satin-finished, slightly glossy surface, I felt a sense of pride and pleasure in knowing that this wasn't just a sports watch, but a "luxury sports watch."