Meet The Stealthy New Breitling Chronomat B01 42 UK Limited Edition
Breitling has unveiled a stealthy new Chronomat limited to 250 pieces and exclusive to the UK market. It’s the marvel of monochrome that many, including me, have wished to see Breitling’s hero watch become. While other dial colors and accents are flashy and stylish, something is reassuring about a classic black dial with a steel case. In some ways, muted tones showcase the purity of the design without distractions. Taking this further, the new UK limited edition forgoes the striking red accents commonly featured across the range. Instead, Breitling applied a matte white coating to the chronograph seconds hand and used white numerals for the rehaut’s decimal scale. While the anthracite sub-dials provide some contrast to the lacquered black dial, the similar shades also blend nicely while still offering legibility.
Since Breitling‘s symbolic rebirth in 2018, a continuing designation for regular-production chronographs is whether the dials had contrasting totalizers. Sub-dials contrasting the main dial indicate that the caliber inside is the in-house B01 (but not necessarily its variants). Ton-sur-ton sub-dials, however, denote that the mechanism is an ETA/Valjoux 7750-based caliber 13. With Breitling refreshing its core collection, the B01 movement is becoming the de facto beating heart for its chronographs. Only a few models in the catalog still use the third-party mechanism, mainly in the SuperOcean Heritage range. Therefore, this visual cue to convey the movement powering the watch is becoming increasingly less relevant in Breitling’s modern lineup. Consequently, recent releases, such as the Avenger B01, come with a single-shade dial despite not being limited.
Breitling introduces the Chronomat B01 42 UK limited edition
As of May 2024, I will have owned the Chronomat B01 42 “Frecce Tricolori” for four years. The popular Chronomat has indeed received plenty of exciting and dynamic limited editions since its rejuvenation in 2020. But I still appreciate how the Frecce Tricolori model pays homage to the 1983 edition that later inspired 1984’s Chronomat. Chiefly, the Frecce Tricolori version stood out among the 2020 releases due to the tone-on-tone blue dial and polished steel seconds hand. Instead of having a panda or reverse panda configuration, the dial captured what made the original iconic. As this year celebrates 40 years since the ’80s Chronomat revival and 140 years of Breitling, seeing more matching color combos returning to the lineup is pleasing.
For the new model, the closest comparison is the reverse panda stainless steel Chronomat from the initial launch. Despite the chrono counters with concentric grooves occupying the same space, the reverse panda sub-dials appear more prominent due to the contrast. The darker anthracite color with white markers reduces the visual impact for a more uniform aesthetic. It depends on your taste, but the UK limited edition speaks to my more restrained preferences. Besides the dial, this release maintains the core design cues of the Chronomat. It maintains the current 42 × 50.5 × 15.1mm case and, appropriately, comes on the unique Rouleaux bracelet with its rifle-shell-style links. The novel bracelet helps the Chronomat stand out among Breitling’s offerings and its chronograph competitors.
Final thoughts and pricing
Breitling typically refers to Chronomat as “chic,” which I don’t agree conveys the rugged nature of the watch. While the Avenger is the sportier watch collection, the Chronomat still has macho appeal for everyday wear. Due to the slide-rule bezel, the Navitimer tends to be the most recognizable Breitling wristwatch. But to Breitling, the Chronomat is the flagship timepiece because it essentially saved the brand from bankruptcy in the ’80s and remains relevant to this day. This new limited edition of 250 pieces showcases Breitling leaning on its proprietary designs with a fantastic monochrome version. With its B01 movement featuring automatic winding and a 70-hour power reserve, the Chronomat is up for any pursuit.
The Breitling Chronomat B01 42 is available exclusively in the UK for £7,300, and you can learn more about the watch on the Breitling website here. Let us know what you think of its more toned-down look in the comments.
