If you're a fan of tough guy tool watches, stellar pilot watches or any sort of sporty chronograph, then Breitling should be on your radar. The brand's history speaks for itself – that's what happens when you were founded in 1884 – and in the past six years under CEO Georges Kern, every new release has tapped into that rich horological knowledge in a new and modern way.
Its Navitimer and Superocean models are very wearable classics that are often reinvented, as the latest reworked Avenger range. Able to attract names like Brad Pitt, Adam Driver and Erling Haaland as ambassadors, plenty of other stars dig Breitling watches. Watch (and football) guru Pep Guardiola is a fan, and Tom Cruise loves to wear his big ‘00s Chronomat out and about.
Enough preamble, then. Here we speak to some of GQ’s favourite watch experts to get a take on the best of Breitling – sports chic and all.
Breitling recently gave us some delicious new Avenger pieces to rave about. “With more refined finishing and that case design, these new Avengers take the collection from Economy to not quite First Class – there’s the Chronomat for that – but definitely Business," says Andrew McUtchen, Time and Tide founder and About Effing Time podcaster. "The big news is that the Chrono models get a new engine altogether – in the B-01 in-house Chronograph. The mark of Kern is there for all to see, too, in the new wingless ‘B’ logo under 12. It’s a not-so-subtle sign that this brand is more than just aviation, but the Avenger proves that it’s still a very dominant territory.” £6,350. At breitling.com
From testing the early jet aircraft in Nevada in the ‘50s to being on-screen with a young Ed Harris in The Right Stuff, it's fair to say the complex Navitimer 806 is the über-pilot’s watch. With a feature for calculating air speed and a host of other now-smartphone apps, it epitomises a pilot watch's functionality. “If you’re after a watch that is not only iconic and steeped in history, the Breitling Navitimer 806 is one of the top 5 must-haves for any collection," says renowned watch expert Paul David Maudsley of Remontoire Ltd. "Sitting alongside the Rolex Submariner, Omega Speedmaster and Heuer Carrera.” Just don’t ask us to explain the workings of the intricacies of the micro-fronted slide rule. Can't get hold of a vintage one? There's a re-edition too. £6,850. At breitling.com
Breitling’s Superocean diver is the freshest watch in Breitling’s lineup, channeling the carefree summer vibes we all love to lean into. It's all about the medium size 42mm and that intense two-tone turquoise dial. Then again, with the sharp details of the big sword-and-paddle hands up against a textured rubber strap for comfort, the 44mm is also a popular option – go big or go home, right? With a 300m depth rating and a sexy micro-adjustable clasp, it deserves the attention it grabs. £4,150. At breitling.com
The Navitimer is one of the strongest ranges within Kern’s carefully honed portfolio of wristwear, one which George Bamford has a more personal relationship than most. “A Navitimer was the first serious watch I ever had, and I was given it for Christmas in 1996. Between Christmas and Boxing Day, I took it to bits with a screwdriver and penknife, using tweezers to remove the hands. It was the first time I had that lightning bolt moment about mechanical watches. There was no YouTube, nothing about the design of a watch, so for me, the Navitimer was my introduction. Putting it back together wasn’t 100% though – some bits were missing – so I returned it to Breitling to have a lot of love put into it, several times. But their original Navitimer is such a special watch – it started my journey, so I hold it in such high regard." £7,200. At breitling.com
With a SuperQuartz movement and an integrated emergency transmitter, fair to say Breitling’s Emergency is very much unlike any other watch. “A pinnacle of purposeful ruggedness, the Breitling Emergency – inspired by a need for personal emergency beacons discussed in a NATO conference in the mid-'80s – came to life in 1995 after a decade of development," says Fratello’s Ignacio Conde Garzon. "To this day, it continues to exist in Breitling's catalogue [upgraded to use the 406MHz frequency] and still offers a life-saving of complications that wearers should hope never actually need to use.” One thing's for sure: we know what we’d rather depend on atop a snow-laden alp – and it’s not searching for wi-fi on our phone. £13,150. At breitling.com
For all the talk of moon landings and the Omega Speedmaster, Breitling was actually the first Swiss wrist-worn chronograph in space. In 1962, Scott Carpenter blasted off in the Mercury-Atlas 7 spacecraft wearing none other than a Navitimer Cosmonaute. Carpenter's request to Breitling was simple: add a 24-hour dial to distinguish day from night in the darkness of space. Mercury-Atlas 7 orbited the earth three times before it splashed in the Atlantic. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of such a historic feat, Breitling dropped this 41mm Cosmonaute re-issue last year, limited to 362 pieces. The busy dial is made super legible with the unusual big numerals, along with the old Breitling winged logo captured in a creamy-coloured vintage-look lume. £9,300. At breitling.com
For many Breitling is best known for its muscular Chronomat series in that less-than-shy 44mm size and the perfection of its Rouleaux bracelet design. Case in point, this deep blue complex dial. “With the current Chronomat collection, Breitling updated one of the coolest watches from the '80s. The one to have is this Super Chronomat with a four-year calendar, only requiring one calendar adjustment per 1461 days," says RJ Broer of Fratello Watches. "And as you know, a proper Chronomat should be in two-tone [18kt red gold and steel here], but you can also settle for an all-steel model if you’re not feeling the Miami Vice vibe.” £15,150. At breitling.com
The Top Time was Breitling’s colourful late ‘60s sports watch and has, within the last decade, been the subject of some very cool brand collabs. We’re rather smitten by the two-tone ice blue dial of this joining of forces with Triumph motorcycles. On a vented black rally leather strap, the chill vibes of the Top Time panda-dial make it one of the most retro 42mm chronographs out there. The colour is matched to a 1965 Triumph Thunderbird 6T, and the two squircular registers within the clean-cut case make it a strong wrist presence we’ve decided is impossible to ignore. £6,250. At breitling.com
In the face of a rise in small-cased, retro-inspired watches, Breitling likes to stick to big, legible watches. This is especially true of the brawny 44mm Endurance Pro, though the shock is how light it is – weighing just 56.4 grams. That’s less than half what you’d expect and makes the Endurance Pro a GADA piece for all sports, ergonomically shaped from high-tech Breitlight composite in a world of colours. In its poppiest guise for the IRONMAN collab, the intense turquoise details and soft rubber strap pop like mad. £2,950. At breitling.com
In a precious contrast to sports watches and pilot tools sits the Premier range. Part of a series of three Chronographs celebrating the brand's founders, this 42mm number has a hypnotising feature unusually placed at 12 o’clock – a tourbillon, aka the regulating organ from 19th-century pocket watches. It is set within a cream dial in an 18K gold case, underlining the brand’s abilities for top-tier horology. The traditional splendour of the B21 Chronograph Tourbillon sets an imaginative and rather tempting end to this celebration of Breitling’s best – and Haaland is a big fan. £50,000. At breitling.com
