Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 Ice Blue Watch Review
Tuesday - 09 August 2022
The new Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 Ice Blue watch retains the line’s retro-inspired edge with a shimmering cool blue dial punctuated by black-filled chronograph counters for superior land and air-bound timings.
When Breitling premiered its Super Chronomat watch design last year, it was a bit of a bold leap. There has been an obvious gravitation towards a more classic, heritage-inspired wristwatch since Georges Kern took over the company, and this has certainly proven to be a very clever move. Fans simply can’t get enough of today’s Breitling watches. Despite the popularity of these classic-looking models, however, there is still a market for bulkier, beefier sports chronographs, the ones we have all grown to love, and that’s where the new Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 Ice Blue watch comes into play.
The model, like the latest updated watches released last year, marries the current 1980s-inspired design characteristics of the Chronomat with a heavy-duty sports watch feel. The result is this 44mm instrument, bolstered by some really unique finishes and a striking blue-coloured dial. But the newer design of the already popular Breitling Chronomat is much more than just an upscaling of an existing look. More aggressive and monolithic than ever, it boasts squared-off crown guards, a bullet-shaped crown and a coin-edged bezel that honours a very vintage-infused edge. The rider tabs also benefit from the newer design. The ones at 3 and 9 o’clock that mark 15 and 45 minutes respectively can be unscrewed and inverted, making it possible to use them as a countdown and count-up feature whilst flying aircraft, racing on the track or sailing the seas. The rider tabs are also designed to protect the surface of the watch’s sapphire crystal glass front after the pilot, Ernest Schneider identified why cracked or damaged sapphire crystal glass had become such an issue for many pilots of the Italian Frecce Tricolori aerobatics team when he visited them back in the early 1980s. Pilots had reported that when opening the aircraft's canopy after landing, some were prone to knocking their watch on the metal frame as they extended their arms. In the design of the new Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 watches, the rider tabs are accompanied by the series’ first use of ceramic inserts that have previously matched the colour of the model's dial.
The new Ice Blue version of the Super Chronomat watch by Breitling features the pointed paddle handset across a wide, well-proportioned display. Without a doubt, it is the reverse panda design of the dial that gave the Super Chronomat its retro-inspired look, yet the new Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 Ice Blue watch features blackened chronograph scales that achieve the desired effect equally as well. The watch measures a beefy 44mm diameter as seen in recent releases last year and has been crafted from stainless steel. The case of the new Super Chronomat Ice Blue watch is also integrated with a water resistance rating of 200 meters and features a polished steel bezel with the aforementioned coloured ceramic insert – this time in black to match the black-filled trio of chronograph counters placed against an “ice blue” dial as promised in the title of its name. The black ceramic bezel boasts the distinctive rider tabs at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, framing a black flange bearing a tachymeter scale with white detailing and markings. Stick hour markets represent the hour track and, along with the central hour and minute hands, have been treated with a layer of luminous material. The dial of the new Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 Ice Blue watch also features a date window integrated into the 12-hour totaliser at 6 o’clock. This sub-counter adds balance to the 3 o’clock location where the 30-minute counter resides and the small seconds sub-counter located at 9 o’clock. The shimmering icy-blue tones of the dial create an unusual backdrop for the Chronomat’s reliable chronograph functions and are punctuated by a central chronograph hand executed in a deeper blue hue.
The back of the case of the new Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 Ice Blue watch is screwed down and features a pane of scratch-resistant and anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass, which grants a clear view into the performance of the movement. The watch is powered by the Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01. The movement produces a 70-hour power reserve and is COSC-certified like all other movements used within the brand’s catalogue. The movement features a vertical clutch system which enables the chronograph to be activated without any jumping of the hand. It also means that the hours, minutes and seconds all work from the same kinematic chain, reducing discrepancies by doing so. The main spring that powers the movement is wound by a bidirectional rotor mounted on ball beatings.
Lastly, a black rubber strap designed into the famous Rouleaux bracelet (originally developed exclusively for the Chronomat watch series) completes the sporty yet classic retro-inspired look of this Super Chronomat watch. It secures to the wrist with a stainless steel folding clasp to compete its functional yet robust design. If you’d like further details on the new Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 Ice Blue watch, you can explore the spec list here online or call and speak to a member of our Jura Watches sales team today on 01335 453453
