Time, travel and traceability: Breitling introduces three new watches

First introduced in 1984, a year after an Italian aerobatics team asked for a chronograph that was elegant enough to be worn off duty but was still strong enough for the cockpit, Breitling’s Chronomat has always maintained a powerful sense of versatility.

Since then, we’ve seen a number of iterations that have showcased Breitling’s impressive and progressive innovations. Fast forward to 2020 when the Chronomat was relaunched, it became a best-seller for the brand.

Building on this tradition of versatility and innovation, Breitling recently launched three new additions to the Chronomat family — the Chronomat Automatic GMT 40, Super Chronomat Automatic 38 and the Super Chronomat Automatic 38 Origins. Each one of these is inventive and groundbreaking in its own right.

The new members come in at 40mm and 38mm making them highly wearable as they bridge the midrange size gap that was notable in previous Chronomat models. But this is only a small part of what these new models have to offer.

Chronomat Automatic GMT 40

Breitling considers this model its tribute to travel mainly because of its dual-time-zone display which replaces the typical chronograph function. The aesthetic of the watch itself remains simple and sleek with clean lines, despite the increased functionality. The new GMT complication is powered by Breitling’s Caliber 32 and the watch has an astounding 200m water resistance, seriously cementing itself as a forerunner in sports watches.

True to the original request in 1983 by the Italian aerobatics team, the Chronomat Automatic GMT 40 is as versatile as versatile gets, with a striking aesthetic and state-of-the-art functionality to match.

Super Chronomat Automatic 38

The Super Chronomat Automatic 38 is immediately distinct from the rest of its Chronomat family just by looking at it. The ceramic rider tabs and crown and the rubber rouleaux set it apart and give it a striking character of its own, while also maintaining the signature characteristics of the “Super” models.

The Automatic 38 comes in three colours: silver, mint green and ice blue. Interesting about this particular model is the stainless-steel or 18K red gold bezel made with lab-grown diamonds, which is in line with the brand’s mission to transition its entire product portfolio to responsibly-sourced artisanal gold and lab-grown diamonds by 2025.

Super Chronomat Automatic 38 Origin

The Super Chronomat Automatic 38 builds on the design of the Automatic 38 with some notable technical enhancements. This is Breitling’s first traceable watch, meaning that owners can access and see the journey of the creation of the watch from raw materials to the finished product.

“The better gold and better diamonds used in Super Chronomat Origins enable the brand to know that its precious materials are free from association with conflict or human rights abuses [and] Breitling is also able to assess the social and environmental impact all along the supply chain and give back directly to the communities involved,” Breitling explains.

According to Breitling CEO George Kern, this release is rewriting the definitions of the Chronomat and the Super Chronomat, giving the pieces a character of their own.

“Then again, this is a collection already known for pushing boundaries,” he says.