The humbly, yet implicatively titled Aviation collection possibly is the most widely recognized range of watches from Bell & Ross Mens Replica Watches. With its debut in 2005 it not only helped to bring the brand to a much wider audience, but also to ultimately make replica watches inspired by aviation and instruments a more important trend in the replica watch world. The BR03 line of replica watches are part of the Aviation collection and today we are looking at a new and very limited piece called the Bell & Ross BR03-51 GMT-TWG Replica, sold exclusively by The replica Watch Gallery UK.
The model in question is an alternative version of the also new BR03-51 GMT Carbon Replica, which is not to be confused with the other model called “GMT Titanium” (the one that actually has a dial where there’s carbon fiber material visible). What the GMT Carbon offers instead is a carbon dial in solid black, a 42 millimeter stainless steel case with black PVD coating to increase the stealthy nature of the replica watch, and also the dial now proudly states GMT just below the Bell & Ross logo at the 3 o’clock position. What makes this particular piece a limited edition is the fact that only 50 numbered pieces will be made and that the three colored parts are painted to the “The replica Watch Gallery blue” instead of orange.
With its big date and a GMT function, this model is a more down-to-earth version than several of its counterparts from the collection. While, the three splashes of blue add some vibrance to the otherwise rather formal black and white looks. Despite the added features, legibility should remain splendid even in low-light conditions, thanks to the large luminescent hands and block indexes. The replica watch is powered by the automatic Soprod TT651, it is water resistant to 100 meters and will come with both a rubber and a black heavy-duty canvas strap.
And while this time the differences between the original and the LE version are not structural but merely aesthetic, I feel that this model is a great opportunity for those who are interested in the base model of this replica watch to add some more exclusivity through a distinguished look and limited availability.
Annual calendars were a hot category at both of this year’s Swiss replica watch fairs, and one of the most noteworthy of these, unveiled at Baselworld, was this offering from Blancpain’s elegant Villeret collection. The latest version of the Blancpain Villeret Quantième Annuel GMT Replica,which combines the annual calendar function with a dual-time display, is the first of this model with a stainless steel case.
The steel case of the Villeret Quantième Annuel GMT Steel (Ref. 6670-1127-55B) is 40 mm in diameter and a modest 11 mm thick.The clean white dial features hands and applied Roman-numeral hour markers also made of steel; the Blancpain “JB” logo appears as the counterweight on the central seconds hand. The dial layout is different from those of many other annual calendar luxury replica watches, with the day, date, and month displays grouped together for an intuitive, sequential reading. The GMT (second time zone) indication is on a minimalist 24-hour subdial at 8 o’clock.
The movement, visible through a sapphire caseback (below) is Blancpain’s manufacture Caliber 6054F, with automatic winding, 34 jewels, and a 72-hour power reserve. Like all annual calendar movements, it requires only one adjustment per year by the wearer, between February and March, to compensate for the 28-day or 29-day length of February; in every other month, the date moves automatically from the 30th or 31st to the first day of the following month. The solid gold winding rotor is enhanced with a guilloché pattern.
Also noteworthy, and adding to the replica watch’s streamlined look, are the under-lug corrector buttons, which have been patented by Blancpain. Hidden from view under the case’s lugs while the replica watch is worn, they allow the wearer to operate the calendar functions without using a stylus. The corrector at 1 o’clock adjusts the day of the week while the one at 5 o’clock adjusts the month. The second time zone and date, along with the hour and minute, can all be set via the crown.
Louis Vuitton replica watches embrace black with a new collection of three Louis Vuitton Tambour éVolution timepieces in black – each of them sporting a second time zone in quasi-GMT format. These are pretty interesting models and add an interesting look to the larger Louis Vuitton replica watch collection, which the company has been attempting to bolster as a more serious horological product for the last few years. Part of that has been investing in their own movement manufacture, “Louis Vuitton La Fabrique du Temps,” as well as focusing on some more experiment complications. We see one of those here, in this new version of the Louis Vuitton Tambour éVolution Spin Time GMT Replica.
Louis Vuitton is part of the larger LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) group which also owns major replica watch makers such as Zenith, Hublot, TAG Heuer, and Bulgari. It isn’t as though LVMH really needs more replica watches, but a brand as powerful as Louis Vuitton doesn’t do too poorly with whatever it decides to offer, and its replica watches are certainly among its more exclusive offerings. So let’s take a look at these new DLC-coated black steel Louis Vuitton Tambour éVolution GMT replica watches for 2015 and who they might be good for.
There is a distinct line in the sand separating people who consider themselves to be serious replica watch lovers. Some replica watch people will wear a timepiece from a “fashion brand” and some simply will not. With the Louis Vuitton name on the dial, there are a lot of people who will simply have no interest in these replica watches – and for them, LVMH has other things to offer. Those that will wear a “fashion brand” replica watch are perhaps more open-minded but demand a lot. There must be a fluid integration behind the design, value, movement quality, and overall presentation.
I’ve long since admired some of the legacy Louis Vuitton Tambour collection replica watches – namely the Tambour Divers. Yes, the replica watches are extremely expensive, but I enjoyed them for their unique design and character. That they had the Louis Vuitton name on them meant absolutely zero to me. So what type of replica watch lover am I? I would say that I am more open minded, but that is only because I am totally brand agnostic. I look at the brand name on a dial long after I’ve inspected many other elements about a replica watch. As long as the brand’s personality doesn’t offend me, I wouldn’t mind wearing a Louis Vuitton or other fashion brand replica watch, assuming it had the right stuff otherwise.
It was back in 2013 that Louis Vuitton initially introduced the Tambour éVolution collection which simply added some styling cues and more intricate details as well as a more traditionally round case to the “dog bowl” case design of the original Tambour. I’ve actually never seen a Tambour case in black, so that was my immediate interest in these new Louis Vuitton Tambour éVolution GMT in Black models. Note that prior to the DLC-coating application, the steel cases were brushed and polished in different areas – which is visible through the coating. With their unique lug structure, the Tambour éVolution replica watches wear distinctively, but also comfortably. You sort of love or hate them.
The first of the new Tambour éVolution timepieces is the Louis Vuitton Tambour éVolution GMT in Black, which is 43mm wide and water resistant to 100 meters (well, they are all water resistant to 100 meters). With the cleanest dial of the bunch, this timepiece contains the automatic caliber LV71 (not in-house made) movement (operating at 4Hz with 42 hours of power reserve) which has two time zones with a day/night indicator for the second time zone and the date. I don’t consider this a true GMT, because it (like the other models here) doesn’t indicate one of the time zones in 24-hour format, but rather uses a second 12-hour hand. This is similar, but just makes for a “two-time-zone replica watch.” Basically, you have two hour hands, with each representing a different time zone. As a basic travel replica watch, the Louis Vuitton Tambour éVolution GMT in Black is modernly cooly with a welcome black with red accent color tone. With this collection, the Tambour éVolution very much feels like Louis Vuitton’s version of the Montblanc Timewalker (which is most certainly less expensive).
Moving up the ladder you also have the 2015 Louis Vuitton Tambour éVolution Chronograph GMT in Black replica watch which is 45mm wide. Containing the non-in-house made caliber LV92 automatic, this is more-or-less the same movement as the Louis Vuitton Tambour éVolution GMT in Black, but with a chronograph module. Thus, you get the same two time zone dial in a slightly bigger case with an added 30 minute chronograph. Between the three models, I have a feeling that this Tambour éVolution Chronograph GMT in Black will be the best selling model.
Louis Vuitton also decided to add a new version of its pretty awesome Tambour Spin Time replica watch (first covered here) to the Tambour éVolution in Black collection. The Louis Vuitton Spin Time was first introduced in 2010, and that first version is still my favorite. The 2015 Louis Vuitton Tambour éVolution Spin Time GMT in Black is different from the original model in some ways, but it does retain the core concept – which is to display the time in a second time zone via small cubes on the dial that turn around when it is that hour. The new Spin Time dial has been highly minimalized, and the in-house made calibre LV111 automatic movement produced by Louis Vuitton is different from that in the original Spin Time. What is different is that now the second time zone cubes are adjusted using the crown, whereas in previous Spin Time models, there were pushers on the left of the case to advance the second time zone forward or backward.
Hero of the luxury replica watch maker independents, and master of marketing and product, Geneva-based MB&F will now release the brand’s first perpetual calendar timepiece with the Legacy Machine Perpetual. This newest member of the MB&F Legacy Machine replica watch collection family was produced in collaboration with Irish-born replica watchmaker, Stephen McDonnell, who is one among that rare breed of super-talents behind the scenes. McDonnell designed the manually wound perpetual calendar movement inside of the Legacy Machine Perpetual from the ground up as a fully integrated new perpetual calendar mechanism totally distinct from everything else out there. Set in the same 44mm wide Legacy Machine case as the original LM1, the Legacy Machine Perpetual Calendar is, perhaps, MB&F’s most direct competition to the storied product collections of Switzerland’s largest and oldest replica watch “maisons” to date.
The MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual doesn’t break the mold of previous generation Legacy Machine luxury replica watches, but it does a unique look with a skeletonized dial and fully populated face given the amount of indicators required for the complicated movement. Also, the polished bezel mixed with the light reflections off visible parts of the movement make for a much more “dazzling” look while on the wrist.
Designed and produced exclusively for MB&F, the Legacy Machine Perpetual movement is produced from 581 parts operating at 2.5Hz (18,000 bph) with a power reserve of 72 hours. Intended to resemble legacy 19th century pocket replica watch movements in aesthetic style, there is very little which is actually retro about the movement, aside from how it looks, with its swoopy lines and hand finishing. McDonnell was careful to match the thematic aesthetics applied to the Legacy Machine as set forth by Jean-Francois Mojon and Kari Voutilianen, even though the movement of the Legacy Machine Perpetual does have a more modern feel to it.
One of the most special design elements of the movement will likely be easily overlooked by most because it isn’t obvious. Like all LM replica watches, the Legacy Machine Perpetual’s dial emphasizes the large, floating balance wheel that, so far, helps to visually and mechanically define the collection. Follow the hand-polished bridge to the balance wheel and hairspring and you may see something missing. There is no escapement. Well, there is, but you can’t see it from the dial. MB&F and Stephen McDonnell designed the system with what might be the world’s longest balance wheel pinion rod that goes through the movement and connects to an escapement system which is visible through the rear of the replica watch.
Enthusiasts should understand that considerable engineering effort was require for this and other elements of the Legacy Machine Perpetual. It is common in such artistic and complicated replica watches for a considerable amount of the timepiece’s expense to be attributed to designing the movement to match a particular aesthetic dream versus building the aesthetics around the movement.
In anticipation of Baselworld 2016, we see the re-release of the Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman, a purpose-built diver that was the choice of the U.S. Navy in the first half of the 20th century for its tactical dive teams. It was also an important model in the history of Hamilton on the silver screen, being the first Hamilton mens replica watch from the brand to appear in a motion picture. The movie was, fittingly enough, The Frogman, a 1951 release about the U.S. Navy’s Underwater Demolition Team.
The flagship version of the Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman re-release has a 46mm titanium case with a red, unidirectional rotating bezel marking out 60 minutes and ten-minute integers in a clear, retro-militaristic font, with a triangular indicator replacing the zero/sixty marker. The Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman has a black dial with applied indexes with Super-LumiNova luminescence. The hour and minute hands are sizeable and feature the same luminescence as the dial, and there is a small date window between four and five o’clock. The crystal is sapphire with an antireflective coating. Immediately noticeable is the locking crown guard which, in addition to the black rubber strap, hints at serious diving abilities.
With water-resistance to 1,000 meters, the Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman replica watch lives up to the promises its design makes for it. It also features a helium escape valve for regulating internal/external pressures experienced while diving. The Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman replica watch is powered by the H-10 automatic caliber movement and has an 80-hour power reserve.
Obviously, the market for dive replica watches is incredibly dense and Hamilton is going head-to-head with a number of different capable manufacturers with this replica watch. The Tag Heuer Aquaracer, while only water-resistant to 300 meters and priced higher, has a more subdued design which could allow it to be worn more casually in environments where the Frogman would stand out. It is a similar story with the Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman and the Tudor Pelagos or one of the Tudor Heritage Black Bay replica watches. These could potentially be unfair comparisons because of the price differences, but since this is the territory Hamilton is entering with their dive replica watches, it will require a hands-on to see how the build and design compares to the Swiss rivals. The Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman can also be compared to dive replica watches from Oris and Squale priced at or below the Frogman with similar technical features and attractive designs.
he LVMH group that owns Louis Vuitton mens replica also owns a series of replica watch makers such as TAG Heuer, Bulgari, Zenith, and Hublot. It is arguable that Louis Vuitton as a brand doesn’t need to also make replica watches – but they do, and for the most part, they are very nicely done. Louis Vuitton’s best replica watch craft comes from their in-house La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton facility. The brand today makes a small number of replica watches (comparatively speaking) and they range from everyday models with quartz movements for women to very exotic tourbillon-based timepieces at the uppermost end of the spectrum. Today, we are looking at the new-for-2016 Louis Vuitton Voyager GMT replica watch collection.
The Louis Vuitton Voyager GMT offers a novel case design which is somewhere between round and cushion-shaped. I haven’t worn it myself yet, but I am curious about how it looks on the wrist. Like the famous Tambour case that Louis Vuitton is known for, this new Voyager case design benefits from being both comfortable-looking and distinctive. It is hard to tell from images alone what it will look like on the wrist, but I’m open-minded and optimistic about it.
I just had to re-write the below paragraph because I initially worte it after reading Louis Vuitton’s materials on the replica watch – which didn’t even include the proper name of the replica watch. For that reason you might see this timepiece out there referred to as the “Louis Vuitton GMT” without the Voyager part of the name. What I said is that I almost felt that Louis Vuitton utterly didn’t have replica watch enthusiasts in mind when coming up with this personality-free name for an otherwise interesting collection if the name was just “Louis Vuitton GMT.” As you likely know, “GMT” is the term for a complication, and it also refers to “Greenwich Mean Time.” GMT is the name typically given to any timepiece which offers a second time zone in 24-hour format. If a replica watch offers a second time zone in 12-hour format, it is just a “dual time zone” replica watch, and frankly, brands get this confused a lot.
Yes, it is correct that these replica watches have a GMT function. With that said, is that enough to give this collection any manner of personality? It would be like calling a new truck the “Ford 4×4.” All that does is explain some of the functionality that the product has – which is functionality shared by others. Louis Vuitton is by no means the only company on the market to make GMT replica watches, and this isn’t the only GMT replica watch that Louis Vuitton makes. So knowing that, you can understand why I was irritated to receive documentation that simply called it the GMT. Rather, these replica watches are the Louis Vuitton Voyager GMT.
The Louis Vuitton Voyager GMT case is 41.5mm wide (water resistant to 50 meters) and available at launch in either a steel case or an 18k pink gold case. You also see three different strap options which include a steel bracelet, textured gray “taurillon” calf leather strap for the steel case, or a blue alligator strap for the 18k pink gold model. I am happy that a bracelet exists. Louis Vuitton offers bracelets on a number of their replica watches in addition to straps, which is a good sign. Bracelets are difficult to engineer and often work only with particular cases. That means Louis Vuitton puts the effort into making them in order to have a more complete replica watch design experience – and I approve of that, of course.
Last summer we released the AVI-8 x worn&wound replica watch edition 1. It was a huge success, with all 150 units selling out within a couple of months. So, we decided to bring it back, mixing things up a bit to give the new version a different feel from the last. The AVI-8 x worn&wound edition 2 takes the same military inspired design of the first, drawing from classic pilots and fields yet establishing its own unique look, and goes a more modern, sleek direction with a semi-sterile dial and crisp BGW9 lume. We kept the Miyota 8245 automatic movement and domed sapphire crystal, and packaged the watch with an array of straps and accessories including one of our American-made Model 2 Premium watch straps.
Case: Two-tone, black PVD/brushed steel
Movement: Miyota 8245 Automatic
Dial: Charcoal Gray and Matte Black
Lume: BGW9 SuperLuminova
Lens: Domed Sapphire crystal
Straps: 2 x nylon Mil-Strap, 1 x w&w Coal Model 2 Premium
Water Res.: 50m
Dimensions: 42 x 48 mm
Thickness: 13.5 mm
Lug Width: 22 mm
Crown: 4 x 6 mm
Case: Padded Cordura Watch Replica Wallet
Warranty: 2 years through AVI-8
Price: $399
Dial
This year, for the dial, we went with a two-tone approach using a matte charcoal gray for the main surface and matte black for the small seconds at 6. For the primary index, we went with large applied markers, rectangles for the hours, triangles at 12 and 6 and numerals at 3 and 9. The combination of markers speaks to both pilot and field watches, but balances out making for a highly legible design. Each of the applied markers is also coated in BGW9 lume, appearing clean white in daylight, icey blue in the dark.
Off of the hour markers are small white numerals for the minutes at intervals of 5. This too aids in at-a-glance legibility, and speaks to some of our favorite German military watches from the 80’s and 90’s. At 6, you’ll find a sub-seconds counter in matte-black, subtly distinguishing it from the surrounding area, with white markers for the seconds and numerals at the quarter minute.
From here, things change a bit more. For the individual minute markers, which run between the hours, the cross-hairs and the logos under 12, we’ve gone with black print. On the gray background, it’s very subtle, appearing more as a texture than anything else. In some light, these added details come through, building on the design. In others, they disappear completely, giving the dial a stark, sterile (no-branding) appearance. Overall, this gives the watch a more modern and aggressive feel.
In keeping with the modern direction, we changed the hands from the blunted style of the first, to sharper straight swords in polished steel. To increase legibility and ease in distinguishing between the hands on the fly, the minute is split laterally across its middle. The second hand is then a small straight sword with edge to edge lume.
Case
We kept the same case as the first model, as we felt in perfectly suited this concept. Based on AVI-8’s Flyboy models, the 42 x 48 x 13.5mm (to the top of the domed sapphire) case is rugged and well balanced. At 42mm, it has solid presence and ample dial real estate, while the 48mm lug-to-lug keeps it manageable on top of the wrist. We’ve also kept our unique finishing concept, with a brushed steel bezel, PVD mid-case and steel, knurled crown. The alternating finishes create an interesting visual effect, while the PVD mid-case also helps temper the 42mm diameter, and adds some stealthiness overall.
For the caseback, we kept the display window with etched details on the surrounding area. On the display window, we proudly have our w&w diamond logo electroplated dead-center in a mirror finish, one of our favorite details. Behind our logo you get a full view of the 21-jewel Miyota 8245 automatic movement inside. The 8245 is a utilitarian caliber with some light cote de Geneve on the winding plate and balance cock, as well as a skeletonized rotor. What it lacks in artistry it makes up for in a certain rugged appeal that stays true to the watch’s character.
Straps and Accessories
One of our favorite things about this collaboration is that we get to go all out on the accessories, outfitting the watch the way we want it. For this edition, we went with two custom nylon Mil-Straps and one of our Model 2 Premiums. The Mil-Straps are manufactured by AVI-8 Mens Replica to our exact specifications in terms of size and color. One is a dark charcoal gray. It’s a bit softer than black would be, playing in with the mix of tones from the dial and case. The other is a gorgeous teal/blue, often called “thalo” blue in paint terms. It’s bright and rich with an intense color that makes everything pop. It might just be the nicest blue nylon Mil-Strap we’ve come across (self-congratulating, I know, but still…that blue).
For the leather option, we included one of our new American-made Coal Model 2 Premium straps, which retail for $89. The Model 2 Premiums are an evolution on our previous Model 2 straps, combining Horween uppers with Wickett & Craig vegetable tanned lining leather, which helps prevent stretching and makes the straps wear better for longer. We then finish the straps off with painted edges and hand-stitched details. For the AVI-8 x w&w collab, we chose used our Coal leather, which is a Horween chromexcel nubuck with a soft, matte finish. Combined with black edges, stitching and lining, it’s the perfect complement to the watch.
With all these straps, you’ll need a way to swap them in and out, so we’ve included one of our handy capped spring bar tools. The fact that it’s black aluminum and has a tactile appeal of its own only further complements the set. Lastly, to carry this all around on the go and keep it organized at home, we’ve included a custom, padded carrying case made of gray Cordura.
Available Now
The AVI-8 x worn&wound edition 2 is available now in a limited edition of 300 pieces exclusively at shop.wornandwound.com and at select retailers, such as Ajax Shoppe in San Diego. The price for the whole kit including the watch, 2 nylon Mil-Straps, 1 Coal Model 2 Premium, a strap changing tool and the Cordura carrying case is $399, which includes free shipping in the US and Canada. Head over to our shop today to get one while they last.
Girard-Perregaux Mens Replica Chamber of Wonders collection is expanding with three replica watches that are adorned with magnificent dials that either celebrate the earth as seen from space, or space as viewed from earth. A trio of numbered pieces was unveiled at Baselworld 2016 to honor the philosophy and visions of famous scholars. These timepieces are housed in a 40.00 mm pink gold case and are powered by the GP03300-0060 caliber, a mechanical movement with automatic winding, displayong the hours and minutes functions, and offering a 46-hour power reserve. Each swiss replica watch is fitted with a stitched black alligator strap, secured by a pink gold pin buckle.
Girard-Perregaux Chamber of Wonders Celestial Globe
This exceptional timepiece is inspired by the Vincenzo Maria Coronelli, a Franciscan monk, an Italian cosmographer, cartographer, publisher, and encyclopedist known in particular for his atlases and globes. His legacy lives in two giant globes he created in Paris to demonstrate his respect to Louis XIV. One globe is terrestrial, the other celestial, depicting the sky as it was seen at the time of the monarch’s birth, on September 5, 1638. On the 1,880 celestial bodies that it depicts, 72 constellations adopt the forms of whimsical animals and mythological figures. The completely blue-toned work, comprised of twelve equal areas symbolizing the seasons when the sun crosses the zodiac constellations, was painted and illuminated by Jean-Baptiste Corneille. The domed sapphire dial of the Celestial Globe timepiece is painted by hand and its engraved grooves are filled with gold powder.
Girard-Perregaux Chamber of Wonders Center of the Universe, Earth
This model draws its inspiration from the work of Greco-Roman Ptolemy, an astronomer, mathematician, and geographer, known for his geocentric (Earth-centred) model of the universe. The timepiece was created with the help of the method of stone marquetry and was decorated by skillful miniature painters. The depth which was rendered by stone, is cut into thin disks, which are then polished and positioned like a jewel. This sets the scene for materials capable of representing different shades of blue, such as lapis lazuli or aventurine, or reflecting warm white tones, such as extra-white mother-of-pearl. The stretches of sea and boundaries of unknown territories are formed in this manner, before brushes dipped in gold powder delicately caress the colored surfaces.
Girard-Perregaux Chamber of Wonders Center of the Universe, Sun
To pay tribute to the vision of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who suggested that the Sun was a fixed point in the universe around which celestial bodies revolve, Girard-Perregaux creates “Center of the Universe, Sun” replica watch. The watchmaker has chosen aventurine and gray jade and combined those with alternating shades of dark and pale orange jasper, to demonstrate the 24-hour renaissance.
Paris-based photographer, Dani Olivier is specialised in “abstract and psychedelic nudes”, human bodies covered in striations of coloured light. Olivier’s portraits are real photographs, not the result of digital manipulation. Dani Olivier accomplishes the effects by projecting light patterns onto nude bodies set against a jet-black background, creating completely surreal forms.
In a collaboration that began in 2015, Corum Mens Replica has miniaturized Olivier’s art, transferring two of his most distinctive photographs on the dials of its Bubble wristreplica watch.
Care has been taken to ensure that the Bubble is a fitting canvas for Olivier’s art, with even the Corum key logo at three o’clock being applied in the same vivid colours as the portraits. And the rhodium-plated hands have been filled with matte black lacquer, allowing them to stand out enough to be legible, while not distracting from the artwork behind. And to match the deep black background of Olivier’s portraits, the signature, 47 mm Corum Bubble replica watch case has been coated in black PVD.
Both of the Bubble Dani Olivier editions are limited to just 88 replica watches each, with the final, 88th timepiece in each edition being a one-off, unique piece. The 88th wristreplica watch features the same artwork on the dial, but is distinguished by a red gold bezel that serves as a frame for Olivier’s photographs.
Breitling Mens Replica is the yeast extract-based spread of replica watchmaking. Some people can’t get enough of them, others wouldn’t even wear one on a bet, but either way we’ve all heard of the brand. Pre-quartz revolution, Breitling replica watches were the go-to tools of the experts, found on the wrists of pilots, engineers, scientists and even astronauts, but post-quartz revolution, well—let’s just say that Breitling seems to have taken a little longer than most finding its groove.
The result of this was an abundance of confusingly similar models, leaving newcomers with a muddle of replica watches to choose from. Breitling has recently managed to consolidate its lines, leaving some that honour the brand’s illustrious past and others that look to future. The cherry on the cake was the brand’s first new in-house chronograph movement since the quartz revolution, the B01. That was launched five years ago, and it was released to a rumbling of questions: Is it going to be expensive? Will it be reliable? Is there enough demand for it?
Breitling Chronomat Replica here exhibiting slick detailing throughout. Finishes are reference level, tolerances millimetre perfect, the balance of luxury well-judged. On paper, the Chronomat 44 is the ideal flagship for Breitling’s range, carrying a proud heritage forward. Pricing is about right, too, sitting £1,000 less than Rolex’s Daytona.
But it’s not all cake and party hats, because it seems that Breitling still hasn’t been able to shake the last of its uncertain years. Where some details impress, others confuse. Why does the crown guard bulge and dip towards the pushers in such an awkward way? Why is there a square in the middle of the dial made up of lines, one edge of which steps around the logo? And who on Earth picked that retro-futuristic space-age font for the bezel? Erase that shaky judgement with the mind’s eye and you’ll see a very handsome replica watch, but unfortunately reality must be faced: those niggling little foibles really are there.
Still, it’s a step in the right direction and if, while we wait for the flagship Chronomat to take on a more resolved form, we still have a hankering for a Breitling with that excellent B01 inside, there’s the vintage-inspired Navitimer 01 to tide us over. Breitling’s time is yet to come, but be patient—it’s coming, and it’s coming soon.
This model draws its inspiration from the work of Greco-Roman Ptolemy, an astronomer, mathematician, and geographer, known for his geocentric (Earth-centred) model of the universe. The timepiece was created with the help of the method of stone marquetry and was decorated by skillful miniature painters. The depth which was rendered by stone, is cut into thin disks, which are then polished and positioned like a jewel. This sets the scene for materials capable of representing different shades of blue, such as lapis lazuli or aventurine, or reflecting warm white tones, such as extra-white mother-of-pearl. The stretches of sea and boundaries of unknown territories are formed in this manner, before brushes dipped in gold powder delicately caress the colored surfaces.
