Breitling Just Relaunched Its Famed Chronomat Watch Series

The do-it-all sports watch returns in a campaign featuring the likes of Austin Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Erling Haaland.

Aided by a few famous faces, the legendary Breitling Chronomat is set to fly back into luxury watch collections as the Swiss horologist retools the latest iteration of its versatile sport timepiece collection.

The likes of modern-day NBA phenom Giannis Antetokounmpo, plus Elvis and Caught Stealing star Austin Butler showcase the collection to great effect in a new campaign as brand ambassadors, but what’s inside the relaunched timepiece is just as impressive. The Chronomat has long had its own presence in the wrist game community, as the Swiss watchmaker calls earlier versions of the watch a “pop culture fixture” (spot the timepiece on episodes of Seinfeld and Friends).

Originally introduced in 1984 as a fitting nod to the Breitling Centennial, the watch certainly earned its chops for its blend of water-ready utility and remarkable dependability under pressure. The original Chronomat was prized for its ability to withstand 20G forces, not to mention a mechanical movement (at a time when quartz watches were king, Breitling notes). This time around, the utterly useful and classic Chronomat also boasts a fully integrated case and bracelet design.

The Swiss watchmaker has certainly kept busy in recent months, as Breitling honored the heritage of the legendary Concorde aircraft with yet another pilot-ready watch. The horologist also holds the honor of being the first-ever luxury watch partner of the NFL. And for the much buzzed-about revamp of the Chronomat, a whopping 22 watches for both men and women join the fray (and perhaps your wrist game collection), adding to a lineup that was first reintroduced in 2020.

And as watch expert Teddy Baldassere notes, “the Breitling Chronomat traces its most emblematic design elements back to the relatively recent year of 1984,” but the foundational model boasts real-world utility and great looks in spades, following on the heels of its development by then-owner Ernest Schneider. To get the specs just right on the treasured pilot watch, Schneider worked with the Italian Air Force’s renowned aerobatic team, the Frecce Tricolori.

As Baldassere adds, the Chronomat model only bolsters the aviation heritage of Breitling, which can trace its impressive roots in the field back to the 1930s. At the time, the Chronomat was praised for its remarkable power reserve of more than a week, as Breitling and the Huit Aviation Department (founded by Willy Breitling) focused on “making the most precise and robust onboard timekeepers.” Consider that mission accomplished, complete with an impressive array of handsome, elegant and highly functional timepieces fit for modern times.

The latest and perhaps greatest Breitling Chronomat lineup includes three variations of the ever-versatile tool watch (the 22-piece offering boasts the Chronomat B01 42, Chronomat Automatic B31 40, and Chronomat Automatic 36). The B01 42 notably reduces the case thickness of the watch to 13.77mm from 15.1mm, while a 78-hour power reserve drives the B31 40, all the while appearing for the first time in a versatile 40mm case size.

For the pleasantly sized Chronomat Automatic 36, a slimmed-down 36mm case size delivers easygoing-yet-dressy wearability while being powered smoothly by a Sellita-based automatic movement featuring a 42-hour power reserve. The collection and its variety of dial-and-strap combinations work to showcase “the watch’s mix of casual, urban style and professional functionality,” Breitling notes. There’s a watch for nearly every preference in the collection, but as the company notes, some might be better suited for the likes of Austin Butler, as the new Breitling Chronomat ranges in price from $5,950 to $49,900.