The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hi everyone, First post (long time reader).
I've been into watches for quite some time but have recently decided to make the investment and take the Ling plunge. I'm very excited, and have looked at a series of models I like.
Here's my dilemma...

I went to AD and tried on the SA white dial Arabic numbers, and absolutely fell in love. THEN, I realized after chatting with some watch enthusiast coworkers and looking at photos on my wrist (7.5) that it was a little large.
I went to Breitling store and they had a 2012 Avenger 45mm (stratus silver dial) which is the closest thing to white.
Now, I'm thinking long term, professionally, $ value, fashion trends... Will the white dial SA just look ridiculous. Will the big watch trend end making me a 50 year old who doesn't want to wear his white SA in 20 years. Is the 45mm still big, but not "in your face", and how much weight do I give the fact that the white dial looks better then the stratus silver IMO.
I wear a suit by day and jeans t-shirt by night. I realize the 45mm is a better size... But am just not sure about what to do because of a dial color.

I have read all the similar posts on the SA being too big... I guess for my first Breitling I'm making this harder then it should be.
Thanks for your feedback everyone!

I thought I posted attachment photos but doesn't seemed like it worked :/

Buy what you want, you're the one who has to wear it! Buying a watch today and worrying whether it will still appeal in 20 years time is to ignore the 20 years of enjoyment between now and then. If you prefer white then buy white, if you prefer the SA then buy the SA - if you make the decision to buy a watch just with your head then you should stick to the time on your cell phone - these are heart driven decisions.

.jpg files up to 150k can be attached directly to your posts, for larger files the instructions are here - viewtopic.php?f=5&t=453

Welcome to BreitlingSource.

Yeah I know it's a personal decision... I'm just afraid of dropping such a large amount on something I may regret. Especially since its the white that caught my eye. I know many other people have struggled with the SA size for daily use, curious as to how other people would rationalize it too.

Thanks for the welcome, happy to be here

I have a 7.5 in wrist as well and wear either my Black SA or my White SA in a professional setting everyday. I dont think either of them are too big for me. But this is my opinion. I wear my watches with either with a suit or a pair of slacks and a polo in the summer. Just like Roff said YOU are the one wearing it. We make these large expensive purchases for us and no one else. Buy what you want, what you want to stare at all day, what makes you feel right. The white dial is sporty but classy in a way IMHO. But whatever you decide on post the pics!

I have attached a photo for you so you can see what it looks like on another 7.5 wrist.

_________________
White Dial Super Avenger with Batons
Grey Dial Breitling Bentley 6.75

Past:
Black Dial Super Avenger with Numerals
Countless "high priced" cheapos

Greetings!

I would ask what you wish from the watch, is it one that will have a gentle life? Or one that will see some action?

If yours will be run hard then look toward the Aeromarine range or perhaps the Professional. If it's going to have an easy life then the Navitimer range holds some beautiful watches.

I love white dials. They are, in my opinion, the easiest to change appearance of with different straps.

Have you looked at the Avenger Seawolf Chrono? Or as a more suit and jean suitable watch, the Navitimer World. Both dress so easily, the Avenger is a solid chunk of steel, the World a more classic, perhaps classy piece. Both beautiful. The Chronospace should also be considered as it's a pretty chunk of tool watch.

I have a 7.5 wrist and the SA is simply too big for me. It's the height rather than diameter as the World is a big piece, but much flatter.

So, good luck with your choice. As an aside, we have found on this and other sites, that ordinarily, one Breitling, somehow, almost always leads to another.

Enjoy and relish whatever you purchase.

Davey

I've had my SA for about a month now, and where it everyday. I have the while dial, with silver sub dials. I love mine and even in the short time I've worn it, when I put on my smaller Invicta, I feel naked. I work in an office and am at my desk all day. When I work on my car or boat, I take it off. I would say it depends on what you do for a living and what you do through out your day.

I think the fact that you fell in love with the SA as soon as you saw it answers your own question for you.
Go with the one that sings to you most and not what others think.

Speaking through my own experience, when I first bought my SA, all my friends said it looked too big on me (I have 6.75 inch wrists), but I liked the over-sized look so didn't care too much what they thought.
I think if you went for the Avenger, it would always be playing on your mind that you should have got the SA.

But saying that, I had my SA for 3 years before I began to grow tired of the size of it.
I started finding it annoying how the watch never fitted under my coat sleeves (and given that we hardly have much sun in the UK, this started to grate on me).
With this niggly feeling playing on my mind, I started noticing in photos that it looked too big on me.

I ended up trading it in for an Avenger, which is still quite big compared to most watches out there, but I find it a lot more comfortable given my small wrists.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=48702

I used to wear my SA with a suit and didn't think it looked out of place, but I wore it with a calf leather for a more dressed up appearance.
But that's the beauty of the SA, you can stick it on the Pro II or DPII for a more sporty/casual look with a T-shirt.

Good luck with your decision, but either way, I'm sure you'll be happy.

Thanks so much for all the input guys.
I have looked at a few other models... But to answer some of your questions it's gonna be worn HARD. I can have unexpected days of dings and bangs. My holy grail is a Nav world, but for another 2k I simply can't justify the purchase (too many other responsibilities). So I'm keeping myself in the $5500 retail range for this first "new" Ling purchase.
As for color dial, I totally agree. I love white dials and find it very versatile.

I've been talking myself out of the white SA for the last 3 weeks. Suddenly today I went to the Breitling store and took video of the SA on my wrist with full body shots. WOW it looks huge, lol. So much so that I completely second guessed my attraction for it.
Suddenly the Avenger in stratus silver with the deep dial/case and numbered bezel looked really nice. I also realized that the silver dial seemed like a more timeless piece. And although the domed crystal makes the dial look small, it by no means is small weighing in at 45mm
I think I made my decision, and am actually very happy with it.