The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I'm looking at purchasing my first Breitling and the models I'm looking at within my budget are the Colt GMT or the Steelfish. I'm just wondering what anyone thinks of these models and if anybody has had any trouble with either of these. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Steelfish every time for me. It's bigger (but not too big) and it's certainly an impressively solid piece of engineering with its 2000m water resistance.

Oh and I own one, so it MUST be the one to go for!

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Driver8

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I'm split right now, and when I tried on the steelfish I thought it might be a little too big. However, after thinking about it some more, I kind of like the bigger, bulkier watch. What color dial do you have Driver? I like the blue dial on the steelfish and GMT. I tried on the blue superocean but I like the more subtle blue of the steelfish and GMT.

I went for the black dial myself.

Years ago I had a blue dial Superocean and then a few years later I bought one of the first run Steelfishes (the 1500m version) with the ivory dial. (They call it a silver dial, but it's more ivory in real-life). But from owning it I found that the lighter dial just didn't suit what is essentially a hard-core diver's watch. Sure it looked different, but it also made the markers a little tough to read, and robbed some of it's "manly good looks"!!

So earlier this year I sold that and bought a 2007 black dial Steelfish (the 2000m version) which is absolutely love. It sits better on the wrist and is impressive without being overly bling.

Personally I think both the blue and the black dials are great. Go for it! You won't regret it!

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Driver8

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I've decided that I will go with the Steelfish with the blue dial. I was looking at the models posted on here and saw the Steelfish as 42mm and the Steelfish X-Plus at 44mm. Do they still make the 42mm watch or is the 44mm watch the only Steelfish available?

Great Choice!! The darker dials are much easier to read, as Driver8 said. I have the same that he has and concur that it is a phenomenal piece of hardware. Everyday I wear it I can't believe how incredible it is wearing it.

Most of the stores that I have seen recently have the X-Plus only, I actually purchased mine February 2007 and there were not any 42mm to be found. I wanted the X-Plus though so it wasn't a problem. Which one are you interested in? Personally I do not know if there is any difference other than the size and placement of the helium release valve.

-Ray

Just to clarify the size thing with Steelfish models -

The 42mm version was only made for around a year (that was what my silver/ivory dial version was). The main difference other than size and helium value placement is the water resistancy. The 42mm was "only" water resistant to 1500m, which was the same as the ordinary Superocean, whereas the X-Plus was 2000m WR. (Persoanlly I think Breitling changed it to the X-Plus size to differentiate it more from the ordinary Superocean, as they were both the same size and water resistancy, etc).

Anyway, the current Steelfish (2000m one) was called the X-Plus for a around year so that people knew it was different to the 42mm version. However, as far as I am aware the 44mm version is now just referred to as the Steelfish. (i.e. dropped the X-Plus bit!)

There are a couple of other very minor differences between the 42mm and 44mm - for example the slightly larger dial means that the second marker track on the dial now doesn't stop at the date window like it did on the 42 - hence it looks "cleaner", etc. I also find that the 44mm sits better on my wrist than the old 42mm one did, but that's probably just a personal thing.

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Driver8

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Amazing...Thanks for the info Driver!

I was at an AD yesterday and checked out both the Steelfish and the GMT. The Steelfish wasn't as big as I thought it was, but the only drawback to me is that it doesn't come in a polished finshed and that brushed is the only option. I've had a brushed watch before and I thought that showed wear worse than a watch I have now with the polished bracelet. I liked the GMT since it was polished and came with the polished bracelet. Ray and Driver, do you have the brushed professional bracelet and if you do, how does everyday wear show on it and can you have small scratches or any other marks buffed out of those bracelets?

I have the brushed Professional II bracelet and it very easy to maintain. I have that white Breitling cleaning cloth I got with a travel case that I use and it does a great job. Except for a minor ding on the clasp (stupid turbulence while I was asleep on an airliner), it looks like the day I bought it. And it has been everywhere with me, from glaciers in Alaska to diving in the Keys!

Perhaps Driver can clear this up, from my understanding for Breitling bracelets brushed show less wear compared to polished?? I've heard a few people say it and it does makes sense to me...but I'd go with Driver!

I have lots of brushed, polished, and two-tone bracelets, and i find the two-tone ones the hardest to maintin, the polished the next, and the brushed the easiest to maintain. You just need to brush it with a sandpaper or something similar to remove the scratches.. most people use a scotch-brite pad.

The brushed DOES seem to show scuffs more easily, but I think its more about the look. Do you want something more discreet and brushed, or do you want something polished and shiny?

I like the polished look, but I didn't see any Steelfish at the AD that had the polished bracelet. All of theirs had the brushed bracelet. I've seen some online that have the two-tone bracelet and I like that look, but polished would be my preference. The one thing I'm unsure about is how the all polished bracelet would look with the brushed Steelfish. My preference is the polished look.

I dont think the polished bracelet is available for the steelfish... so you're probably better off with the SuperOcean if you want polished... buy yeah its smaller...

Thanks Admin!- I guess I should have figured that out because I banged the polished case hard against the yoke one day and my heart sank, I must have looked like this but there is no scar to be seen. Is the polishing on the case similar to the polishing of a bracelet?

BTW, I heard that from 2 ADs in Vegas (Bellagio and Tourneau at Caesars). I must of had the used car salesmen that day trying to sell me what I needed to hear to buy. subconsciously my instincts must not have liked them; I went to the Mirage to get it!

I agree with RayD and Admin on the ease of maintaining the brushed Pro II bracelet. Yes it can possibly show marks a little easier than the polished version...., but they are also very easy to remove. I use one of those green scouring pads (I think it's the same as the scotch-brite pad that Admin mentioned), but you can also use a small piece of wire wool as long as it's not too coarse. As long as you use the pad quite lightly and work in the direction of the brush effect, they come up as good as new. Just don't do it too often or you may not have much watch left!

In my experience the Pro II is better for scratch resistance than something like the Omega Seamaster Pro clasp - that one is VERY "scratch-happy" - but even they also came out very nicely using a pad.

BTW, jnelson3097 mentioned about a polished bracelet for the Steelfish. There isn't an official Steelfish one, but I think (and I'm sure someone will correct me if not!) that the Airwolf bracelet has the same lug width, so would probably fit. HOWEVER, I reckon it'd look a bit odd with the brushed Steelfish case.....

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Driver8

Site Moderator