The Breitling Watch Source Forums

....and before a couple price increases, I am certain the reaction would have been overwhelmingly positive. Since it is a lazy late afternoon at the office, I decided to do my best with an iPhone and a few thoughts.


First and foremost, the ambience of this watch is the most difficult to capture in photos of any I've owned. Maybe Frank or Ron could do it justice, but not me, and certainly not with an iPhone.


I submit the Blackbird is the perfect platform for a run of blacksteel LEs. That's right, I said it! It isn’t sacrilegious or disrespectful to an iconic watch, it just makes sense. You don’t have to like it or blacksteel in general, but if Breitling were to do ONE RUN of DLC, it had to be the Blackird -the name as well as the aircraft from whence the name derives demand it.


So given the correct platform, the issue becomes execution. And Breitling was spot on delivering the package. The blend of brushed and polished elements gives this piece a “tough as s##t” look on the wrist. Brushed bezel, polished case. The rider tabs are polished/brushed/polished at each step. Attention to detail goes as far as the polished bezel screws, which thus are not swallowed up by the brushed bezel side. The subtle Diver ProII completes the sleek design theme and with the deploy, as most well know, makes for an extremely comfortable wear. This is not the BB with the faceted braclet and it need not be. It neither competes with nor requires comparison to the standard BB. It stands on it's own as a unique watch.


If you don’t like a touch of red, this isn’t your watch. But let there be no mistake here, this is NOT the Redstrike BB! From most angles, the only noticeable red are the subdial hands, which are very nice IMO. The red Tach scale is quite subdued. The slight touches of color add interest, but nothing about the dial breaks the dominant theme of this watch -absolute STEALTH.


Presently priced at over $8,000 retail, it is crazy expensive, I’ll give you that one. But had this watch run before the blacksteel SA, Seawolf Chrono, and AS, it would have been heralded. As it was, Breitling brought it in just as many were already weary of the next tired run of DLC watches. So most, me included, dismissed this piece without a thought. Until I saw it. For nearly a year I kept noticing it first in the AD display. Then one day it was gone. Bought by an Apache Helicopter pilot...for full retail!!!!! "What a f###### idiot," I thought. And then it was back. Who knows, perhaps McDonald-Douglas had a lay off. Sweet!


As of today, two more members here have picked up this model. So now there are 3. To the traditionalist naysayer I can only respond in kind, but with all due respect ...

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SHARKMAN

Great pix, especially giving it is from a phone. Am I remembering wrong....too lazy to go to web site....but don't they typically have red numbers on the big date?

No that's the Red Strike and that's overkill on the red!

Awesome review Tom, you are spot on with everything! I have always loved the blackbird, I previously owned your brushed and polished versions, the BS BB fixes everything that I didn't like about those two watches. Great review!

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"I don't own any watches, I just lease them"

Very nice read. I had one of these on today at my AD. Here's what pisses me off, for guys that have smaller wrist NO watches ever fit me cause they are setup so big in the showcase. Now I'm not opposed to asking them to adjust it for me but my AD leaves a lot of the plastic in the watches so it's so inconvenient and hard to get full effect because nothing fits. It's a real let down every time.

The DP II in the deploy is infinitely adjustable probably to just below 6". Breitling rubber on the deploy is really the one set up where you can say it will custom fit Perfectly. My wrist is only 6&1/2".

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SHARKMAN

Nice review Sharky - you've almost got me wanting one there! Almost!

To be fair, I do agree that it's probably the best looking BS model to date, although I still do wish all the red on it was white.

But nice review, and I'm sure you'll give it a few more fans on here as a result!

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Thanks. It was a bit more closing argument than review, no?

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SHARKMAN

For me I think that the title is the key - the watch is suffering perception issues from some (me included) because it is yet another BS version. If it were a one off LE version of a classic watch then it would be perceived much differently.

Nice review

I agree with Roff, I have passed this model over for some time. Always saw it in the case but never gave it the attention it deserves. I'm heading back toy AD today and gonna try it on and have them adjust and get a good feel for it. Prob end up jumping in the car and taking a drive with it on just to get a feel for it. U guys will laugh but I do the out the window test, if it looks good hanging out my driver window when I'm cruising it passes the test. Lol.

I thought the same thing for the longest time until seeing it in person. The red on it works really well and doesn't stand out as much in person as it does in photos. Only thing I'd change is the addition of a BS blackbird bracelet.

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"I don't own any watches, I just lease them"

Only Blacksteel i'd own and I'd own it in a heartbeat. Great choice Tom.

I just came to drool.

I can see this being a piece I snatch up one day, when the time and price is right.

It has to be seen to really be appreciated. For those who might otherwise have a problem with the size and bulk of the piece, its obviously no smaller but the DLC treatment visually shrinks it a bit and gives it a sleeker look. More part of a collection than an only watch, its quite special. Great job Tom.

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Scott

AP Royal Oak 15400, silver
Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Classic Cars
Vintage gold Corum
Rolex DJ 36 TT, oyster dial, oyster/smooth
Baume & Mercier Riviera 200m, silver dial/aquamarine bezel
Breitling Superocean 57, rose/stainless

Wow, havnt cared for the blackbirds to much till I saw this. But for me, this class of watch deserves a metal band.

I don't understand why they don't give the watch a black metal bracelet. But I really like the black watch. Amazing!