The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I have been longing a B01 movement for a long time now, namely the Chronomat 44. A lot of things have held me back. Bezel, movement issues, servicing cost and probably most importantly price. At a shade under 8k euro retail it is a very expensive watch.
Now the bezel has grown on me a lot helped that I never really hated it, it was more a dislike of it. Much like when a new car comes out, the more you see of them on the road the more they grow on you and all of a sudden you actually like it. So, for me anyway the bezel is allright!

Movement issues is a a problem for me too. I certainly do not want to be used as a guinea pig for Breitling as, correct me if I am wrong, B01 movements are sent back to Switzerland to be repaired. IMO this is a form of field testing on us and at my cost if I buy second hand. More of that later

Servicing costs next, 300 for my Evo I can take but 500 for a 01, In my book thats a lot if money and most likely for a watch that going to be out of my possession for 8 weeks plus.

Now cost. I have not enquired yet as to discount but guessing at 10% it's probably the most I can hope to get for an in house. At 7960E retail that makes a discounted price of around 7200E. A lot in any ones words.

One major thing pushing me towards a purchase is the 5 year warranty. That's a Great step forward in Breitling showing confidence in their product but the problem is that means more that likely buying new. For me I really like that I have a watch that I know is warranted for 5 years. Maybe it's just me but I would have a major problem spending $€£ on a watch and have to pay for a repair 6mts out of warranty. As I say maybe that's just me.

Not denying cost is the most important factor for me I feel if in my position I had a bit more to push me over the edge to a purchase it would help a lot, I don't know if that would be a free service after the 5 year warranty expires, how nice would that be! or a major price reduction! Maybe to 6k euro, not going to happen BTW.

As I say maybe it's just my position but for sure in time to come I will have the B01 second hand or new who knows but for now I am holding back as there's just not enough Incentive to buy new or SH.


So whats the current feeling out there, what would push you over?

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Breanach78

A Few Breitlings.

Presently, the B01 movement does nothing for me. The cost is prohibitive and there are so many other good options out there with basic ETA or equivalent movements that do the job quite well.

If Breitling comes out with a B01 design model that I absolutely love and got to have then maybe my mind will change .

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Chrono Jetstream
Montbrilliant 1903
Aerospace E79362

To each their own but for me it has been a joy to have. I also thought the watch was not my taste when it first came out, but this model is now one of my favorites.
As far as the movement is concerned it has run very, very accurately and over the year I have owned it the power reserve has been all or better than advertised.
The one part of this equation I am not looking forward to is the maintenance costs. Not looking froward to that at all.
As far as value, I have a Nav, Blackbird, Steelfish, & Colt auto, and from what I have seen so far the B01 is holding more of it's original cost/value resale than my other watches. That against the higher buy in costs for some other brands gives me, what I believe, is a better long term ownership value.
Add that to my genuine liking the watch and you can have an idea of why it is in my safe.
Do what makes you feel good and what you like regardless of the brand as you are the one that will be wearing the piece for a long time.
Be safe, Frank.

If you are intending to keep the watch forever then my suggestion will be to get a new one. Yes, servicing cost will still come in after 5 years, but IMO it seems that B01 movement is starting to "stabilize" and it will still be good to have have that 5 years warranty initially, rather than buying it, have lots of problems and end up paying more than a new one for the servicing costs, unless if the 2nd hand that you buy is almost new and has sufficient warranty left.

As much as there are so many dislikes for the Chronomat 44 around here, I personally offer a different opinion that I have never grow tired of my grail since I jumped on it a year ago. I recently bought the new Batman GMT and absolutely love it. But strangely my Chronomat still gets most of my wrist time. If I have to sell off all my watches and keep one, I will have to tell you that it will be my Chronomat. I personally like aviation styled watches with the toughness of a diving watch as aviation styled watches look sharp and instrumental. Also classic looking with a modern touch that you don't grow tired of, yet not over conventional that it looks boring and not unique. It has all the elements that I personally want. As you mentioned, that's just me. It might not have that long history like many other watches but it will have a century from now. To me Chronomat is the iconic modern Breitling. Tastes are personal, no right or wrong, so when it comes to design if you like it then just get it. IMO they hit all the right notes with the piece. I personally feel it's my dream design. One setback though is the pilot bracelet that when you close and lock the clasp, because of the friction from the closure you will get 2 clear scar marks on both sides of the contact points. Not sure if you understand what I mean. I don't see that problem on my GMT. Other than that I don't see any other problems on the functions and usage. I recently wore it to Europe for 3 weeks and exposed it to different temperatures which went to -2 degrees from 30 over degrees in my own country. I wore it for paragliding and hang gliding, and did many tough things with it. Still running like new. Not an ounce of regret for me.

I suggest that you ask around for prices and just go for the deal that you think best. Good luck and do post photos of it after you get one;)

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Breitling Chronomat 01 Limited Edition
Breitling Navitimer 01 46mm

See that pic here one or twice before Frank and the chronomat really looks well in. Helped that it's one of my favorite dial combinations.
Great shot.

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Breanach78

A Few Breitlings.

Very interesting topic. Personally I presently feel similar restrictions towards me taking the plunge for a B01-driven watch. Maybe I will pull the trigger for a present non-chronograph out of the Breitling range instead for the Chronomat 41, I am still pondering... Not sure if I really need the Chronograph in terms of appreciation (in terms of functionality it's more or less a useless toy anyway). I am loving the Galactic 41 too. And there's a great "inhouse-tuned" movement inside, being serviced at a lower price point and the watch is very similar to the Chronomat.

In terms of design: Generally, I love the Chronomat-/Galactic-Design with the "new" bezel and the square pattern on the dial. Both, the Chronomat and the Galactic, have - for me - a perfect design. When they were launched a couple of years ago, I was irritated too. I was fixated on the old rider-tab-design. In the meanwhile, I clearly see the advantage of the new bezel, not only in terms of "not being a sleeve destroyer" but also in terms of functionality. The big mark with the bull's eye luminova dot is highly functional if you want to get the measured time at a quick glance...

Actually, presently I love the Galactic a bit more (compared to an inhouse-driven model), because of similar reasons as stated by breanach78.

For me, the movement was always the big draw for this watch as I'm a big fan of in-house movements. I think having something only found in Breitling watches is worth the additional premium, as these days I'm less inclined to spend big bucks on a nice case with a movement that can (essentially) be found in anything from a £300 boutique brand to a Tag.

However, the aesthetics of the Chronomat 01 put me off it from day one. It's no secret that I was not remotely a fan of the Buck bezel and the million and one different fonts all over the dial, and that turned me off from the moment I saw it.

However, over time (4 years in fact!) I've started to warm to it more and more. There are a few factors that did that for me. Firstly a couple of years ago, I purchased a Chronomat 01 on behalf of a friend of mine from FEAR, and I had that watch in my possession for a few weeks before my mate picked it up. Seeing it, handling it, etc, really made me start to appreciate it a bit more : the workmanship, the finish, the size, etc, all contributed to me seeing it in a slightly better light.

Then the brushed LE came out, and I was astonished at how much better the brushed bezel looked to me. I actually dabbled with the idea of picking one up for a while, but ultimately I wasn't quite sold on the model.

As time went by, familiarity (much like the car analogy) has made it grow on me. Then came the Flying Fish, which I liked (and still like) a lot, but the one that really turned me on the Chronomat 01 is the Frecce Tricolori LE. Everything about that watch just seemed to work for me, so under certain circumstances (brushed bezel, primarily) I'm a bit of a convert. Just need to buy one now!

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I think that the in house movement is now available in a wide enough range of watches that the aesthetic issues are less of an issue. There are B01 driven models that I wouldn't wear in a million years, but I ordered a Navi 01 sight unseen.

Any brand will see its loyalists go through this step as the brand moves from generic to in house movements, but you have to look beyond Breitling and compare the pricing and value with other in house brands. Only you as the buyer can determine if the math makes sense - the five year warranty clearly has value and alleviates some of the concern over the movement, but it ultimately has to be a comfort level at the acquisition price level and cost of ownership.

I'm guessing the entire Chronomat 01 range!

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Driver8

Site Moderator

[quote="Driver8"][quote="Roffensian"]There are B01 driven models that I wouldn't wear in a million years.[/quote]
I'm guessing the entire Chronomat 01 range! :wink:[/quote]

Plus the Galactic-line ;-)