The Breitling Watch Source Forums

So I went in to the Breitling boutique today to reserve a salmon Datora and the green dial B for B Premier caught my eye. I asked to check it out and was really impressed, so much so that I bought it on the spot!

I have to say I am pretty amazed at what Kern and team have done, this feels like a truly new era Breitling to me, the mixture of classic Breitling design and unique character with top tier watchmaking is remarkable and what every watch enthusiast could possibly ask for. I always felt that Breitling finishing was a bit lacking behind brands such as Omega at the same price point, and always thought that was due to the tool watch approach, not unlike Rolex. This particular Premier however is an elevated affair, the polished sections have a mirror like finish and the brushed portions are a finer more involved job. I wouldn’t put it in par with IWC but it is a definite upgrade and absolutely nothing to complain about at this price.

Where I would put it against any IWC, in fact any brand including Grand Seiko, is the dial! Fantastic quality!!! Truly remarkable how the color changes from green to gray to blue to black depending on lighting, the pictures don’t do it justice, but it’s just the dial finishing overall that blew me away. That coupled with the handsomely polished hands and hour markers make for a stunning effect.

I was very happy with the chronograph operation as well, the chrono push buttons have a crisp feel and perfect feedback, reminds one of handling a Holland and Holland rifle, I only have had the same effect on the Patek Nautilus chrono, a watch that costs 10x that this Premier retails for.

Over all, as the title says, I am delighted with the watch beyond words, and so happy the brand I was so enamored with for so long has been developed so as to recapture my interest. I am truly looking forward to future releases and purchases. Well done to the new team.

Oops, almost forgot to use this emoticon

So satisfying to hit that emoticon after so many years!

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Certified watch nut.

I am trying to figure out how to post pictures without setting up an upload service

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Certified watch nut.

Nice post, thank you !

You can use Imgur for photos with no account and you can directly link picture to forum

https://imgur.com/

happy to hear!
did you see the Duograph too, or were they out of stock?

Thanks for the comment and suggestion. Will try that out next time when posting images!

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Certified watch nut.

Unfortunately the RG Duograph I am interested in seeing was not available. I am told it might clear customs in a few weeks, looking forward to checking that out and the Salmon dial Datora

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Certified watch nut.

let me know how you like that

Now I’m even more excited!

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Certified watch nut.

I just embedded the BB codes for you in your first post Altair, so the pics appear instead of the links.

Good to see you're enjoying Breitling again! I haven't had a chance to check out the new Premier Heritage models yet, but while I like the Datora a lot, it's the Duograph really speaks to me. I really like the B09 Chrono as well, but I think I'll be waiting until a more "conservative" dial colour comes along as the Pistachio doesn't really appeal.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Thanks for the assistance Driver!

Interesting that you are looking at the B09, if memory serves I remember you where a "44mm as a minimum" guy back in the day!

I hear you on the Duograph, definitely a modern classic and an amazing offering by Breitling! My only concern is a personal one, as my collection contains a Lange Double Split I doubt the steel variant would get any wrist time, and I am as of yet unsure how the rose gold would work on a watch with those proportions, too high to be a dress watch and too luxurious with the RG to be a casual wear. I will have to wait and see them in person.

The Datora in steel however is a dream of a daily watch, 100 WR, perfect daily functionality with an AC and a chrono, and a salmon dial to differentiate one from the omega wearing corporate drones!

I will mention I am absolutely enamored with the Premier I got last week! The dial still gets me every time I look at it!

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Certified watch nut.

Awesome enjoy it.

Thank you.

So I just noticed on the Breitling website that the Datora 42 is 2mm thinner than my Premier 42 Bentley, looks like the bracelet I got with the Bentley will not fit the Datora! That’s a shame as I was thinking of swapping them out, the Datora is going to be a daily wear watch and where I live leather straps are not an option 8 months of the year. In the past I sweated right through straps in less than a month!

Fred, could you shed some light on this? Will we have a bracelet option with the Datora?

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Certified watch nut.

currently, there is no plan for a model-specific bracelet for the Datora, but I've seen both the mesh (a better fit, I think) & the Premier bracelet mounted by owners.

Thanks for the info Fred. I will try out the Premier bracelet, the mesh is too casual I think.

ABP do a rubber lined crocodile strap that could work, I really think Breitling could work on something similar. Attracting the corporate crowd could be a new venue for the brand, and with the new Premier line that is very much achievable!

One more question for you Fred, does Breitling offer different finishing standards for different lines? I was at the boutique and can say with certainty that the Premier has a finer finish than say, the Super ocean. We know this is the case with Rolex and Omega, but never found any categorization online from Breitling. The brand could benefit from delving deeper into explaining finishing standards across their range, as well as perhaps explaining the manufacturing processes of the dials.

The reason I bring up the dial process is that I am absolutely amazed by the Premier green dial, it just might be the most fascinating I have seen across my watch collection! Also, from the videos I have seen of the Duograph in rose gold it seems the dial is lacquered unlike the steel version? The salesperson at the boutique did not have that info and I am not sure I could tell if presented in person if its true lacquer or another process unless I own it for a while. That sort of info could tip the scales for many collectors on the fence so to speak.

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Certified watch nut.

I'll pass that comment re croc straps on, very much something to look into, I agree.

just the same re more information about finishing methods & standards, we do not talk about that enough, just like we talk too little the horological achievements in optimizing the performance of our in-house calibers.

Tim Lake who does the "in-depth" horology articles on SJX has purchased a Duograph and is running it through his performance tests, he's very, very impressed; will publish here when he's done.