Watch Of The Week: Breitling Navitimer 8 B01 Chronograph 43

Breitling is making rapid adjustments to its course under its new CEO Georges Kern. The wings came off the logo, and their focus is now on taking their legendary past into the future. One of the watches that they are trying to accomplish this with is the Navitimer 8 B01 Chronograph 43. An imposing watch, especially in red gold.

As the name already indicates is the diameter of this Breitling 43mm. The vast majority of this is dedicated to the dial. Breitling opted for a beautiful bronze tone with silver subdials, which give the watch, combined with the red gold case, a very rich look. The whole design of the dial is kept very clean. This not only improves legibility but also makes more of a visual impact as there are fewer details that fight for attention.

Through the glass case back you can admire the B01 manufacture chronograph movement, which Breitling makes in-house. This self-winding calibre is equipped with a column wheel as well as a vertical coupling to ensure precise operation of the complication. Its power reserve is more than generous, lasting over 70-hours.

Breitling made some remarkable choices in regards to the design of the watch. The lug width is 23mm, which is wide compared to its 43mm case width. It gives the watch a more robust look, which suits it remarkably well. The design of the chronograph pushers is also very straightforward and the bezel is downright minimalist. While some may say that this is lacking Breitling pedigree, it represents the essence of the brand actually, as many of these features are inspired by the brand’s rich history. This cleaner look is also what makes the Breitling Navitimer 8 B01 Chronograph 43 such a powerful watch, and proves that to get ahead of the game, you sometimes need to look back.