THE ALL-PURPOSE WATCH—TECHNICAL INSPIRATION, STYLISH EXECUTION

A SPECIAL CHRONOGRAPH FOR THE FRECCE TRICOLORI

In the early 1980s, Ernest Schneider—at the helm of Breitling since 1979—learned that the renowned Italian Frecce Tricolori Jet team was looking for a new chronograph for its pilots. This watch should be elegant enough to be worn off duty but still sturdy enough to hold up to the demands of a jet cockpit. It also had to be mechanical, because the elite aerobatics team wanted an analog display—something no quartz watch of the day could offer. Ernest Schneider didn’t want to simply adapt an existing model; he intended to create a completely new chronograph that perfectly suited the team’s needs. As a pilot himself, he understood the importance of legibility and comfort on the wrist. While meeting the team, he discovered their watch crystals frequently knocked against the metal frame as they opened the aircraft canopy, causing damage. His solution? Recessing the crystal into the bezel and protecting it with four rider tabs at the 15-minute marks. The rider tabs, along with the comfortable metal “Rouleaux” bracelet, soon became signature details of the Chronomat collection.

RIDER TABS: ALL-PURPOSE AT HEART

The rider tabs not only protected the glass, but also marked every quarter hour (0, 15, 30, and 45). The rider tabs at 15 and 45 could be unscrewed and inverted, to use the bezel to count down or count up. The tabs added boldness and function to the watch’s design, balanced by the restrained case diameter of 39 mm and the absence of sharp edges, which ensured the elegance you would naturally expect from Italian pilots.

1983

THE CHRONOGRAPH “FRECCE TRICOLORI”

The “Frecce Tricolori” chronograph was presented to the team in 1983. Pilots immediately saw the appeal of this multifunctional, original yet elegant chronograph. The dial bore the unit’s emblem: three arrows in the colors of the country’s flag above the inscription “P.A.N frecce tricolori,” with P.A.N standing for Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale.

1984

THE CHRONOMAT

The year 1984 was quickly approaching, and with it the 100th anniversary of Breitling. For the momentous occasion, Ernest Schneider wanted to launch a new watch that would revolutionize the industry and put the mechanical chronograph back at center stage, proving that it could still attract a fashionable clientele. At a time when slim quartz watches dominated the market, launching a substantial mechanical chronograph was a risky yet visionary move. Keenly aware that he had created a chronograph that perfectly embodied the brand’s entire philosophy and mission, he saw the chronograph “Frecce Tricolori” as the perfect foundation on which to develop a new flagship expression of the Breitling spirit.

THE REVIVAL OF THE MECHANICAL WATCH

The Chronomat kept the design elements that made its precursor a faithful companion of Italian jet pilots—including the signature rider tabs, the smooth and streamlined case, and the signature “Rouleaux” bracelet. The interchangeable 15 and 45 rider tabs were perfectly suited for either flight (count-up) or regatta (count-down) missions and the inner tachymeter scale allowed the user to measure speeds, making the Chronomat a multi-functional chronograph. A yachting and a Renault F1 Team edition of the Chronomat were created and soon after, Breitling offered a two-tone Chronomat with rider tabs, crown and pushers in gold—an elevated version of the sports watch. From sportsmen to businessmen, actors to jetsetters, the Chronomat’s sports-chic look made it stand apart from the competition.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE CHRONOMAT

The Chronomat has remained in production since its debut in the 1980s and has seen several aesthetic and technical evolutions. Underscoring its cornerstone position in the Breitling collection, it became the first Breitling to receive the in-house Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 in 2009.

In 2020, the Chronomat collection was re-designed, keeping the signature design codes of the original. With the return of the “Rouleaux” bracelet, the Chronomat bridged heritage and innovation—remaining a defining all-purpose watch.