Breitling Introduce New Avenger 44mm Collection with B01 Chronograph and GMT Models

Alongside the new Avenger Automatic 42mm, Breitling have introduced a series of new Avengers at a larger size of 44mm. These are the Breitling Avenger B01 Chronograph 44, Avenger B01 Chronograph 44 Night Mission and Avenger Automatic GMT 44. Embracing a new stylish design while continuing to be high performance like the jet planes they’re inspired by.

Avenger B01 Chronograph 44

First up, let’s look at the Avenger B01 Chronograph 44. It’s a 44mm chrono edition in steel available in black, blue, green or sand colours. If you look at them side by side with an older Avenger Chronograph, the most notable change to the case is the chronograph pushers. Previously they used inverted pushers, a style not uncommon to aviation watches like the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph, but now those have been replaced with the square integrated pushers that Breitling use on other models like the Premier Heritage.

This change means the pushers sit tighter in to the case and aren’t so prominent in the silhouette. This sort of scaling back and refinement seems to be the name of the game with the whole collection because it’s a feature of the dials as well. The logo is subtler and the hour and minute scales have been simplified a touch and given more space. The overall impact is that the Avenger looks better than it ever has, at least in my opinion, without betraying the core identity of the model.

They’re equipped with the Breitling Calibre 01 which has a great 70-hour power reserve and a vertical clutch column wheel chronograph function. It’s a really solid movement, Although that does lead them to being on the more expensive side at £6,350 on strap or £6,600 on bracelet.

Avenger B01 Chronograph 44 Night Mission

Cutting to the chase, the overall updates to the Avenger B01 Chronograph 44 Night Mission are identical to the standard Avenger B01 Chronograph 44 above with two big exceptions. Those exceptions being the case material and dial colourways. Interestingly, those changes makes one of the two Night Mission watches the ultimate stealth flyer and the other the brightest watch in the entire collection.

Focussing on the cases, they’re produced in black ceramic, an extremely hardwearing material that’s lightweight and scratch resistant. While ceramic can be produced in any colour, the most common choice is black because the matte, smooth finish makes it incredibly sleek and stealthy. That darker aesthetic is respected by the crown and pushers which have been produced in titanium rather than steel since titanium has a dark grey colouration and is also lightweight, to match the case.

As for the dials, the Ref. SB0147101B1X1 keeps things dark by having a black carbon fibre base with matching black chronograph subdials. I forgot to mention it above but the chronograph display consists of a tricompax layout featuring a 30-minute timer, 12-hour timer and small seconds subdial – the usual suspects. In stark contrast to the carbon of its sibling, the Ref. SB0147101I1X2 has a bright yellow dial, designed to be hyper legible at night rather than staying hidden in the shadows. The yellow edition is £7,450 and the carbon dial version is £7,600.

Avenger Automatic GMT 44

Rounding the collection out is the Breitling Avenger Automatic GMT 44, which takes the same aesthetic refinements seen across the new range but adds a GMT hand and 24-hour scale bezel to the mix. GMT complications are a pilot’s best friend as it allows them to keep track of multiple time zones at the same time, which is great for jet-setting globetrotters.

This version is only available in blue or black, making it the most limited of the options. However, just like every single watch here, it’s presented on a choice of three-link steel bracelet or the military-style fabric/leather strap.  So, there’s still a reasonable amount of choice.

Under the surface here is the Breitling Calibre 32, an automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve. It features hours, minutes, seconds, GMT and date complications. In terms of price, this model sits at the half-way point between the Automatic 42 and the B01 Chronograph 44 at a cost of £4,150 on strap and £4,400 on bracelet.

More details at Breitling.

​Oracle Time 

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