Bentley meets blue sky. That’s the Replica Breitling Chrono-Matic M49. An imposing 49mm rose gold limited edition of 500, this larger-than-life luxury pilot’s chronograph is ready to step up from the Bentley Mulsanne to a Gulfstream VI. Wanna ride?
Truth be told the Replica Breitling Chrono-Matic M49 isn’t a product of the postmodern fixation on “bling,” luxury cars, and auto-sized sports watches. This 49mm Breitling Navitimer case traces its roots to the Breitling model 816 and 1806 “Big Navitimers” of the late 1960s. Originally envisioned as practical utility watches for use over thick flight jacket sleeves, the high-visibility and oversized proportions of the M49 case hail from honest roots as professional aviation equipment.
As a true Navitmer, the Replica Breitling Chrono-Matic M49 shares the glorious heritage of the longest continuously produced chronograph in the industry. Since 1952, when it debuted as the first “flight computer” that permitted all calculations necessary for flight, the Breitling Navitimer has been a favorite of pilots and mechanical watch enthusiasts with an affection for aviation.
Breitling Replica Navitimer “circular slide rule” flight calculators remain an exceptionally convenient analog option for computing anything from airspeed to tips at restaurants; take a moment to learn its simple logic, and humiliate your friends with the final gratuity amount while they pound frantically on their iPhone calculator pads…
In 18-karate rose gold, the Replica Breitling Chrono-Matic M49 is a stellar hybrid of high-flying history and high-life grandeur. The sheer mass of precious metal is intoxicating on the wrist, and a burly alligator strap with white hand-stitching imparts a suitably dashing vintage aesthetic.
Given the presence of a precise but workmanlike Breitling caliber 14 automatic chronometer-grade chronograph movement, the choice of a solid gold case back is an outstanding choice by Solothurn watchmakers. Given the choice between a common synthetic sapphire case back or the corresponding extra ounce of solid red gold, which would you choose? More gold, of course!
Born big in the 1960s, the M49 case remains a larger-than-life monument to the romance of flight and the aviation heritage of Breitling luxury replica watches.
In 18-karat rose gold, the Replica Breitling Chrono-Matic M49 more than holds its own against relative newcomers from Audemars Piguet and Hublot as well as high-polish upstarts from Breitling‘s own “Bentley” lineup. Like a fine wines and vintage aircraft, the “Big Navitimer” grows more charming with age.