Breitling Avenger Blackbird Review
Dec 20, 2014 15:54:45 GMT -6
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Post by Baco Noir on Dec 20, 2014 15:54:45 GMT -6
The new Avenger Blackbird is a Special Edition released by Breitling in June 2014. Not quite sure what differentiates a SE from a LE, but it is called a Special Edition and this is noted on the caseback. It was built with the all-black look that has become popular over the last few years.
To make this 48mm beast wearable, the case is made from a carbon coated titanium, that according to the Breitling Boutique in NYC has a Vickers hardness of >5000, so the coating should be very durable. The total weight of the watch with strap is just 115 grams. The lightweight construction, the curved lugs that wrap around the wrist, the low profile (14.2mm), and the form fitting fabric strap make this a very wearable watch even for people with moderately sized wrists - mine is 7.25".
The uni-directional, rotating bezel has the traditional Breitling rider tabs at 15, 30, 45, and 60 with Arabic numbers for each of the 5 minute marks and slashed for the minute markers. The case is also fitted with a large coarsely knurled screw down crown that operates very smoothly. On some watches, I find that you have to be careful not to cross thread the crown when screwing it back in, but this one seems to line itself up well every time.
The volcano black dial has stick hour markers that are all treated with a vintage style luminescent coating. These pop against the all-black watch and can be easily read in absolutely any lighting condition. The red on the second hand and on the dial is a nice touch too and IMHO adds a lot of character to the dial. The texture of the black dial is hard to capture well in photos, but I did get it in one I took last month and included that one below. The dial also features the date display at the traditional 3 o’clock position. A feature that confuses me a bit on this watch is the 0-100 markings on the chapter ring. I've read that these are common on aviation watches because flight times are noted in tenths of an hour (e.g., 3.2 hours). I can see wanting that on a chronograph, but seems the standard 0-60 would have been more appropriate here. That said, I believe this to be a nod to Breitling's aviation history. The watch also has a domed sapphire crystal with AR coating on both sides. Finally, the non-coated titanium caseback features a conversion scale between common English and metric units.
I've had this watch for 2 months now, and have banged it accidentally a few times and no scratches so far. Also, I must say if I had been asked before owning this if I'd even have considered a 48mm watch I'd have said with 100% certainty "not a chance". Sometimes the numbers just don't tell the full story. Overall, considering comfort, style and (discounted) price, this is an amazing watch.
Here are the full specs on the watch and some photos follow:
Movement: Automatic, Breitling Caliber 17 (based on ETA 2824-2), COSC-certified chronometer, Swiss Made
Number of jewels: 25
Movement frequency: 28,800 vph
Power reserve: 42 hours
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Case material: Titanium, carbon coated
Case size: 48 mm
Case height: 14.2 mm
Lug width: 24 mm
Dial: Volcano black
Numerals: None
Hour markers: Applied, luminous, beige
Hands: Black, luminous
Water resistance: 300 meters / 1000 feet
Strap: Anthracite fabric strap (24/20) with black titanium tang buckle
Crystal: Domed sapphire, antireflective coating on both sides
Case back: Solid titanium
To make this 48mm beast wearable, the case is made from a carbon coated titanium, that according to the Breitling Boutique in NYC has a Vickers hardness of >5000, so the coating should be very durable. The total weight of the watch with strap is just 115 grams. The lightweight construction, the curved lugs that wrap around the wrist, the low profile (14.2mm), and the form fitting fabric strap make this a very wearable watch even for people with moderately sized wrists - mine is 7.25".
The uni-directional, rotating bezel has the traditional Breitling rider tabs at 15, 30, 45, and 60 with Arabic numbers for each of the 5 minute marks and slashed for the minute markers. The case is also fitted with a large coarsely knurled screw down crown that operates very smoothly. On some watches, I find that you have to be careful not to cross thread the crown when screwing it back in, but this one seems to line itself up well every time.
The volcano black dial has stick hour markers that are all treated with a vintage style luminescent coating. These pop against the all-black watch and can be easily read in absolutely any lighting condition. The red on the second hand and on the dial is a nice touch too and IMHO adds a lot of character to the dial. The texture of the black dial is hard to capture well in photos, but I did get it in one I took last month and included that one below. The dial also features the date display at the traditional 3 o’clock position. A feature that confuses me a bit on this watch is the 0-100 markings on the chapter ring. I've read that these are common on aviation watches because flight times are noted in tenths of an hour (e.g., 3.2 hours). I can see wanting that on a chronograph, but seems the standard 0-60 would have been more appropriate here. That said, I believe this to be a nod to Breitling's aviation history. The watch also has a domed sapphire crystal with AR coating on both sides. Finally, the non-coated titanium caseback features a conversion scale between common English and metric units.
I've had this watch for 2 months now, and have banged it accidentally a few times and no scratches so far. Also, I must say if I had been asked before owning this if I'd even have considered a 48mm watch I'd have said with 100% certainty "not a chance". Sometimes the numbers just don't tell the full story. Overall, considering comfort, style and (discounted) price, this is an amazing watch.
Here are the full specs on the watch and some photos follow:
Movement: Automatic, Breitling Caliber 17 (based on ETA 2824-2), COSC-certified chronometer, Swiss Made
Number of jewels: 25
Movement frequency: 28,800 vph
Power reserve: 42 hours
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Case material: Titanium, carbon coated
Case size: 48 mm
Case height: 14.2 mm
Lug width: 24 mm
Dial: Volcano black
Numerals: None
Hour markers: Applied, luminous, beige
Hands: Black, luminous
Water resistance: 300 meters / 1000 feet
Strap: Anthracite fabric strap (24/20) with black titanium tang buckle
Crystal: Domed sapphire, antireflective coating on both sides
Case back: Solid titanium
Bummer.