List of Breitling watches sorted by size

Here's a list of my favorite Breitling wristwatches sorted by size (diameter). Because I was a bit surprised how small some of the Breitling watches seemed in real, especially the Colt series, I decided to put together a list for those who want to know which Breitlig watch is big and which small in size. In the table below, you'll find the watch name and the diameter size in millimeters, plus I added the thickness of the watch, which can also be important for you to decide which Breitling timepiece to purchase. This info was obtained from the Breitling 2009 collection [source].

*The biggest and the thickest Breitling watch
**The thinnest Breitling watch, but not the smallest

Below are the top 8 biggest Breitling watches in various images (found online), just to compare how big they look on the wrist. I have to say for me 45.00mm and above looks quite big and I can imagine wearing a watch of that size. One of my favorites, the Airwolf, is 43.50mm big and I'd wear it, but I presonally wouldn't go below that size. Sure, that's still way bigger than the 35.00mm Rolex Datejust, but I prefer my Breitling watch big.

[Photos: Source]

Breitling watches surprised me

I wanted to write the title 'Breitling watches disappointed me', but I changed my mind. Let me tell you what happened. Today I went to town (Maribor) to check these watches in real. We have only one AD in Maribor who sells Breitlings, it's called SloWatch. I entered the shop and the security guy immediately positioned himself near the main entrance. Wow! That's his job. It was only me and another woman in there. It was fairly small and easy to get around. I was walking around first and checked few Hugo Boss and Luis Vuitton watches, some were so ridiculously expensive (like 80.000€!), that I couldn't believe my eyes. For me a 2000€ Breitling watch is really really expensive. But 80 grand? Oh boy, no way for a watch. That's like a small house in the countryside here. Anyway. I walked around and found my way to the watch brands I like: Breitling, Omega and Tag Heuer. Wow! Amazing watches! Of course my eyes were stuck on the Breitlings. And finally, there I was, standing infront of them (check the photo above and sorry for the bad quality). I managed to snap that photo with my Nokia while I was waiting for the lady to come to me and give me the chance to try on a Breitling. Well, now we come to the part where I was disappointed. As far as I've seen, most of the Breitling watches were so small in real! Especially one of my favourites, the Chrono Colt. It really wasn't bigger than my Rolex OysterPerpetual Datejust. That was shocking to me! Even the Airwolf looked so small and plain comparing to the photos I saw online. Reality is different than images on the screen! Maybe it was the bad light or the glass that made these watches look less attarctive. I don't know. But I have to say, some were even better in real! Among those were all kinds of Chronomats, the Chrono Superocean and the Superavenger. They didn't have all models, I guess, because I haven't seen any Navitimers. And the ones in leather straps looked very good. That's why I can say some surprised me in a positive and some in a negative way. The saleswoman opened up the glass cabinet, which was locked and asked me which one I like to try on. I said Chrono Colt, but I guess I said it too quietly, so I don't know if she really heard me or if she just doesn't know all the Breitling models by names. Because she was pointing her finger and asking me: This one? This one? Finally she gave me the only Chrono Colt they had, with the white dial and the Breitling professional stainless steel bracelet. It was a little too big on my wrist, but she said they fix that for you later. So there I was, with a Breitling on my wrist and it just didn't feel the way I imagined. The dial was really so small, and the subdials were tiny. I saw some Omega watches that were way bigger and more impressive. If I'm buying a Breitling watch, I want it to be big and shiny. I guess a Super Avenger would look very good on my wrist, but not the Colt Chrono. But the Super Avenger it's too expensive! I didn't see its price, but I saw prices of other Breitlings that were varying from 3000-6000€! No way I'm paying so much for a wristwatch. Two grand was my limit before, but now I'm considering to buy a watch up to 500€. It won't be the top brand, but it won't be a simple watch either. I'm thinking about Seiko or Citizen, but I'll check some other brands as well. I guess Breitling is not within my budget now. Don't get me wrong, it's a supurb watch and I'd love to have a Breitling with a SuperQuartz movement, that makes the watch almost perfectly acurate (10sec +/- a year!). Even if I save up 2000€, I think the Chrono Colt just doesn't do it for me. Looks neat and nice and everything and it's one of the best quality watches out there, but... it just didn't overwhelm me like it should. Apart from Chrono Colt, all other Breitlings are 2500€ and above and I won't ever pay so much for a watch. Well, maybe my expectations were too high. I don't know. I guess I need to check more watches in real and compare them and then decide which one to buy. I have time. I wanna buy a good watch, because I want it to last. I'm keeping my fingers crossed to find me a nice timepiece.

[Photo by MKL, 2009]

Breitling Aerospace and Airwolf comparison, part II

Here's a different kind of comparison of these two incredible timepieces. I've always been impressed by the names of Breitling watches (like Navitimer, Windrider, Starliner, Cockpit, Co-pilot, Skyland, Skyracer, Aeromarine, Aerospace, Seawolf, Airwolf, Superocean). The names are the result of Breitling's close ties with the aviation and it's therefore one of the most popular watch brands among pilots. The names mostly imply some connection with air, sky, airplanes, sea and ships. So let's compare the two of my favorite Breitling watches from the Professional series - the Airwolf and the Aerospace - in the aspect of what does their name tell us about them.

Airwolf - definitely a wolf

*Meaning: air + wolf

1 : air - The Earth's atmosphere is a layer of gases surrounding
the planet Earth that is retained by the Earth's gravity.
2: wolf - Any of various large predatory mammals of the genus Canis.

The name 'Airwolf' can come from the popular US series in the eighties from 1984-1987 (See photo left above). The focus of the series was an advanced military helicopter with the codename 'Airwolf' (more about that here). Since the watch's display and bidirectional bezel resemble a flight instrument, this could be a plausible explanation. On the other hand, the name is fairly new - it was introduced in 2007 as the follow-up model of the popular predecessor Breitling B1. But in the Aeromarine series, we have the model with the name Seawolf (since 2003). So, same as we have the Aeromarine and the Aerospace, we have the Seawolf and the Airwolf. Breitling loves to have these kind 'semantic couples'. In this case the name Airwolf would be a parallel to the Seawolf, whose name comes from an actual fish. I think the name suits the design of the Airwolf. It's big, almost bulky, looks more like an instrument than a wrist watch. It's clearly not an understatement: With a watch like this you catch attention. It is an eye-catcher.

Aerospace - definitely above the sky

*Meaning: aer- + space

1 : space comprising the earth's atmosphere and the space beyond
2 : a branch of physical science that deals with aerospace
3 : the industry involved in the manufacture of aerospace vehicles

The name 'Aerospace' has a much more common meaning. When I hear this name, I associate it with athmosphere, with space and with astronauts. It's a very light watch, it's dial is simple, which makes it much easier to read the time. No distractions, no second hand, the bezel is simple and undirectional. This is a Breitling's way of understatement. Also the titanium-case makes it's appearance special. It's well-known for being dense, strong and corrosion resistant - the kind of attributes that serve well in the aerospace if in fact an astronaut would wear this kind of watch out there. That would make it a kind of 'space watch'. Maybe that's what the Breitling designers imagined back in 1985 when the watch was produced and sold for the first time.

Two brilliant timepieces

It's clear that these two watches are one of the best quartz watches out there. Both have a unique design combining a top analog and digital timepiece. It's clearly up to your individual taste to find your favorite among these two. Some like big and bulky, some like smaller and lighter. I hope you'll find my information useful when informing yourself about these watches. But keep in mind, a million words cannot describe the feeling when you try the wacth on, when you see all these things in real. So your next step should be testing it yourself. And then make a decision. I wish you good luck.

[*Meaning taken from Merriam-Webster dictionary Version 2.5]

Related post: Breitling Aerospace and Airwolf comparison, part I

Breitling Aerospace and Airwolf comparison

I made a comparison of the two high-quality watches from the Breitling Professional series: the Breitling Professional Aerospace and the Breitling Professional Airwolf. I found out that the Airwolf is heavier, has more functions (a crown and 2 pushers), has a more significant design and it's therefore more expensive. It looks more like a tool than a wristwatch. On the other hand, the Aerospace has a more simplistic dial design, with no second hand, a crown without pushers (See this user manual for the Aerospace) and it's one of the lightest Breitling watches. The tastes are different and it's up to you to chose the right timepiece for you. I'd chose both of them if I had the chance, but I hope that one day I can afford at least one of them. The green exclamtion mark (!) means the watch is better in this category. It was a close call, but in comparison of the most important aspects the winner (or my winner) is Airwolf. But compare for yourself.

Breitling Professional Aerospace

Production years: 2007-current
Caliber: Breitling 79
Movement: SuperQuartz™
Chronograph: 1/100th second,
to 59min 59.99sec then hrs/min/sec to 48hrs max
Calendar: digital, day/date programmed 4 yrs
Display: Analog and 12/24h digital
Hands: Hr/min
Backlighting: NVG* compatible
EOL* indicator: Yes
Power reserve: (380) 3-4 Years (!)
Water resistance: 100m (!)
Bezel: Unidirectional , ratcheted
Case: Titanium (!)
Crown: Push-down (see user manual)
Pushers: none
Crystal: Sapphire, double glareproofed
Diameter: 42mm
Thickness: 10.4mm (!)
Weight: 38g (!)
Bracelet: Professional Titanium II (!)
Lug width: 22mm
Price: around 2600eur
Complications: Perpetual calendar, dual timezone,
chronograph, alarm, countdown timer

*NVG: night vison goggles
*EOL: end-of-life indicator

Breitling Professional Airwolf

Production years: 2007-current
Caliber: Breitling 78
Movement: SuperQuartz™,
Chronograph: 1/100th second, max. 99 days,
23hrs 59min 59.99sec, with split times (!)
Calendar: digital, perpetual (!)
Display: Analog and 12/24h digital
Hands: Hr/min/sec (!)
Backlighting: NVG compatible
EOL indicator: Yes
Power reserve: (CR2320) 2-3 Years
Water resistance: 50m
Bezel: Bidirectional, compass scale (!)
Case: Stainless steel
Crown: Push-down
Pushers: 2 (!)
Crystal: Sapphire, double glareproofed
Diameter: 43.5mm
Thickness: 16.7mm
Weight: 106.7g
Bracelet: Professional II
Lug width: 22mm
Price: around 3100eur
Complications: Perpetual calendar, chronograph,
countdown timer, dual timezone, alarm (enhanced
with the turbine caseback design) (!)

What color of Airwolf to chose?

It's almost impossible to chose the right Wolf. I know I'd like to have the professional steel bracelet, but I don't know what dial color I'd like to have. Maybe the white one is my favourite and the black one follows very closely, then the blue and then the dark gray. But that's just the photo. I wonder how it will look like in real, it must be a unique and exciting experience to try on. Once I get the chance, I'll write about it.

[On top is the old 'sunburst' dial design, below the new one with stripes. Source: Breitling.com]

Breitling Professional Airwolf (II.)

I found some nice photos of this watch online and put together this gallery. I hope the people who snapped the photos wouldn't mind. I just love to enjoy this watch, for it is very beautiful to me. I hope you enjoy, too.

Breitling 78 caliber...
SuperQuartz movement...
LCD digital display...

Digital perpetual calendar...

Steel case...

5 bar water resistance (50m)...

43.5mm diameter, 16.7mm thickness...

Bidirectional bezel with slide rule mechanism...

Glareproofed sapphire crystal...

NVG compatible backlighting...

Alarm, countdown...

Dual timezone with independet alarm...

Turbine shaped construction...

Breitling Professional Airwolf (I.)

My dream watch is Breitling Professional Airwolf. I don't know if I will ever have one, since the retail price is about 2800-2900eur. It's a lot of money for a watch, so even if I save up enough, I wonder if I would really buy it.

Maybe when I have everything that's essential for a good life: a good job, a house, a car and if I am married the consent of my wife :-) Anyway, until then I'll just continue admiring this watch on photos. I must add that I also like many other Breitling models, so I may post about them next time. Here's some photos of my dream watch 'Airwolf'.


More info: Airwolf review, Breitling blog, Breitling website.