Breitling, the luxury watch brand founded in 1884 in St. Imier, Switzerland, is known for its elegantly masculine timepieces referencing the company’s longstanding ties to navigation and aviation. Its newest models, however, are two versions of its classic Transocean Chronograph scaled for women who want the same sporty style in a more suitable size. The new Transocean Chronograph 38, named for its 38-mm case reduced from the 43-mm men’s version, comes in either 18K red gold for $18,160 or stainless steel for $6,350.
The Transocean Chronograph, which is water-resistant to 100 meters, pays tribute to a landmark timepiece from the brand’s history, the original Transocean model, introduced in 1958 when pilots relied on the professional quality wrist instruments to navigate before the advent of sophisticated computer systems. Its self-winding, in-house chronograph movement, which is certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC,) indicates the highest benchmark in terms of precision and reliability. The independently owned brand, which produces limited edition timepieces in partnership with Bentley and features David Beckham in its advertising campaign, is the world’s only major watch brand to equip all of its models with chronometer-certified movements— the ultimate mark of precision timekeeping.
Dials are available for either model in deep black, glowing silver or midnight blue. The red gold version comes on a brown crocodile strap and the steel version includes an accompanying stainless steel mesh bracelet. Barenia leather straps are also available in a variety of vivid hues. The new smaller model is a two-register chronograph, as opposed to the three-register men’s version, with running seconds at 3 o'clock and a 30-minute counter for the chronograph at 9 o'clock.