Breitling has just announced the release of the new Exospace B55 Connected, the Swiss brand’s first smart chronograph. It’s a twist on the latest trend of smartwatches as it uses the phone to enhance its functionality as a watch rather than a dependent extension to take a few photos or play a few downloadable games. The watch is designed for aviation pros, outfitted with features and add-ons that are right at home in any cockpit, while maintaining a fashionable and tech-savvy interface for any watch aficionado.
As a smartwatch, the Exospace B55 performs all the expected functions: it receives notifications for email, text (including texting apps) and social media apps, as well as phone calls and calendar reminders, but its best features are reserved for the sky. An electronic tachymeter, a chronograph recording up to 50 split times and a countdown/countup system are all included on the piece. It also records flight times, lap times, departure dates and times, arrival times, as well as takeoff and landing times. All of this is automatically uploaded to the user’s smartphone for easy access and storage.
The 42mm timepiece runs on an exclusively-deigned Caliber B55, a COSC chronometer-certified SuperQuartz movement that Breitling boasts is 10 times more accurate than standard quartz. The LCD watch face features an analog and digital display, as well as a backlight that turns on with a press of the crown or flick of the wrist. In addition to its smartwatch and flight features, it includes a second time zone, a perpetual calendar with week display and a battery indicator—all of which are meant to be naturally intuitive and activated with a few taps of the finger for easy access mid-flight.
TheExospace B55 is available at select Breitling retailers and is priced at $8,900.
