Review the Breitling Chronomat 44 Blacksteel Chronograph Replica

Review the Breitling Chronomat 44 Blacksteel Chronograph Replica

Breitling launched its first "Blacksteel" watch in 2012 and I have always admired the Blacksteel model's looks. Today I present to you the Breitling Chronomat 44 Blacksteel Chronograph replica, bold and black, a DLC coated chronograph from Breitling. Powered by the internal Calibre 01 movement.

The Case

The case is pure Breitling replica - masculine and military - with a diameter of 44 mm and a thickness of 16.95 mm. From the side, the screw-down crown and the side of the chronograph pushers give it an imposing look. If you squint and use your imagination, it almost looks like a cannon pointing out. This is, of course, thanks to the smooth "invisible" finish of the black steel case components, which have a bronze shimmer in certain lighting.

The Bezel

The bezel of this replica Breitling Chronomat 44 watch ratchets in one direction, as on a diver's watch, not both, which is more practical for pilots. 12 o'clock has a label with an inset dot filled with the same khaki Super-LumiNova coating as the hands and hour markers, so it's easy to figure out how to reset the bezel to zero in the dark. A quick rotation of the bezel produces a pleasant buzzing sound, consisting of multiple clicks reminiscent of a miniature motor. The stenciled Arabic numerals on the bezel, marking the five-minute interval between rider tags, are another nice military touch. Set in black rubber, they also provide a tactile pleasure when you run your finger across the surface of the bezel. Note the detail tip: the small cursive "B" for Breitling is subtly etched on the side of the bezel at 11:55 to 12 o'clock.

The Dial

The black dial underlines the military tool watch character of the case. The dial is surrounded by a flange with a white printed tachymeter scale. The hour and minute hands, as well as the edges of the applied hour-markers, are treated with a khaki Super-LumiNova luminescent coating (which actually glows green in the dark). The central chronograph seconds hand and all subdial hands are bright red (seconds at 9 o'clock, 30 minutes at 3 o'clock and 12 hours at 6 o'clock). The red-black contrast aids in reading the subdials, as the numbers are small and otherwise difficult to read accurately with the naked eye.

About those subdials: they're square (or at least cushion-shaped) for no real reason that I can discern, but somehow they work aesthetically, adding a bit of visual interest to the dial, subtly picking up the blocky shaped bezel numerals and rider labels.

The Movement

Unusually for a watch replica of this style, the case back is transparent, revealing the 01 caliber. This is Breitling's own self-winding chronograph movement, equipped with the features expected of a high-end modern chronograph, namely a column wheel (used as an on/off switch) and a vertical clutch (transmits power movement from the base to the chronograph mechanism. Among the attributes of this movement, the one that should not really be overlooked is the 70-hour power reserve, a 28-hour increase over the ETA Valjoux 7750 movement that powered the earlier iterations of the replica Chronomat.

The Strap

Breitling replica calls the strap "military rubber" and it seems to be essentially a black rubber base with some kind of suitably tough and durable black textile on top. It is definitely a rugged military pilot's shape with a buckle made of black steel and engraved with the Breitling winged logo. It makes the watch very comfortable to wear on the wrist, although it looks more suited to casual than formal wear.

The replica Chronomat 44 Blacksteel watch will retail for $143.00 in our store. More information, please visit our latest replica Breitling watch listing, we are selling almost all model AAA grade 1 :1 cloned Breitling watches. Read more from http://www.breitlingreviews.com/2022/08/31/review-the-breitling-chronomat-44-blacksteel-chronograph-replica/.