The Red Arrows are one of the most popular aerial display teams in the world, performing daring feats of aeronautic acrobatics to commemorate significant occasions in the UK. However, with the new Breitling Avenger Red Arrows 60th Anniversary collection it’s actually the Red Arrows themselves who are being commemorated, as it’s 60 years since the RAF display team was formed. There are two watches in the collection, the Breitling Avenger 42 Red Arrows 60th Anniversary Edition and Avenger B01 Chronograph 44 Red Arrows.
Breitling Avenger 42 Red Arrows 60th Anniversary Edition
First up is the Breitling Avenger 42 Red Arrows 60th Anniversary Edition, a 42mm stainless steel timepiece with a combination of polished and brushed surfaces. As an Avenger model, it features a broad bezel with pronounced markers at 12, 3, 6 and 9, which alongside the chunky grip on the crown makes it easy to operate by a pilot wearing gloves.
As a Red Arrows 60th Anniversary Edition it has a dial in RAF blue with the Red Arrows insignia at 9 o’clock and a commemorative caseback. It also has a red-tipped seconds hand for ultra-legibility because the Red Arrows operate at precise timings in order to avoid disaster. As part of that, it houses the COSC-certified Breitling Calibre 17 with 38-hour power reserve, giving chronometer precision.
The watch is limited to 360 pieces and a percentage of sales will be donated to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund. It’s £3,900 on steel bracelet or £3,650 on blue leather strap.
Price and Specs:
Breitling Avenger B01 Chrono 44 Red Arrows
The Avenger is already on the sportier side of pilot’s watch designs with its chunky silhouette but the B01 Chronograph 44 pushes that to the extreme with a 44mm diameter case made from black ceramic with titanium pushers and crowns. It’s incredibly lightweight and scratch resistant, which is ideal for weathering the inevitable bumps experienced in a Red Arrows cockpit during a show.
It follows the same overall colour scheme as the time and date in dark blue, red and black. However, instead of featuring the official Red Arrows logo, it has a stylised version depicting the signature diamond formation perfected by the team. It’s presented on the small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock, with the other subdials in the tricompax display serving as the 12-hour and 30-minute counters. All of which are controlled by the Breitling B01 calibre with 70-hour power reserve.
It’s priced at £7,950 and presented on a blue calf leather strap. Which for a ceramic watch with titanium hardware and a really solid movement seems pretty reasonable. Especially considering that IWC’s ceramic chronographs like the Mojave Desert sit above £10k.
Price and Specs:
More details at Breitling.
