If you’re at all familiar with Breitling’s 140 year history then you’ve probably come across the Avenger. It’s their practical pilot’s tool watch that features a bold aesthetic with a thick bezel. Now, in the latter quarter of 2024 they’ve released a full ceramic Avenger subcollection dubbed the Breitling Avenger Night Mission. Oh and if you’re not too familiar with that history,Also, Breitling’s latest UK exhibition is a good chance to discover it. More on that at the bottom.
Breitling Super Avenger B01 Chronograph 46 Night Mission
First up is the Breitling Super Avenger B01 Chronograph 46 Night Mission, the largest of the new watches with a 46mm case in black ceramic. Ceramic is an incredibly tough, scratch resistant material that is usually blasted to a matte finish that, in black, gives the watch a cool, tactical aesthetic. Here that’s been paired with a matching black ceramic 60-minute rotating bezel and titanium accents in the form of the crown and chronograph pushers. It’s this somewhat stealthy, military-adjacent aesthetic that gives this subcollection the name Night Mission.
Moving to the dial, it’s made from a carbon composite material, meaning it’s black with a chaotic, random texture to its surface. It has a tricompax chronograph display with a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock, 12-hour timer at 6 and 30-minute timer at 3. The Arabic numeral hour markers are also nice and legible thanks to the combination of lume and the sheer size of the display thanks to the huge case.
As the watch’s name indicates it houses the Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01, aka the B01. A more than solid movement with a 70-hour power reserve and COSC chronometer certification ensuring great reliability and accuracy. It’s protected by the watch’s 300m water resistance rating and sapphire caseback. It’s presented on a green strap to complete the quasi-military vibe. It’s priced at £7,900.
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Breitling Avenger B01 Chronograph 42 Night Mission
Measuring 42mm in diameter, the Breitling Avenger B01 Chronograph 42 Night Mission is much more wearable for the average person on a day-to-day basis. The overall construction of the case though is more or less the same as the Super Avenger 46 Night Mission in black ceramic again with a ceramic bezel and titanium accents. However, unlike it larger counterpart, there are two dial options here.
The first of the two watches is the same carbon design as the above. The second however is a vibrant turquoise. The combination of the light blue and black, along with the orange lining of the blue strap, reminds me of iconic racing liveries from the world of motorsport. Considering that chronographs are closely associated with racing, I think it makes sense for the Avenger to have a sporty edition alongside a military one. They’ll each appeal to customers with different tastes but ultimately both versions suit the collection.
Inside each of them is the B01 automatic chronograph movement with COSC chronometer status. Due to the size difference they’re slightly more accessible than the 46mm edition but it’s not a massive gap. The carbon dial version is £7,700 and the blue version is £7,550.
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Breitling Avenger Automatic 42 Night Mission
Last up is the Breitling Avenger Automatic 42 Night Mission, the only non-chronograph edition in this suite of new releases. Although it does join the 44mm GMT Night Mission edition that was released recently so there are a couple of non-chrono editions to choose from. It probably goes without saying but it has the same black ceramic construction with a titanium crown.
Similarly, the dial is made from carbon once again. Interestingly the Arabic numerals here have white lume whereas the other carbon editions have either green or beige lume to match their straps. This model is presented on a black strap, which Breitling call dark grey but let’s be real it’s black.
The movement inside is the Breitling Calibre 17, another COSC movement but this one has only a 38-hour power reserve. In today’s market that’s very low for a luxury brand like Breitling so hopefully we’ll see that improve with time. Although that does contribute to a notably lower price of £4,900, which for a ceramic watch is not bad at all.
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140th Anniversary Vintage Watch Exhibition
Breitling has announced the dates for the UK leg of its global Time Capsule: The Breitling Heritage Exhibition in celebration of their 140th anniversary. Those dates are: Regent St 5th – 11th November, Trafford 13th – 20th November, White City 22nd – 29th November, Knightsbridge 2nd – 9th December, and New Bond St 10th – 18th December.
The exhibit charts the history of their watch collections and features vintage watches from their archives. Leading all the way back to some of their earliest models like the single pusher chronograph from 1915, as well as key models from 1937 – 1995. The exhibition is free and open to walk-ins. Or if you prefer an in depth, guided look at the exhibit you can make an appointment with the relevant boutique.
More details at Breitling.
