The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I am after a little advice on how well the black numbers stand up on a Chronomat 44 GMT's bezel, I have heard they are rubber, is this true?

If so I would imagine they are an area of concern as rubber can have a pretty bad reaction to certain day to day chemical not to mention exposure to high temps and sunlight.

I would of course expect Breitling to have taken all of those issues on board and developed a proper solution so I am asking for anyone with that type of dial that have used it daily for more than say 12 months to pass comment on how those numbers are standing up.

Thanks

It would appear that no one owns/uses a Chronomat with the black numbered bezel, does that in itself say something?

My one doesn't come with the inlay rubber but my personal opinion is that they shouldn't be in issue in the short term, but unsure in the long run. Rubber generally tends to "turn sticky" overtime(reversion). It might happen faster especially if you contact the watch frequently with water or worst still, salt water(pool, sea). I am not sure whether Breitling could replace the inlaid rubber if that happens but someone here should be able to answer this question.

I personally prefer the bezel with no rubber because no matter what precautions they do, it is not going to protect the rubber infinitely so if Breitling can replace the rubber, the question is how much and whether that extra servicing cost is worth it. From design rationale sense, the Chronomat is a pilot's watch so many elements are designed to retrieve information "at a glance". It specifically tackles the issue of legibility caused by light reflection and sun glare, which pilots commonly face. The bezel without the rubber does a good job in tackling that, due to the contrast in finishing between the bezel numerals and the bezel itself. The brighter the environment the more the numerals stand out maximizes legibility. However in low light they become less visible, which I personally appreciate because it makes the watch look more classy in a different environment. It kind of balances between function and form better.

The rubber inlay bezel does help legibility in lower light conditions, something which I understand the intention for doing so. However I would prefer they seek other alternatives, such as going for ceramic bezel or using some other "permanent solutions". I guess they just wanna keep costs low.

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Breitling Chronomat 01 Limited Edition
Breitling Navitimer 01 46mm

I have a current SO44 & also had the previous iteration for over 2 years. there's no sign of degradation at all, in fact it still looks new. Same with my ProII & III rubber, so I shouldn't worry IMHO. I'm sure at some point the SO's will have a ceramic bezel as does the SO heritage, but I love the rubber bezel personally, & being matt gives the watch a 'toolish' flavour.

Chronomat01LE & Nealywheelie,

Thanks for your responses, I certainly like the idea of a ceramic bezel on a Chronomat, the sticky rubber syndrome was the one I was particularly worried about.

I had a Superocean with the rubber on the bezel. I never had an issue with it. Not even a scratch or a blemish of any kind.

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I'm over a year with my Airborne with the rubber inserts on the bezel and they still look brand new.

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Justin
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Thanks for the feedback Justin and BigJon.

I'm with Justin. I'm three years in with my Chronomat Airborne, and it has seen a lot of use. Bezel looks brand new -- no issues whatsoever with the inserts.

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Cheers,
Jim