The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Funny we where just talking about Omega and AP milking their respective icons to death, and AP has today announced that they are working on an entirely new line as their to-be flagship.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O47UlEm74c

wow, I am speechless! FANTASTIC effort by AP! Original and at the same time integrates bits and pieces of their DNA in subtle yet harmonious fashion. Absolutely brilliant!!! I am genuinely excited!

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Certified watch nut.

I am looking forward to seeing these pieces in person. Very interesting. I especially like what they've done with the new case design.

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Cheers,
Jim

Exactly, the case designs and the details of how the case was engineered are the heart of this new effort from AP, in addition to the movements. I think the majority of the negative commenters have not seen this video and did not notice where the innovation and complexity of case structure is. Really loving this one, have my name on a black dial chrono waiting list already. Fingers crossed!

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Certified watch nut.

The changes are not merely cosmetic, they are done for pragmatic reasons.

Well done AP, I just got bored with you and you suck me back in!

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Certified watch nut.

The video is very interesting, indeed. Love the double curved crystal!

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Cheers,
Jim

I commented in the other thread which was very off topic since it was about the new navitimers but I will comment here as well.

The case is amazing. I think that might be one of the coolest case designs I have ever seen. Love how they subtly gave a nod to the RO with the octogon mid case which can't be seen from above . The finishing on the case is top notch as would be expected.

And the movement.... Finally a nicely done in house chrono. The movement looks beautiful and functional.

My only gripe is with the dial. I'm not sold on the dial. But lacquer dial might just not be showing up well in the pics and videos. The dial looks bland to me. It reminds me a cheapened version of the JLC Polaris. Except I love the Polaris and this one leaves thinking it's a little blah.

So my initial thoughts are amazing movement, nicest case I've ever seen, dial is blah.

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agree. case theoretically nice, but looking at the chrono really quite high.
superb movememts, shockingly bland dials.

If its one thing I learned in my 15 watches of collecting is not to trust pictures. Watches, especially higher end ones, tend to have a different impact in real life. The way a watch in executed and finished is only apparent in 3D.

That said, online pictures and videos do give an impression of what a watch is, and knowing AP's level of excellence in finishing and the quality of the movements not to mention the excursion of the case, I have no doubt we are witnessing a legend in the making. I am sure the dials will look great in reality.

I am not sure the perpetual calendar will work with the glitzy dial, I just cant commit sight unseen and it is a big ticket item. The plain dial might be too plain for some taste given that it is a sports watch, that's how I feel about my three hand VC Overseas. I cant wait to get my hands on the chrono though, that one has winner written all over it!

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Certified watch nut.

The open worked tourbillon is particularly stunning.

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Cheers,
Jim

I've watched the video, and while I appreciate the subtle details, I'm sorry to say those pieces do absolutely nothing for me at all. If they didn't say AP on the dial, they'd be totally anonymous IMO.

The curved crystal is nice, and the case is interesting, but the actual watches somehow seem less than the sum of their parts. The chronograph looks a bit..... ordinary, the perpetual calendar looks like someone's been painting the ceiling with it on and got paint splattered on it, and the tourbillon looks like just about every other dress tourbillon ever made.

Oh and what a joy, the 3-hander has a 4:30 date too?!?


The only good thing is that they've FINALLY made their own integrated chronograph movement....... but it's a standard 3-6-9 layout so it doesn't look like the ROO will be going fully in-house any time soon.

Sorry Altair - thanks for bringing them to the attention of the forum, but these ones just aren't for me at all.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

So I take it you will not be fighting me for a place on the waiting list eh Driver?


These watches are game changers for AP. They will take some getting used to, but I have a feeling many will turn around!

A question though, whats with the hate for the 4:30 date? I have seen you comment on that several times and just curious, whats the turn off?

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Certified watch nut.

Fair question Altair. I've never really liked it for as long as I can remember, but over the years it's just started to irritate me more and more. Predominantly I can't stand it because I think it unbalances the design symmetry of the dial. Everything else on an attractive watch dial is generally either in the horizontal or vertical plane, with everything looking symmetrical, or at least "balanced". Once you throw a 4:30 date in the mix, you're putting a single element on the diagonal plane : it just looks wrong from a design perspective. This is compounded by the fact that the date font is invariably at an angle as well! It's like drawing a moustache on the Mona Lisa.

The 4:30 position, and the invariably slanting font, makes the date look like a complete after-thought : like the designers came up with a beautiful, clean, symmetrical dial, and then someone on a committee pipes up and says, "Oh we also need a date though", so they just end up throwing it on where-ever there's a bit of space on the dial. It's almost understandable on a 3-6-9 chrono (although it'd be better if a few more brands went to the effort of orientating the font on the datewheel), but on a 3-hander it's absolutely unforgivable. The fact that more designers can't see how hideous it is frankly amazes me.... or maybe it's just me!

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I see, that does make sense. I suppose it is a matter of perspective, I usually am anal retentive about symmetry myself but a few years back I started accepting the design ethos brands like JLC and A Lange have with many of their watches having what seems like features randomly placed on the dial, they along with others have made it their calling card and now I don't even register that as an issue.


I am actually typing with the VC Overseas Chrono on my wrist, I went in to pick up the Omega Speedmaster CK and just could not resist. I am looking at the date at 4:30 and cant say it bothers me at all, but I see your point in that a big date at 12 ala Lange & Sohne would have been even better!

One thought though, and I keep saying this. I have noticed, for me at least, allot of design elements I might find unpleasant in photos tend to go unnoticed when I have the watch in hand at an AD.

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Certified watch nut.

I agree with driver that on a 3 hander there is no excuse. The whole dial is blank, why would they not put it at 6? I don't really mind it on a Chrono because there is so much else going on that the date can get lost. But a 3 hander it sticks out to me.

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Driver -- I think your view makes perfect sense. As for me, I don't have a problem with a 4:30 placement on a sport chronograph.

Altair -- I totally agree with you that, quite often, renderings of a watch allow certain elements to become a focus of attention in a way that doesn't necessarily correlate to how those same elements are actually perceived "on the wrist." This is particularly true, I think, when it comes to date windows. I have often found that aspects of a rendering that seem problematic to me are non-issues when I actually see a watch in the metal.

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Cheers,
Jim