With its refreshed Breitling Colt 36 SuperQuartz model, the Swiss brand finally notices the demographics targeted by Dove's Real Beauty campaign that began more than a decade ago. Designed with slightly larger wrists in mind, the new Colt 36 may be a bit too large for a skinnier type of girls that French fashion houses love so much, but, come on, let's celebrate some diversity here!
Although the 2014 Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Hunley Diver (Ref. PM2096B-S1J-BK) still features that "polarizing" patented crown guard system as previous iterations of the watch, it is still one of the most elegant members of the growing family. As refined as a diving tool can be, it is also not expensive sporting a price tag around $1000 lower than that of an IWC Aquatimer.
Believe it or not, but, contrary to popular beliefs, not all Breitlings do look the same. This new Breitling Galactic 44 (the ref. A45320B9/BD42-101W reviewed here and other models), for example, features an unusual (for the brand) combination of an elegantly sculpted body that looks more slender than it actually is, a remarkable set of crown-guards, and a relatively thin bezel that still displays all the relevant information for either an amateur diver or a professional pilot. Perhaps, the only thing that it needs is the usual notches that were apparently dropped here in order for its polished surface to better match that of the case. Well, nothing is perfect.
The 2014 Casio G-Shock GravityMaster GPW 1000 delivers inside its defiantly oversized body an extremely small GPS receiver, a state of the art solar-powered quartz movement, as well as their signature Multi-Band 6 technology that allows the device to automatically receive standard time-calibration signal from atomic clocks. What else would you probably ask from this little monster? Make you breakfast?
The new Fortis Blue Horizon features an appealing color scheme with its bronze-toned dial (that the brand actually prefers to call "Metallic Brown") nicely matched by a cognac-brown leather strap. Although the blue accents on the timekeeper's face look a bit ahem controversial, I must admit that this is one of the dressiest "pilot's chronographs" that the Swiss brand has ever produced. Just don't forget to get yourself a complementary set of good brown shoes.
Featuring a sexy combination of deep matte black and bright, almost electric, orange, the Breitling Chronomat 44 Raven Caliber 01 (ref. MB0111C2/BD07-153S) is so far one of the most attractive members of the family. Add to this the same COSC-certified Caliber B01 automatic movement built in their own manufacturing facility, as well as an extremely legible layout of the dial, and you get yourself a winner. The only thing that spoils the fun a little is, as usual for Breitling, the price.
