To honor the 50th anniversary of Patrouille Suisse (Swiss Patrol), Breitling has released an additional version to its already successful Chronomat collection. The new model is set to be released later this year in an exclusive 1000 piece limited edition. This commemorative piece carries all of the well-known Breitling staples, but has many great aesthetic additions, which will no doubt make this Chronomat one of the more sought after pieces for 2014. 2014 presents yet another milestone as this also marks the 100th anniversary of the Swiss Air Force.
As the name suggests, this timepiece carries a 44mm case diameter and is crafted from satin finished, hypoallergenic stainless steel. The bezel is engraved with a 24 hour scale, and is equipped with rider tabs, which allows the wearer to maneuver the bidirectional bezel even while wearing gloves. The bezel also allows for the indication for a third time zone on this GMT model. The main crown and case back are both screwed in, enabling this watch to maintain a 200 meters or 660ft water resistance. The case back features the official 50th anniversary logo, and it also carries the limited edition number (XXXX/1000).
The Chronomat 44 GMT Patrouillle Suisse carries a black dial, with a tachometric scale found on the flange. The hour markers are applied indexes, and with the hands are all coated with Super-LumiNova. The GMT hand is tipped with the outline of an American F-SE tiger II fighter aircraft. This is the same type of their craft used by the Patrouille Suisse. At the 9 position, the continuous seconds subdial. This subdial spectacularly displays the Patrouille Suisse logo. At the 3 position is a neat date aperture, which completes the dial.
This gorgeous timepiece is fitted with the in house caliber Breitling B04. This GMT movement is officially certified a chronometer by the COSC. As this movement is modular in nature, servicing time is greatly reduced. Breitling is so confident with their line of in house movements that they offer a comprehensive 5 year guarantee on these watches.
