Breitling has a strong and distinct identity, and this Breitling Avenger Bandit is heavy on that DNA. This new model bring a “stealth” look to the line, and it’ll no doubt appeal to those who like a brooding, darker watch but may not want the all the black that comes with one of the Breitling Avenger Blackbird watches. New model was unveiled at lastest Baselworld.
The Breitling Avenger line consists of three-handers, chronographs, and a GMT, but if you really want to feel the full “Breitling experience,” a chronograph may be the way to go – like this Breitling Avenger Bandit. Actually, this is only the third Avenger chronograph, with a majority of three-handers comprising the lineup, and it is the first Avenger chronograph in titanium. The unidirectional, ratcheted, rotating bezel you see here with its four “rider tabs” at the compass points is a common feature of the Avenger line, but also of the Chronomat, Galactic, and Colt lines. That ultra-grippy-looking “waffle” texture on the crown and pushers is also a likable trait of the Avenger line that bolsters the tool-watch theme.
The big story here is titanium, though. While the Avenger watches, and Breitling in general, are military and aviation themed, the Breitling Avenger Bandit feels even more so – and the marketing materials for this watch really hammer that point, in typical Breitling fashion. Yes, I actually kind of buy the “spirit of naval aviation” pitch. The completely satin-brushed titanium case to “eliminate any undesirable glinting in the heat of action” along with the material’s lightness and overall muted color scheme all suggest a utility-focused design, with thankfully little bling. The flip side of titanium’s lightness, of course, is that it scratches easily. Though perhaps you, like Jerry Seinfeld, actually prefer your Breitlings all scratched up…
The dial layout is dictated by the Breitling 13 caliber found in other Breitling chronograph watches – and if it immediately suggests an ETA Valjoux 7750 to you, maybe you spend too much time looking at watches. Indeed, this is a Breitling-modified 7750 that is (COSC) chronometer certified: automatic, 4Hz, 42 hours of power reserve, quarter-second chronograph with 30-minute and 12-hour subdials, running seconds subdial, and the date. A tool watch like this seems like a good home for a 7750, if ever there was one, because a tool watch should be simple, reliable, and not overly fancy. The solid caseback also features a useful conversion scale for the main units.
Another reason to try the watch on in person is about the dial color. I feel it is important to mention that Breitling calls the dial grey, while it appears a dark blue-greenish in the promotional pictures. Perhaps that is the mixture of titanium and the antireflective coating on the “cambered” sapphire crystal; perhaps it was just a bit too far right on the Photoshop “saturation” slider.