Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44, Ref. AB0136

Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44, Ref. AB0136

A modern, stainless steel chronograph with a blue dial, bezel, and automatic winding.

Case: Stainless steel. Uni-directional ratcheted rotating bezel. Screw-down crown. Sapphire crystal with antireflective coating on both sides. Stainless steel bracelet or rubber strap with pin buckle. Water resistance of 200 meters.

Dial: Glossy blue with applied, luminous baton indices. Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph. Subsidiary dials for 30-minute counter, 12-hour counter, and small seconds. Date at 6 o’clock.

Movement: Automatic winding Breitling caliber 01. Power reserve of 70 hours. 28,800 vph. 47 jewels.

Diameter: 44mm. Thickness: 14.45mm.

Condition: Mint condition with original box and papers and extra rubber bracelet.

More about Breitling:

By the 1960s, many brands had begun the attempt to create an automatic chronograph movement. Two main groups were competing to develop this first – Movado/Zenith, and Heuer/Breitling/Hamilton/Dubois Depraz. Since both groups exhibited their new automatic chronograph wristwatches at Basel in 1969, both claimed to be the first. There is still debate today as to which group can claim the title of producing the first automatic chronograph, but it is accepted that since the Chrono-matic was the first to be available to the public for purchase, it wins the title.

In 1965, the group of Heuer, Breitling, Hamilton, and Dubois Depraz began working on the project, dubbed “Project 99”, with each company being responsible for a part of the final watch. In 1967, a patent was filed for the caliber 11, and in 1968 the first prototypes were developed. In September of 1968, Breitling manufactured the first Chrono-matic wristwatch.