Breitling Avenger Automatic GMT 45 and GMT 45 Night Mission hands-on
Swiss watch company Breitling recently hosted a new Breitling Summit concept event in Los Angeles. Among the new models introduced are these two GMT watches: the Breitling Avenger Automatic GMT 45 (Ref. A32395101C1A1 or A32395101C1X1 / A32395101C1X2) and the related Avenger Automatic GMT 45 Night Mission (Ref. V32395101B1X1 / V32395101B1X2).
First, a little bit about the brand’s campaign. I have said many times recently that the brand has been one of the best performing luxury watch companies over the past 18 months due to the rejuvenation of Georges Kern and his ability to execute on his ideas. If anything, Cohen’s short stint at Breitling (about two years) proved that if a company’s treasury arm allows the CEO to spend and invest for the future, no matter the current state of global investor confidence, you The power of what can be done. The good news for Breitling is that even today, their hard work has paid off.
Weeks before the release of his first film (in French), George Cohen sat at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills with guests from all over the Americas to see him, his friends and his new work. I personally have never seen Mr. Cohen so relaxed and seems so hopeful for the future.
One of the reasons for Mr Cohen’s positive attitude is that Breitling’s business is growing – and in important regions such as the US and China. The United States has always been a strong market for Breitling. (It is often said to be the third-largest Swiss luxury watchmaker in the United States, behind Rolex and Omega.) Cohen was a globalist who understood that while tastes and preferences differed everywhere, Breitling needed to be a global watchmaker. brand. every meaning of the word. From a product standpoint, Cohen has also been lucky, not only because of his ability to simplify the brand’s notoriously chaotic model collections, but also because he has an archive of designs and styles that are particularly stylish today.
Well-made, good-looking watches aren’t enough, and Cohen’s understanding of Hollywood appeal mirrors his understanding of marketing. This, combined with his two decades of experience in the watch industry, makes him one of the very few CEOs of a leading watch brand who has the courage to try new things amidst a global recession, low morale, and extravagant luxury. Explorers (who continue to exist in droves) are chasing different pleasures than the previous generation.
For example, the next person to wear an Avenger Automatic GMT 45 might become a drone racing champion. In fact, Breitling is incorporating the movement of drone flight into its aviation heritage. The logic is sound, and on top of that, drone racing is also attracting a new generation of computer and video gamers looking for sports and heroes to relate to them.
From a horological standpoint, these new GMT watches are a smart move by Breitling, unlike anything I can think of in the current collection. What other time and GMT Breitling watch (without the chrono complication) can you think of? I know they’ve made GMT watches before, but I don’t think Breitling has actually made a modern GMT watch (and I’m not counting world time because that’s a completely different style of watch).
As GMT watches, these are good-looking timepieces, and the red GMT hands on both the blue-dial steel version and the military-style Night Mission are very easy to read and not easily confused with the hour or minute hands. On the other hand, the 24-hour scale is a bit small and requires good observation skills. This does mean that the unidirectional rotating bezel can still be used for the 60-minute chronograph – a rarity for a GMT watch in this line, to be honest. Plus, there’s the case size to contend with, making the Avenger Automatic GMT 45 too big for many people’s wrists. It is entirely possible that Breitling will introduce more versions with smaller cases in the future.
George Cohen also mentioned that part of his new strategy will be to release fewer watches at a time. Only 14 SKUs were launched at the Breitling Summit. In the past, the brand has produced such plentiful versions of each model that it has paralyzed consumers with choice. They do this because different tastes around the world will prompt them to produce slightly different styles. Today, brands are much more aware of what sells and what doesn’t, while being careful not to flood consumers or the news market with too much information at once. That’s my explanation of why Breitling seems to be teasing a new Avenger GMT watch concept, with two models in it, and it feels like there are plenty of other models that could be hiding behind the scenes. I personally love that these brands want people to focus on just a few styles and color treatments at a time.
In 2019, Breitling retired the Colt series and merged it into the Avenger series. These watches always looked too similar, and the new Avenger series actually has a completely new construction, but still has the iconic look and feel of modern Breitling. The case is 45mm wide and thanks to the generous lugs, they have real heft. They feel thin at just 12.3mm considering the width, and the case is water-resistant to 30 meters, with an AR-coated sapphire crystal on the dial.
Inside the watch, Breitling cheap uses a movement of Swiss origin (base ETA 2893, I believe), which they call a Caliber 32. It runs at 4 Hz, has a power reserve of approximately 42 hours, and features a date function in addition to the time and a 24-hour GMT hand for a second time zone display. Each Breitling movement is certified by the Swiss Official Observatory (COSC-Chronometer).
The Breitling Avenger Automatic GMT 45 is made of stainless steel with a combination of polished and brushed cases. When it first launched, it only had a blue dial and index hour markers, and the case was available with a matching blue fabric (leather-lined) strap or a beautiful three-link steel bracelet (my choice). The black and khaki-tan theme of the Avenger Automatic GMT 45 Night Mission makes everything more interesting.
The GMT 45 Night Mission is a handsome little devil with a black DLC-coated titanium case paired with a “sand-coloured” leather strap. The dial features a combination of indexes and stenciled hour markers that consistently create a good looking look. I imagine one could criticize Breitling for being too cautious about design innovation at this stage of the brand’s operations – and you might be right. That said, Breitling today does an excellent job of condensing Breitling’s core aesthetics into very stylish styles (even if they aren’t too original within the brand). In a few years, I think we’ll see more innovations in design from Mr. Kern. Currently, I think he is still trying to distill the core essence of Breitling in the various brand pillars (Aviation 8, Navitimer, Premier, SuperOcean, etc…).
Breitling now has two interesting contenders for the GMT model, but the competition in this space is fierce. I think these two Avenger automatic GMT 45 watches are popular, but it will take some time for people to really appreciate them. At that point, Breitling may further flesh out the collection and try out how Breitling can create a GMT fashion watches that only they can achieve.