Breitling has refreshed its Chronomat lineup with updated takes on its versatile sports watch with a slew of releases across its three lines - Chronomat B01 42, Chronomat B31 Automatic 40, and Chronomat Automatic 36. The new launches include a slimmer Chronomat B01 chronograph, a new 40mm time-and-date model powered by the manufacture Caliber B31, and refined 36mm automatic editions.
Building on the collection’s 2020 redesign, the latest update further refines the case, bracelet, proportions, and movement while retaining key Chronomat signatures, including the rider-tab bezel and Rouleaux bracelet.
Originally released in 1984 for Breitling’s centennial, the Chronomat was developed under then-owner Ernest Schneider in collaboration with the Frecce Tricolori, the Italian Air Force’s aerobatic team. The watch was conceived as a robust analog chronograph at a time when quartz technology dominated the market, working to bring together pilot watch functionality and a mechanical movement with its key, distinctive presence.
For 2026, Breitling has moved the Chronomat from a semi-integrated bracelet construction to a fully integrated case-and-bracelet design. The lugs are concealed behind the case, allowing the watch to maintain an integrated look while still permitting alternative strap options. On steel and two-tone models, the Rouleaux bracelet— a signature of the collection with its interlocking cylindrical links— also receives a new micro-adjustment system, allowing the wearer to extend the bracelet by one link on each side of the concealed butterfly clasp.
The Chronomat B01 42 remains the collection’s central chronograph model, now with a reduced case thickness of 13.77mm, down from 15.1mm. The updated design removes the 1/100 scale from the rehaut for a cleaner dial layout, while the crown guards have been downsized to improve ease of use. The watch measures 42mm in diameter and 45.8mm in height, with 200 meters of water resistance, a cambered sapphire crystal glareproofed on both sides, a screw-locked crown, and a unidirectional ratcheted bezel with rider tabs.
Inside is the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01, a COSC-certified automatic chronograph movement with a column wheel, vertical clutch, 1/4th-second chronograph, 30-minute and 12-hour counters, and an approximately 70-hour power reserve.
Stainless steel versions are available with green, blue, or white dials with black chronograph counters, offered on black, blue, or green Rouleaux-inspired rubber straps, respectively, or on stainless steel Rouleaux bracelets. The line also includes a two-tone stainless steel and 18k red gold version with an anthracite dial, full 18k red gold models with brown dials, and stainless steel and platinum versions with ice-blue dials.
The next addition is the Chronomat B31 Automatic 40, with the design being the first time-and-date Chronomat offered in a 40mm case size. Measuring 10.99mm thick and 43.7mm in height, the model maintains 200 meters of water resistance and uses a unidirectional ratcheted bezel with rider tabs. The watch is powered by the COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Caliber B31, introduced in 2025, which offers an approximately 78-hour power reserve.
The stainless steel models are available with white, blue, or green dials on the Rouleaux bracelet, while stainless steel and platinum editions feature an ice-blue dial on either a black Rouleaux-inspired rubber strap or bracelet.
The Chronomat Automatic 36 rounds out the relaunch with a slimmer 36mm case measuring 9.68mm thick and 39.5mm in height. Unlike the larger models, it is water resistant to 100 meters and uses a fixed bezel with indexes and rider tabs. The watch is powered by the COSC-certified Breitling Caliber 10, a Sellita-based automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve.
Options for this one include stainless steel models with blue or mother-of-pearl dials, versions with lab-grown diamond hour markers and lab-grown diamond-set bezels, and two-tone stainless steel and 18k red gold executions, including a brown-dial version with lab-grown diamonds.
This article first appeared in WatchTime.com
Images: Courtesy brand
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