There's a reason the 2019 Breitling Avenger Chronograph 45 has the words 'Night Mission'  as part of it. A military green dial and strap and its dark coated case, of course go a long way in contributing to the name, but it also has a lot to do with strength and robustness: the wide stepped bezel, the sturdy ringed chronograph pushers, the large screw-down crown with crown guard, the striking hour markers and the calfskin strap with an industrial-looking embossed pattern.

This chronograph is one of 14 models presented in Fall 2019 as the reinvigorated and streamlined Avenger collection, including four watches that replace the former Colt collection. It measures 45mm across and a strapping 16.5mm in height but the dimensions are not really all that noticeable, and surprisingly, the wearing comfort is still great. With its smooth underside, supple leather strap and flat buckle, the watch fits snugly on the wrist. Of course, the light 120-gram weight also plays a role, thanks to Breitling’s use of titanium.

A Striking Design

The solid watch case has a DLC (diamond-like carbon) coating that increases the surface hardness and adds to the industrial/military look of the watch. The carbon coating Breitling uses is more anthracite in color than pure black and is a better match with the khaki green components.

The brushed finish on the case fits the overall military design of the watch. There’s only one minor drawback: despite the matte surface, it’s still possible to see fingerprints here and there, and they’re more difficult to wipe off the stepped bezel than they would be with a simpler case design.

The dial stands out with the military-look numerals that have been an iconic part of the Avenger collection from the outset. Such stenciled numerals are painted on military vehicles and other equipment – the vertical line you see here on the 0, 4, and 8 is a typical feature.

Also Read | Breitling Brings Style and Drive to Your Wrist For Geneva Watch Days 

Striking Luminosity

Numerals, hands, and the luminous dot on the unidirectional rotating bezel glow brightly at night, so legibility is guaranteed for many hours. It is just as easy to read the time during the day as at night — at least approximately, because the minutes track around the edge of the dial is extremely fine and doesn’t offer a great deal of contrast to the dark khaki green background. There is also a lack of contrast in the dark gray chronograph hands, so legibility is reduced here as well.

Overall finishing is excellent and designed for functionality. Thanks to a high water resistance of up to 300 meters and the unidirectional bezel and luminous dot, this pilots’ watch (with a different strap, of course) can also be used as a dive watch. The pronounced structure on the bezel makes it easy to grasp and sturdy guard rings protect the chronograph pushers from damage from side impacts. The caseback is simple — solid titanium with beige-enhanced engraving of the Breitling name and watch specs.

Also Read | Watch of the Month: Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph Calibre Heuer 02

A Solid Movement

The chronograph is easy to start, stop and reset. Maybe a little too easy — crisper pressure points would be a better fit for the powerful appearance of the new Avenger.

Breitling submits 100 percent of its watches for chronometer certification so the new Avenger encases the Breitling 13 caliber based on the Sellita automatic SW500 “Chronomètre,” the highest of its three quality categories. 

The official Swiss testing agency COSC confirms that the movement runs at a rate of between -4 and +6 seconds per day in five positions while the chronograph is engaged. We also checked the sixth position known as “crown right,” the most common position when looking directly at a watch, and often the position when a watch rests on a watch winder for several hours. The electronic timing machine showed an acceptable average daily rate of +4.7 seconds and a small maximum difference between the individual positions of 6 seconds. This was confirmed during our real-life test on the wrist where the Avenger gained almost 5 seconds per day.

The only fault found in the otherwise sturdy and accurate chronograph movement is the detectable play in the hands of our test watch when setting the time. To compensate for the slack, it’s important to advance the minutes hand forward first and then move it backward to set the exact time so the hand will engage properly upon returning the crown to its locked position and as the movement begins to run.

Good Overall Impression

All in all, the test confirmed our first impression. Breitling has created a sturdy sports watch that is suitable for everyday wear, and whose design is in harmony with its functionality. The design, finishing, comfort and ease-of-use of this new model are particularly pleasing, and the only real drawback is the difficulty in reading the elapsed time.

The Avenger Chronograph 45 Night Mission is therefore the right companion for sports and everyday missions, whether by day or, as the name suggests, by night.

This story by Alexander Krupp first appeared on www.watchtime.com, on Oct 27,2021