The Breitling Bling Era
The watch I pick for the rare evening switch today is the Breitling “Super Avenger” Chronograph; but I call it the “Super Mosey” after its original owner, a good friend of mine named Moses. The Super Mosey came to me on a multi-watch trade deal in 2016, and it has been with me ever since. Like the original owner: it is large, in charge, and will not be ignored. The watch is from a time which I fondly call the “Breitling Bling” era. This term is completely made up by me, if you want to know more keep reading.
The bling era time wise was from approximately 1995 until 2015 give or take, and is characterized with a particular bezel type, dial style, high polishing, two tone options, and general oversized mojo.
As a man with a larger than average sized wrist I can easily rock a 50mm watch, and I take advantage while it is still legal to do so. At one point in the past I had seven bling era Breitlings in my collection, eventually pairing it down to just my Montbrillant Datora, until this one appeared. The bling era will always be my favorite period for Breitling, it's just the way it is. If you have a small size wrist there are smaller options from the bling era, but they still are not small. There are even some women’s pieces like the Callistino, but it is also oversized.
The revised styling coming out now does not say classic Breitling to me, not at all. But, if you look at Breitling under the lens of history you can see that the brand morphs periodically, with some classic lines carrying over. Breitling started out essentially as a micro brand that created niche pieces; in particular for Aviation but later for land and sea as well. The 1950’s saw icons like the Navitimer & Chonomat born alongside the Fifty Fathoms and Submariner. The company was an early adopter of eubauches; this allowed them to focus on their cases, dials, and other things the customer can see and touch. They made watches that were like butter on your wrist; and it really became their trademark.
After a 1979 bankruptcy, the company was sold out of Breitling family hands. The succeeding owners have taken good care of the brand, keeping it relevant until present day. I still look back fondly at the bling era; both to watches I owned, and the ones that I never got a chance to own. Whenever I see someone wearing one I just get a big ear to ear grin.
Do any of you have a Breitling Bling Era watch?
If you have any I need to see them ASAP.
W.I.S. - "Throw it on a mesh!"
I always joke the the term bling-bling came from rappers with gold teeth that couldn't pronounce Breitling properly.
Great era for Breitling I got my chrono superocean in July 2011, my 50th birthday present from mrs B!
They discontinued the model the same year, I just love it and cherish it. This watch will never be sold
Great era for Breitling I got my chrono superocean in July 2011, my 50th birthday present from mrs B!
They discontinued the model the same year, I just love it and cherish it. This watch will never be sold
Love it, that is exactly what I'm takin about right there!
I always joke the the term bling-bling came from rappers with gold teeth that couldn't pronounce Breitling properly.
But they are wearing an "iced out" one covering in diamonds, lol!
Great era for Breitling I got my chrono superocean in July 2011, my 50th birthday present from mrs B!
They discontinued the model the same year, I just love it and cherish it. This watch will never be sold
Beautiful!
I have so many perfect memories of my Breitling Bling era watches, a blue dial Chronomat is on my older daughter’s sturdy wrist most days when she works in finance, another blue dial Chronomat was gifted to a nephew in Montreal. My son in law could not support my 48mm black dial Super Avenger, I reluctantly gave him my 48mm titanium black steel Avenger Blackbird. My niece wears a blue dial Chronomat circa late 80s, 90s that I gave to her dad the day he walk away from his impossible job working public subsidized housing for the provincial government. I still own more than my share of Breitling watches wish for one more before 2023 is complete. Could not pull the trigger on the latest Datora, it is overpriced!
Sadly I sold mine. A Breitling Colt was my 16th birthday present from my dad. He picked up an Aerospce at the same time. I had about a 1/2 dozen or more of them.
Colt
Super Ocean x3 or 4
Steelfish
Chrono Colt
Sirus wings
Chrono Avenger M1
And on and on
The bracelets of the those day were awesome, professional, pilot and rouleaux!!!
Thanks for the jog down memory lane. I do miss a few of those.🤔
Love that pick John!
Enjoy that watch! Pouring a St. Michelle Reisling and toasting your choice.
Cheers 🥂
My friend that I help has this same model I believe. His blinged out Breitling has a bezel covered in I think 10 carats of diamonds.
Love the story and late 90’s-early 2000’s Breitling’ as well. I WISH I had one but I’d be lying if I said a Chronomat hasn’t been on my Wish list over the past few years.
Love the story and late 90’s-early 2000’s Breitling’ as well. I WISH I had one but I’d be lying if I said a Chronomat hasn’t been on my Wish list over the past few years.
Pre-owned Breitling can be a good buy as you bypass the depreciation. Hope you find one!
My friend that I help has this same model I believe. His blinged out Breitling has a bezel covered in I think 10 carats of diamonds.
I find it blingy enough as is, all those diamonds sound crazy.
Love that pick John!
Enjoy that watch! Pouring a St. Michelle Reisling and toasting your choice.
Cheers 🥂
Thanks!
Sadly I sold mine. A Breitling Colt was my 16th birthday present from my dad. He picked up an Aerospce at the same time. I had about a 1/2 dozen or more of them.
Colt
Super Ocean x3 or 4
Steelfish
Chrono Colt
Sirus wings
Chrono Avenger M1
And on and on
The bracelets of the those day were awesome, professional, pilot and rouleaux!!!
Thanks for the jog down memory lane. I do miss a few of those.🤔
I wish I had a few back as well!
Love the Bling Years! To all my Armo friends who made wearing these pieces look like a tiny charm bracelet - these watches were monster badass. These guys could benchpress a pregnant bison. Wrist circumstance of an 18 Wheeler Axel. Probably Armenian Mob. Anyway, they all had em' and I was jealous. I never pulled the trigger because I wasn't buff enough or "Intense" enough... if that makes sense
A Montbrillant Olympus would be the perfect Flying B for you!
These two should get you more up to speed.
for researching the watches....
www.breitlingsource.com
Very much appreciated! Learning holds much of the fun.
One more comment because Breitling watches brings me back all the way to my early 30s when life was still adventurous a bit confusing. My regular ad who sells myriad brands has a long history with his family business retailing Breitling after his father emigrated to Canada from Italy along with the family watch and jewelry business. After Georges Kern became CEO, the brand became relevant to new watch enthusiasts but the guys who bought the brand during the bling era have resisted the new models. I have to include myself in that collective. We didn’t stop being watch guys, I think most or many simply did not wish to surrender a lovely time of our lives when we didn’t worry about case sizes and advertising that was a bit ridiculous. The hobby was watches not politics. My next Breitling is going to be either 44 or 46mm lol!
I think the re-release of the new Chonomat in 2020 at 42mm is a perfect mix of 90's bling and styling with a slightly more wearable case size for today's buyer. I have one firmly in my radar. Just need to save up a little more.
A Montbrillant Olympus would be the perfect Flying B for you!
That's a massive beauty! I've been lusting over a Top Time Deuce , Super Ocean 42 Heritage and a white dial Chronomatic 42. Enzo wants a Navi Boeing 747 someday. It's crazy I can just rattle them all off. I've been spending too much time in Pollochecks looking at them all LOL. Breitling has some great pieces
Get one, get one:
Hard to find for a reasonable price.
I had a white-dialled 38/39mm Colt Chronometer from this era, but the wife liberated it very quickly. She wears it much better than I.
I ended up buying a super quartz colt for my other half that loves grab and go stuff...
I have one of the less blingy breitling from those era. All brushed to be a tribute of the stealth plane blackbird. Love thoses chronomats even two tone ones.
Most definitely from the bling era, but yes subdued.
Very nice!
One more comment because Breitling watches brings me back all the way to my early 30s when life was still adventurous a bit confusing. My regular ad who sells myriad brands has a long history with his family business retailing Breitling after his father emigrated to Canada from Italy along with the family watch and jewelry business. After Georges Kern became CEO, the brand became relevant to new watch enthusiasts but the guys who bought the brand during the bling era have resisted the new models. I have to include myself in that collective. We didn’t stop being watch guys, I think most or many simply did not wish to surrender a lovely time of our lives when we didn’t worry about case sizes and advertising that was a bit ridiculous. The hobby was watches not politics. My next Breitling is going to be either 44 or 46mm lol!
Word! It is a defining time for Breitling and for those of us who lived through it, that is clear.
Tag Heuer Link from the 1990's! I always thought those were cool pieces, especially the two tone version.
My personal favorite was the one with alternating brushed/polished links, but the two-tone is very cool as well.
Well, the Navitimer series is in a class by itself, what a gorgeous watch!
Thanks...the Cosmonaute rules!
Bling era Avenger in titanium....still heavy...love the military style numbers
Bling era Avenger in titanium....still heavy...love the military style numbers
Gorgeous!
Handsome. I've noticed that certain people are drawn to certain watches. My patients who are Air Force vets, current pilots....almost all wear Breitling.
Handsome. I've noticed that certain people are drawn to certain watches. My patients who are Air Force vets, current pilots....almost all wear Breitling.
The aviation connection is pronounced.