Breitling B-1 review
One obvious feature of this watch is its size. If you are looking for a dainty timepiece, this probably isn't the right purchase. On the other hand, if you appreciate a solid looking chunk of stainless steel on your wrist, the imposing 43.20mm width and the 16.50 depth of the case will impress you. While it is large, it looks tasteful and not out of proportion. It is a heavy watch, but, as with other big watches, it really isn't noticeable once you are wearing it. The watch has bombproof appearance and it will hold up to years of abuse. The band is very solid with screwed in links and is quite comfortable. The overall finish of both the case and band is beautiful. It is extremely polished and the craftsmanship looks absolutely flawless. Photos of this watch definitely don't do it justice, you should see it in person to fully appreciate the quality. Accuracy is quartz. Watch is water resistance. You would feel comfortable swimming with it though perhaps not diving, due to the push pin and crown setup, even though it is rated to 50m. Of course, we are not really talking about a water sports watch here, but a serious aeronautical piece that does what it is designed to do very well. Should you buy this watch? Absolutely! You will enjoy this piece for many years to come. |
Pilots need a number of features in a watch that would actually use on a regular basis, especially a UTC readout, second timezone, alarm, day/date and backlighting. The B-1 has all these as well as a second time zone alarm, chronometer and countdown timer. These functions are displayed on two large, digital readouts set within the traditional analog face. Despite the E6B style slide rule bezel and accompanying busyness, both analog and digital info is extremely easy to read at a glance. Mode selection for the digital readout is achieved by twisting the crown, which is not quite as easy to use as the push button selection on most multifunction watches, but very nice nonetheless. Pulling out the crown allows you to change times, etc, within a given mode, while toggling between hours, minutes etc, is done with the buttons either side of the crown. Its interesting to see that while setting the time, the digital readout changes while the hands follow suit electronically, a little different than the usual mechanical link, pretty cool. Depressing the crown lights up the digital displays adequately and the analog luminescence in the dark is good. 