Thermocompensated SuperQuartz ... Breitling B-1

[O2AFAC67]

Just picked it up last Thursday. :-) Cheers,
Ron


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[ppaulusz]

Congratulations!:-!
It's probably the best tools-watch with beautiful design and superb accuracy. Like those pictures too.

[Adanac]

Oh it's already in july?

I think it is one of the best ana-digis out there! The reversed displays are very unonstrusive ("stealth"). How the accuracy specified?

Great watch (but also big price :-( )

Ad.

[Bruce Reding]

Great pics of a great watch! :-!

[Bruce Reding]

How the accuracy specified?

There's a bit of an oddity here (unless it's been cleared up since). ETA specifies the movement to +/- 10 seconds/year, but Breitling specifies it to +/- 15 seconds/year. In practice, on our dearly departed forum, we found that Thermolines in general were often below 5 seconds per year, although there'd be an occasional flyer that was close to the specified limit. These were correctable with a regulation, though.

[Adanac]

There's a bit of an oddity here (unless it's been cleared up since). ETA specifies the movement to +/- 10 seconds/year, but Breitling specifies it to +/- 15 seconds/year. In practice, on our dearly departed forum, we found that Thermolines in general were often below 5 seconds per year, although there'd be an occasional flyer that was close to the specified limit. These were correctable with a regulation, though.

Wow, 5 seconds/year is very accurate :-!

[O2AFAC67]

Oh it's already in july? ... How is the accuracy specified?... Great watch (but also big price :-( ) so I have it set MM,DD,YR because that is what I'm used to seeing here in the states. If I use it to travel overseas I'll make it DD,MM,YR of course. :-)

The accuracy is specified to be within COSC specs for quartz watches described in the manual like this;

"The certification test for wristwatch chronographs with quartz oscillators consists in observing each movement for 11 days and 11 nights, in several positions and at 3 different temperatures (8 degC, 23 degC, 38 degC). To earn the prestigious chronometer label, a movement's performances must meet 7 very strict criteria, including a daily variation in rate of within +/- 0.07 seconds, corresponding to an annual precision of +/- 25 seconds. The variation rate of the SuperQuartz caliber fitted in your Breitling watch far and above exceeds these demands, achieving a rate of +/- 15 seconds a year."

In the Breitling "Chronolog" the movement is compared to a "standard" quartz movement in other watches as being ten times more accurate. That is, a +/- 15 seconds a year variation for the SuperQuartz and a +/- 150 seconds a year variation for standard quartz watches. Further, the "pre-SQ" (non thermo-compensated) movements in Breitling watches which are COSC certified are also well within the very stringent COSC specifications. In actual practice, the performance and accuracy of Breitling quartz watches, pre-COSC, Pre- SQ COSC and of course SQ COSC are all within the specifications. In fact, Bruce is quite correct in stating that SQ users typically experience much better rate variation performance than claims or specifications. My daughter's pre-SQ COSC B-class has lost 6 seconds this past year. My wifes SQ COSC Cockpit Lady has lost 4 seconds in a year and a half. My sister's SQ COSC Callisto has gained 1 second in ten months. My SQ COSC B-1 has been spot on for the week I've owned it. LOL. :-D

As for "big price", I have to disagree with you. All my Breitling mechanicals were more expensive than the B-1 and even though they are wonderful timepieces each with its own unique features, they simply do not have the level of functionality the B-1 provides. This watch IMHO provides more "bang for the buck" than probably most watches worldwide. Besides having Breitlings fit and finish, it is unquestionably one of the premier tool watches in the world :gold and at a not unreasonable price IMO. ;-)

I hope you enjoyed the pics and I'll try to post some more later. :-) Cheers,
Ron

[O2AFAC67]

Great pics of a great watch! :-!a few minutes ago in response to Adanac's post. I'm glad you enjoyed the pics. I have the black background pic as my PC wallpaper on a black "desktop" and it is stunning. If anyone wants those pics at higher resolution let me know and I'll send or post it for you. Cheers,
Ron

[Adanac]

Thanks for the detailed explanations! Can you choose the date format? That would be very cool, I am missing such a feature at my G-Shock.

Unfortunately for me it is a high price, but you are right compared to the mechanicals it is far better. Better technology and better price.

Enjoy your watch :-)

Ad.

[Lane]

Great watch - I remember the first time I saw one of these I did a double take. I had never seen a high-end ana-digi watch before. 5s/yr is outrageous. B-)

As to the price - I see them all over the place for $2500. Thats significantly cheaper than Rolex's Air King and the AK isn't even COSC (for a mechanical). So the AK could lose 5s in a DAY. I think I am "seeing the light" on quartz watches.

I wish they made a diver with ana-digi - on the B-1 the bezel goes the wrong way for a diver.

[O2AFAC67]

Here you go...
Cheers,
Ron

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[Bruce Reding]

Simply fantastic shots, Ron! Thanks!

[O2AFAC67]

Simply fantastic shots, Ron! Thanks!black background shot taken on the 7th. Pretty easy to tell that with the digital display on. The color of the characters on the display in that pic is just about exactly correct with back lighting "off" as far as I can tell. The red background shot with the display on and backlighted is very close to correct also. The display "window" does indeed have that bluish green glow behind the characters defining the windows in the dial. I'm glad I opted for the black face instead of the grey because with the display off the windows do disappear into the dial. :gold Cheers,
Ron

[O2AFAC67]

Just fooling around this evening. Might as well throw a PC wallpaper into the mix... :-)

Cheers,
Ron

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/9461/b1wallpaper10241si.jpg