Breitling Montbrillant
The History and Appeal of Breitling Montbrillant
The collection is derived from Breitling's Navitimer family and retains features of legendary aviation watches, such as a stopwatch function and a circular slide rule.What sets Montbrillant apart from other collections is its perfect blend of traditional luxury, sportiness and functionality.
Breitling's Montbrillant line is a collection that combines vintage style with the latest technology.
Combining tradition and original design
Retro style model
Breitlin's mid-20th century designs are reborn in the new Montbrillant collection.
While faithfully recreating the classic Navitimer and its design from the 1940s and 1950s, the Montbrillant 01 shares a similarity with the classic Navitimer in that it features a larger 40mm case.
Breitling's aviation slide rule features a rotating bezel that makes a variety of calculations quick and easy.
There were three leather straps to choose from: crocodile leather, the famous Navitimer bracelet, and a perforated metal bracelet (Air Racer).
The current Montbrillant collection includes watches whose designs pay homage to past models.
Based on the Montbrillant Datra, a top-selling model from the 1940s, Breitling developed the Datra (reference number A2133012), a watch equipped with a calendar and a bold date display.
The day of the week and month are shown side by side on two displays.
Additionally, the hand with the red crescent moon indicates the date.
Fitted inside the 43 mm case is the Breitling Caliber 21.
Both models are priced roughly similarly, with the price varying depending on the case material and bracelet.
Vintage style Montbrillant
Montbrillant watches are widely known for their vintage-inspired designs, innovative mechanisms and enduring construction.
Montbrillant watches attract collectors with their timeless designs and are passed down from generation to generation.
Apart from the current models of the Montbrillant collection, original Montbrillant watches are also popular second-hand and can be found in very good condition.
You can find them on the second hand market for relatively reasonable prices.
These vintage models are not listed in Breitling's annual catalog, Chronolog.
Therefore, vintage versions are rare watches and if you can come across a beautiful vintage Montbrillant, you would be extremely lucky.
The watch takes its name from the Rue Rue Montbrillant, where Breitling's workshops were located for over 80 years.
Many groundbreaking innovations were born in workshops in the Swiss watchmaking town of La Chaux-de-Fonds, where the street was located.
The Montbrillant collection was therefore named in honour of those fruitful years on Rue Montbrillant.
The Montbrillant watch dial features elongated hands and a red decimal scale in the center, reminiscent of watch designs from the 1940s and 1950s.
While Breitling watch dials are typically adorned with the winged B logo, most Montbrillant models are adorned with the brand name written in cursive, which was the company's logo in the early 20th century.
The back of every Montbrillant watch is engraved with the La Chaux-de-Fonds workshop mark.
The current vintage-inspired models, the Montbrillant 01 (ref. AB013012 and RB013012), are equipped with the Manufacture Breitling Caliber 01.
The trend towards high-performance chronographs, which began in 2009, is considered one of the seminal events in watch history and a testament to Breitling's position at the forefront of the watchmaking industry.
