Chronomat family · 11 references Breitling

Chronomat Vintage

Name: Breitling Chronomat Vintage
Brand: Breitling
Availability: InStock

39mm Popular Model Good Value

Low $1,600

Median $1,958

High $2,246

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The vintage Breitling Chronomat is the compact, muscular chronograph that helped define the brand’s direction after its 1984 relaunch. Its raised bezel rider tabs and busy dial belong to a different world from the slide-rule Chronomat of the 1940s: this is the pilot-oriented branch of the family, with enough polished metal to soften the instrument-panel feel.

For a straightforward way into this generation, get to know references such as A13050 and 81950, built around the automatic Valjoux 7750. The movement’s characteristic rotor wobble is part of the experience, rather than a fault. At 39mm, the watch offers much of the later Chronomat’s presence without its bulk. Pay particular attention to the rider tabs and their small securing screws, and test the chronograph’s reset: both central seconds and elapsed-time hands should return cleanly to zero.

MovementAutomatic

CaliberValjoux 7750

Case Size39mm

Water Resistance100m

What owners love

The 39mm case gives you the recognisable Chronomat look without the bulk of later versions. Owners who find newer Chronomats too large often particularly appreciate this generation, though it still feels substantial on the wrist.
The raised rider tabs make the bezel easy to grip, rather than just giving it a distinctive shape. Together with the rounded crown, they give this older Chronomat a noticeably different feel from Breitling’s flatter-bezel designs.

Common Criticisms

Those rider tabs can catch on cuffs and clothing. They’re part of what owners like about the design, but they can also make it less sleeve-friendly than its 39mm diameter suggests.

Chronomat Vintage

What owners love

Common Criticisms

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