Breitling Transocean Chronograph 1915 Review

Just one century ago, Gaston Breitling, taking advantage of the evolution from the pocket watch to the wristwatch, had the idea to separate the controls of the chronograph and those of the time display. For the first time, a pusher that started, stopped and reset the chronograph, was separated from the crown and located at two o'clock to improve the user's comfort. The first independent chronograph pusher was born. Breitling pays tribute this year to the Gaston Breitling's patent with the  Transocean Chronograph 1915 sold, as you can imagine it, in the context of a limited edition of 1915 pieces.




The Transocean Chronograph 1915 is a watch inspired by the past but which is also very contemporary. This  constant "back and forth" creates the originality and uniqueness of this watch within the Breitling collection. The neo-retro design is immediately noticeable thanks to the numerals using a luminescent material with a "patina" color and the historic Breitling signing nicely decorates the dial at the top of its central area. The minute  counter of the chronograph (same as with the Transocean Chronograph Edition) also contributes to the atmosphere with a scale which highlights the first 3 intervals of three minutes. The curved appearance of the dial is in this context consistent an the quality of execution meets the brand standards of quality. All is neat and flawless.




The  main hands are relatively thin but the time legibility is satisfactory thanks to the sufficient contrast with the silver dial. The peripheral scale of the chronograph is perfectly designed and offers great clarity. It is therefore easily legible even if the difference in height between the second hand of the chronograph and the scale is significant, causing a kind of parallax effect, with however little consequence.

So I liked the dial thanks to its simplicity, its efficiency  and its old-fashioned charm. Unfortunately, Breitling has succumbed to one of its flaws and could not resist the temptation to insert a date window that I find useless and even harmful to the harmony of the dial. This limited edition was the perfect opportunity to find a dial without any date display and it is a pity. The truncated 6 is not the most beautiful effect and given the context of the release of this watch, a dial without a date display would not have affected, in my point of view, its sales figures.




The steel case features the generous 43mm diameter of the Transocean Chronograph Edition one and provides a relatively significant thickness of 14,6mm. I think Breitling had quite the means to offer a smaller and thinner case. The brand has preferred to stay in its usual standards and this point is disappointing.  You can note, however, that with the withdrawal of the rotor, the watch remains thinner than the Transocean Chronograph Edition which has a thickness of 15,9mm.

On the positive side, the integration of the pusher in the case is really well made. This pusher seems to be an extension of the crown guard and so it ensures an aesthetic continuity. It is prominent enough to make its use easy and comfortable. Its handling is nice and it is a great asset for this watch.



This tribute to Gaston Breitling's patent required the use of a handwind movement and Breitling's will was to keep this consistency. The movement which powers the Transocean Chronograph 1915 is the manufacture caliber B14, certified chronometer and which is a variation of the B01. Two main changes distinguish it from the original movement:

  - the removal of the  winding mass of course,
  - the integration of a dual column wheel system on two levels which are operated by levers also on two levels.

The first change is felt by observing the movement through the transparent caseback. The caliber B14 is not for these reasons an irresistible beauty as primarily designed to be automatic. However, it emerges from this movement a serious and successful approach of its architecture and its execution. I find again logically the caliber B01 performances with a large power reserve of over 70 hours for a 4hz frequency.

The second change is noticeable through the appearance of the column wheel which is different from the caliber B01 one. But this change brings a real plus for the user's comfort. It contributes a lot to the pleasure  given by the pusher at 2 o'clock when the later is handled.



The fact remains that from the aesthetic point of view, I would have preferred a solid caseback. Nevertheless, I understand the commercial constraints of Breitling and the view of the movement seems to me in this perspective more pertinent than the date window.

As usual with Breitling, the large size of the case does not affect the wearing comfort thanks to the excellent leather strap and the buckle that position with efficiency the watch on the wrist ... as long as its size supports the one of the watch. The Transocean Chronograph 1915 exudes quality and seriousness and brings a lot of pleasure on a daily use thanks to the performance of the caliber B14 and the precise activation of the pusher.

The Transocean Chronograph 1915 is a rather convincing watch thanks to its approach and its realization. However, I regret that Breitling did not go to its logical conclusion by removing the date window and providing a solid caseback to hide the "automatic" origins of the handwind movement . It's a pity because this limited series, also available with a Milanese mesh bracelet, offered an opportunity to offer a watch which would have stood out more clearly from the permanent collection.



Thanks a lot to the team of Breitling boutique of the Rue de la Paix in Paris.

Pros:
+ a realization done with care
+ the development of a specific technical feature  for this model
+ the simplicity of the dial and the historic signing of Breitling
+ the integration of the pusher in the case side
+ the caliber B14 performances

Cons:
- an unnecessary date window
- a solid caseback would have been better
- the thickness of the case

Fx This message has been edited by foversta on 2015-12-20 14:28:40