Hands On: Breitling Bentley Mulliner Tourbillon Chronograph

Now, here’s a Breitling that pays attention to things you don’t see every day. What we have here is a legitimate Breitling, but not what you’ll actually find on the brand’s website (at least for now). In production for several years starting in 2005, part of Breitling’s long-standing collection of Bentley watches (considered a rare “watch + car collaboration” success story), this is the Breitling Bentley Mulliner Tourbillon Chronograph . The watch is designed to pair with Bentley’s most elite cars, which are part of its Mulliner collection, and this is where a lot of their personalization work comes in. If you’re the kind of person who owns a custom Bentley, this nearly 49mm wide Swiss-made tourbillon lifestyle sports watch that matches your car might seem like a sensible accessory.

I really don’t know why Breitling is so low-key with such a timepiece. Consider how hidden they are. As I mentioned above, you can’t actually find references to this watch on the Breitling website. If there is one in a Breitling boutique, it’s behind the safe and never displayed. Imagine if you’re a regular consumer who doesn’t understand how watch brands sometimes make phantom watches that they don’t communicate with. Do you think this is not the real Breitling? Of course, this timepiece is well made and the tourbillon movement is very attractive. Having said that, this particular watch design is a far cry from the fake Breitling watches on the market. This means that no one will be wildly questioning whether Breitling actually made this watch. I’m not saying Breitling needs to advertise the watch, but at least listing it on the site would prove that the company does. just saying…

The Breitling for Bentley Mulliner Tourbillon Chronograph is Breitling’s in-house 18841 collection, and these editions are further divided into sub-names such as the 18k yellow gold K18841 and 18k white gold L18841 collections (also known as K18841, H18841 and J18841). Breitling can manufacture various forms of gold and platinum cases. Available in black and white dials, there is a range of alligator straps to choose from. Little details are incredible, such as the use of cut mother-of-pearl for the hour markers, and the ability to match the texture of the bezel of the tourbillon bridge. Other decorative details include a solid wood ring around the periphery of the movement seen from the back of the watch (various finishes are available).

The movement is called the Breitling Caliber 18B. It’s not produced by Breitling, but it’s likely near one of the traditional hearts of Swiss watchmaking. The movement is very classic in form and very elegant in decoration and execution. Although not technically innovative, the movement is visually appealing and combines a tourbillon and chronograph in one hand-wound movement. The movement also has a date dial. The chronograph also only runs for 15 minutes. It’s a fairly rare dial layout that helps add rarity and quirkiness to this watch. Perhaps the weirdest part of the chronograph is that the second hand moves around the dial every 30 seconds, not every 60 seconds. This provides a unique set of markings on the periphery of the dial. The idea is to help better read fractions of a second (1/6 second accuracy here) in 3Hz motion. It’s really hard not to like something so weird and complicated. Tourbillon movements are also rare, the calibre 18B is COSC chronometer certified (like most other fake Breitling watches).

One of my favorite things to do with a particular Breitling Bentley case design is the rotating bi-directional bezel. Unlike the ratchet bezel, this bezel is geared. People who operate gear rigs such as some tripod heads or specific camera equipment will understand the feeling. It provides real resistance to ensure you can turn it with precision, as well as a smooth and consistent motion as you turn in either direction. Gear knobs and wheels like these are used for stable, precise movement. Considering its size, this watch wears a lot, but it’s actually a bit sporty with a case that’s 100m water resistant. You can see the gear system for part of the bezel on the side of the case, which also has a recessed corrector for adjusting the date on the dial.

The Breitling of the Bentley Mulliner Tourbillon Chronograph is probably the rarest modern Breitling on the market. discount replica watches