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Halloween’s long gone, and Thanksgiving is a speed bump in the express lane to inevitability; holiday season is here. But if luxury watches are on your radar, they should be on your holiday wish list, too. And watchuwant.com offers a leading collection of Breitling sports watch options to upstage anything from the North Pole.

While Grenchen, Switzerland’s Breitling SA is best known for its links to aviation, the family-owned firm offers options to suit fans of air, land, and sea-based pursuits. Nevertheless, aviators and armchair aviators earn pole position in any overview of contemporary Breitling.

And among Breitling’s flight-inspired models, the Chronomat 44 Frecce Tricolore is a standout. This limited edition of 1,000 pieces combines rich historic overtones with late-model refinement. Launched in 2013 as a tribute to the Italian “Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale Frecce Tricolori” – essentially, Italy’s equivalent of the RAF Red Arrows or U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds – the Chronomat of the same name ties Breitling’s latest movement technology to its aviation roots.

Although the Navitimer is Breitling’s icon, the Chronomat has been the franchise since its 1983 re-launch. From the 1980s through the 1990s, the sales-king Chronomat led Breitling out of the Quartz Crisis and into a brand renaissance. The Breitling Chronomat 44 Frecce Tricolore pays homage to the model’s legacy and long-running relationship with Italy’s signature squadron.

As a consultant to the development of the 1983 corporate-comeback model, the Frecce Tricolore flight unit receives pride of place on the dial of this tribute model. Rich red subdial hands ensure sharp contrast, and artful use of texture animates the sub-register faces. Sparing application of ecru-colored LumiNovia provides a subtle nod to the vintage 1940s Chronomat models that debuted this celebrated nameplate.

Inside the Frecce Tricolore’s 44mm stainless steel case, Breitling’s B01 manufacture automatic caliber keeps the beat. The crisp feel of the column-wheel pusher and 70-hour power reserve represent substantive upgrades from the pioneering 1980s original, but these measures merely headline a long list of mechanical refinements. As with all modern Breitling models, the Chronomat 44 Frecce Tricolor is a COSC certified Swiss Chronometer. The 500-meter water resistance, screw-down crown and pushers, and a unidirectional dive bezel ensure that this military “pilot’s tribute” is equally adept at amphibious operations.

By contrast, Breitling SuperOcean Chronograph M2000 rests resolutely at the aquatic end of Breitling’s Air-Land-Sea spectrum. Although equipped for extreme dive conditions that few users will confront, the split-seconds Chronograph M2000 packs a trademark feature that any chronograph owner will value: water-safe pushers. A Breitling exclusive, this magnetic actuation system fortifies the unique Superocean Chronograph M2000 against water intrusion down to its maximum rated depth.

With few exceptions, “dive chronograph” amounts to a contradiction in terms. Once submerged, a conventional chronograph – whether quartz or mechanical – is vulnerable to the water bypass that often occurs when a chronograph pusher is trigged while wet. Effectively, a chronograph becomes just another running timer once below the surface, and user interaction becomes a matter of mechanical jeopardy. Sure, certain manufacturers insist that their seals permit wet and submerged chronograph use – in theory.

But testing that theory on a conventionally sealed chronograph is the horological equivalent of the 8,000-RPM Ferrari clutch dump: best left to journalists and beater press models.

Breilting’s Superocean Chronograph M2000 sidesteps this risk by sidelining the mechanical interface between the pusher and the movement. A system of magnetic relays ensures that control of the movement never compromises the physical integrity of the case. So while the typical M2000 owner may never stop the clock after a descent to 2000 meters, one’s barbeque can be timed safely from the pool’s deep end during your 2015 holiday getaway. A thermo-compensated superquartz chronometer movement keeps the time independent of winter chill for those who prefer traditional holiday cheer… or ice hotels.

Between the extremes of sky and sea, the Breitling for Bentley line serves those with a need for speed on terra firma. Whether or not this holiday season brings a Bentley to your garage, you can take one for a ride with the Breitling for Bentley Supersports Light Body. With a 49mm titanium case and a unique radial chronograph display, the 1,000-piece limited edition Supersports Light Body captures the spirit of Bentley’s most intense high-performance models.

Breitling and Bentley are unapologetic about their appeal; too much is never enough. This polarizing approach to design and engineering finds its Swiss embodiment in the Supersports Light Body chronograph. Based on the historic case proportions and layout of the late 1960s “Big Navitimers,” the Supersports model converts the former aviator’s instrument into a driver’s companion for the 21st century. True to its name, the Light Body recasts the original steel case in brushed titanium, and the gunmetal grey imparts an upscale overtone to the model.

Excellent ergonomics are provided courtesy of the Light Body’s unique metal and a superb vulcanized rubber strap. The exotic metal case wears easily even on smaller wrists, and the supple strap frees this imposing chronograph from the mass of a bracelet. Nevertheless, a sturdy twin-trigger titanium clasp with a pushbutton sliding size adjuster keeps the Supersports secure.

A machined bi-directional bezel actuates a deluxe version of the traditional Navitimer circular slide rule; this one is calibrated in units applicable to motorsports rather than aviation. The dial offers a unique portrayal of elapsed chronograph time. Both traditional chronograph seconds and chronograph minutes are read from center-mounted hands. Flanking chronograph hour/minute mono-counter and constant seconds subdials overlap the central calibrations in a handsome homage to classic Bentley dashboard instruments.

The Breitling caliber 27B automatic chronograph movement provides chronometer-grade timekeeping within the 100-meter water resistant titanium shell. With a jump date, smooth bi-directional winding, and a hacking (stop) seconds function, this is a power plant worthy of the name “Bentley.”

With over fifty outstanding Breitling sports models in stock and more arriving daily, watchuwant.com is the watch enthusiast’s headquarters for holiday selection and value. See our collection of Breitling watches and other top brands at www.watchuwant.com.

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