The widespread popularity of college sports has resulted in an enormous multifaceted industry, and while it’s easy to think of school-branded items largely within the context of just t-shirts, sweatpants, and hoodies, some people’s desire to show pride in their alma mater truly knows no limit. However, due to the fact that college sports aren’t accompanied by connotations of traditional luxury, university co-branding hasn’t really been something that’s historically been embraced by the higher-end segment of the watch industry. That said, Breitling has always represented a fairly casual approach to luxury, and for its latest new release of 2023, the Swiss manufacturer has created school-branded editions of its entry-level quartz chronograph. Clearly aimed at recent graduates and college sports super-fans, the new Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition series makes its debut appearance as a quartet of United States-exclusive models, with each one dedicated to a different famous university that is known for having extreme levels of school spirit.

At the time of launch, the Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition series spans four different models. The orange one is a tribute to Princeton University, the red one is for The University of Alabama, and the two blue models are dedicated to The United States Naval Academy and the University of Michigan. While the new models feature dials and casebacks that are adorned with their school logos, the actual underlying colorways for these watches were already available among the standard-production models in the Endurance Pro lineup. The idea for the new University Edition series came about after Breitling USA President Thierry Prissert attended his first college football game at The University of Alabama and was blown away by the passion and enthusiasm of its fans. Breitling calls its Endurance Pro series “the ultimate athleisure watch,” and this makes it ideally suited to serve as the platform for a college-branded timepiece. Additionally, since the four schools featured in the lineup are all based in the United States, the new Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition models will be exclusively available for the American market.

From a structure and functionality standpoint, the new Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition watches are identical to the standard-production models that were originally announced in 2020. What this means is that you get a case made from Breitlight, which is the brand’s proprietary carbon-composite material that is 3.3 times lighter than titanium and 5.8 times lighter than stainless steel. Just like the standard-production models, the case itself measures 44mm in diameter by 12.5mm thick, with 22mm lugs and an overall lug-to-lug profile of 52.4mm. Additionally, due to its lightweight structure, the entire watch weighs just 64.5 grams (including its rather thick rubber strap), while water resistance comes in at 100 meters to protect against virtually all types of moisture contact. The rubber straps have been carried over from the core-collection models, and they feature the “Breitling” name embossed into their outer surfaces in large letters, along with a signed buckle made from Breitlight to match the case and further help create a lightweight package on the wrist.

Just like other Endurance Pro watches, the new University Edition models feature flat anti-reflective sapphire crystals above their dials, which are surrounded by bidirectional bezels that have white compass scales engraved into their surfaces and that move smoothly without any type of ratcheting action whatsoever. Similarly, access to the movement is granted by a signed rubberized crown and a pair of pushers on the 3 o’clock side of the case, and both the rubber insert on the push-pull style crown and the accenting ring on the start/stop pusher are color-coordinated to match the dial and strap of each watch. Just like their standard-production siblings, the new Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition watches are fitted with solid casebacks that are made from Breitlight and secured by four small screws at the corners. However, each of the different University Edition models has its respective school’s emblem prominently engraved in the center of its caseback and filled with white paint.

The dials fitted to the new Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition models largely follow the same design and layout as the rest of the collection, but rather than having a traditional third register at the 6 o’clock position (which functions as a running seconds sub-dial), the new University Edition models feature their school’s logos printed in its place with the seconds hand mounted on top of it. Additionally, while the new models are still powered by chronometer-certified movements, the word “chronometer” below the upper right sub-dial has been replaced by the name of each school. Beyond these updates, the rest of the dials remain unchanged, and they feature large Arabic numeral markers, date windows at 4:30, and pulsation scales printed along their color-contrasting angled rehauts. Although green emission Super-LumiNova is applied to the hands and hour markers, the oversized 3-6-9 numerals do not have any lume on them at all, and all three of these markers are partially cut off in order to make room for the trio of sub-dials.

Powering the new Endurance Pro University Edition watches is the same Breitling Caliber 82 thermo-compensated SuperQuartz chronograph movement (ETA base) that can be found inside the standard-production models. While quartz watches are inherently fairly accurate, large changes in temperature can negatively impact their precision, and the quartz regulation system on the Breitling 82 features a thermal sensor that allows the movement to compensate for fluctuations in temperature and achieve a COSC chronometer-certified accuracy rating of approximately +/-10 seconds per year. Embracing a six-handed, three-register layout with a date display at 4:30, the Breitling Cal. 82 also offers a 30-minute chronograph with 1/10 of a second precision and a split-time feature. The sub-dial at 2 o’clock makes one full rotation each second and measures tenths of a second for the chronograph, although it will stop running after the first minute and then simply jump to its value once the chronograph is stopped as a way to help conserve battery power.

Using the split-timing feature on the Breitling Caliber 82 movement is done by pressing the lower reset pusher while the chronograph is running. Doing this will stop the chronograph to allow you to take a reading of the elapsed time, and pressing the lower pusher again will resume timing, with all three of the chronograph hands jumping forward to catch up to their new values. While I typically prefer chronographs that are able to track elapsed hours, the Breitling Endurance Pro is intended to be a timepiece for athletes, and this type of functionality allows it to better serve as a stopwatch for the gym or for measuring split times at a track. Additionally, while the Breitling Endurance Pro doesn’t offer any of the advanced health tracking features of a smartwatch or connected device, the pulsations scale surrounding its dial does give users the ability to take a quick heart rate measurement, and with an approximate battery life of three to four years, the Endurance Pro is ideally suited to be someone’s grab-and-go sports watch or casual weekend timepiece.

I’m personally a big fan of the Breitling Endurance Pro series, although I’m certainly not the intended demographic for these new University Edition models. I went to a small liberal arts college that didn’t even have a football team; however, I can easily see why these University Edition watches would be appealing to those who attended a school where sports and an alumni network play a much greater role in the overall experience. Whether it is the first “real” watch gifted to a recent graduate or the casual weekend piece for the more established individual to wear when they throw on their old college hoodie and tailgate at games, the new Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition series very much has a place within the greater enthusiast community, and it’s slightly surprising that more watch companies haven’t tried to capitalize on this enormous and highly passionate market. While I would personally opt for one of the standard-production Endurance Pro models, I know plenty of other people who would love to own a high-end watch with their school’s logo on the dial, and I could easily see the University Edition series being expanded in the future to include other famous schools that are known for their championship-winning sports teams.

With an official retail price of $3,700 USD, the new Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition watches are slightly more expensive than their core-collection siblings, although the actual difference in price is only a few hundred dollars, and the new school-branded models are still some of the most affordable Breitling watches currently available. While college sports may not be accompanied by connotations of traditional luxury, I’d argue that being able to afford a four-year college education itself qualifies as a luxury these days, and owning a Breitling with your school’s name and logo on the dial is certainly a bit of a flex. While there are a few instances of other high-end watch brands creating university-themed timepieces, this side of the market has largely been occupied by budget-friendly offerings, and these new Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition watches represent a solid option for collectors who want a school-branded watch that still delivers a premium ownership experience. For more information on the Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition collection, please visit the brand’s website.