Breitling

Released in 2020, it took no more than one year for Breitling to rebrand this collection as the Aviator 8, and rightfully so. Cool as these pieces are, the Navitimer is a very distinct and historically significant model range that should never have been diversified.
Nomenclature aside, this Breitling Navitimer 8 chronograph is a fantastic watch. It’s powered by the brand’s in-house automatic chronograph caliber, measures a very versatile 43mm across, and features a brushed steel 12-hour bezel insert that can be used either as a second-time zone or as an extra timing mechanism.
When people think of Breitling they’ll first think of aviation/pilot swiss replica watches, and then maybe the brand’s long-standing collaboration with Bentley Motors. Somehow, the fact that the brand also produces dive watches is known, but they’re often overlooked simply because it’s never been the brand’s specialty or raison d’etre. 
As a matter of fact, no, they aren’t on the same level as Rolex, Omega, or Blancpain when it comes to diving watch legacy, but the Superocean divers are still extremely well made and distinct in design. If you’ve had a dive watch on the brain but want something outside of the usual suspects, they’re surely a good choice worth considering.
Of course, a Navitimer had to be on this list. It’s one of less than a dozen watches on the market that have semi-mainstream ‘icon status’ and a watch that is a true pillar of the Breitling existence. If there is one replica watch that is synonymous with the Breitling brand, it would be the Navitimer.
In this case, we got things mixed up. We chose a blue dial instead of the more common black dial; A 42mm case instead of an oversized 46mm case. It’s the kind of combination that still stands out as obviously being a Navitimer, but also a variant that will make people stop and say “hey, you don’t see them like that very often.”

The replica Breitling Superocean watches have gone on to become very collectible, there are two models which are still in good condition, are now high five-figure timepieces. This year is the 60th anniversary of the Superocean, and to mark the occasion, Breitling has launched a new version of the replica watch which looks back to the originals for its design cues, while at the same time looking very much forward from a technical standpoint – including the movement. 
There are two sizes for your choice of the new model – 42mm and 46mm, with a 46mm chronograph available as well – and all three models are available in brown, blue, or black. We had the blue and brown models in the office and the brown model on a strap was the one I wore for a week. The blue version on a steel mesh bracelet is just as handsome as the brown model, and for the same reasons: clarity of design and great depth of color. I can only assume the black model would be just as handsome, although the rich colors of the dials and bezels for the blue and brown models are hard to pass up if you’re going to go for color in a dive watch at all.
The strap on the brown version is rubber-lined leather and it’s very thick, giving every impression of being nearly as durable as the steel mesh bracelet. Ordinarily, I would prefer something a little less heavy, but as the 42mm Heritage Superocean watches are 14.35mm thick, the strap works well and actually harmonizes better with the overall feel of the watch than would be a thinner strap. 
The buckle has a micro-adjustment feature, which lets you fine-tune the fit, although the basic strap length is a little difficult to handle, as it requires cutting the strap to the approximate correct length first. The micro-adjustment mechanism is simple to use: Just push in to unlock it, and you can shift the point of attachment of the strap inside the buckle to suit.
Both the heavy rubberized leather strap and folding clasp are very sturdy and well made. Apart from legibility, though, it struck me during the time I wore it as a genuinely beautiful watch, with a sort of elegance I’ve missed in some of Breitling’s more recent creations. The shapes of the hands and indexes, as well as the warm richness and saturation of the dial and bezel colors, goes to show you that making an aesthetically nuanced tool watch needn’t be an oxymoron (I still can’t quite believe I’m describing a fake Breitling as “aesthetically nuanced,” but there you have it).
Owing to the closed caseback, you can’t see the movement, which is a bit of a shame, but you can definitely tell it’s there from the performance of the watch. Of course, this chronometer-certified caliber came through in daily use – I’d hope the watch to drift a little on its rate over time but at least during the one-week period I wore it, it gained precisely one second per day, which is a stellar performance by any standard. Wider use by Breitling of this movement (and I can only assume they’ll deploy it elsewhere in the next year or two) would make an important change in how potential buyers calculate the value proposition of the replica Breitling watches.