Breitling Chronomat Ref. 1808 in Steel

CIRCA: 1970s
REF.: 1808
CASE MATERIAL: Stainless steel
CASE DIMENSIONS: 49 mm in diameter
DIAL: Black glossy with applied hour markers, two soft silver subregisters, slide rule scale, and date aperture at the “6 “hour marker
BRACELET MATERIAL: Tan leather strap
BRACELET SIZE: 6-3/4 to 8-1/4 inches
MOVEMENT: Automatic microrotor
FUNCTIONS: Time, date, and chronograph
CALIBER: Cal 12 Chrono-Matic

In 1969 Breitling introduced what would arguably be the first automatic chronograph. The Chrono-Matic movement was an ingenious design, incorporating a microrotor winding mechanism and modular chronograph section with jumping half hours on the hour counter. Breitling also redesigned the Navitimer and Chronomat models with a stunning 49 mm case for the 1970s. The present example is an early model from around 1970 with white hands and all-black bezel with stunning original PVD finish.