Breitling make some great watches.  Many of them aren’t exactly what you’d call ‘subtle’ though.

Thankfully, fans of something a little more refined looking to wear something from the big ‘B’ may have some salvation in the form of this beautiful Transocean Chrono Unitime.

This is a 46mm piece in steel or 18kt rose gold. It has an AR-coated sapphire crystal and is water resistant to 100 meters. Dials can be had in black or Polar white.

Movement is the new in-house  automatic Breitling Caliber 05.  It’s a COSC-certified chronometer running at 28,000vph with 56 jewels and a 70-hour power reserve.

Features include a 1/4th second chronograph, 30-minute and 12-hour totalizers, world time and calendar.

Strap options include Barenia leather, crocodile leather/Ocean Classic (steel mesh, steel version only).

I love the mesh steel/mesh combo – look fantastic!

Interestingly, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of love for the painted globe over on the Breitling forums.  I don’t mind it at all: what do you think?

One thing we may all not like though is the price .. north of 10K by all accounts :-(

Here’s what Breitling have to say about this piece:

[Press Release] Breitling reasserts its horological mastery by launching a “world time” chronograph equipped with a new caliber entirely developed and produced in-house. Thanks to its double disk, the Transocean Chronograph Unitime simultaneously and constantly indicates the time in all 24 timezones. An innovative system based on a patented mechanism enables the user, when changing timezone, to adjust all the indications in one smooth and easy move by simply turning the crown. An exceptional new instrument makes its grand entry into the world of exclusive fine mechanisms.

While the chronograph and instruments for professionals have established themselves since 1884 as Breitling’s domain of excellence, travel watches have also played an important role in the history of the brand with the winged B. In sharing the finest hours in the conquest of the skies, Breitling accompanied the boom in air transport and long-distance travel. During the 1950s and 60s, the brand distinguished itself by introducing a sophisticated model named Unitime, a selfwinding “world time” watch that has since become a much sought-after collector’s item. Today, Breitling is further extending its invitation to enjoy travel and performances by combining universal time and the chronograph function within a new model in the Transocean range – a collection reflecting all the refinement and prestige of luxury long-distance journeys. Associating innovative technology with stylish aesthetics, the Transocean Chronograph Unitime is distinguished by its modern, pure lines and the infinite care lavished on the smallest details – such as its dial bearing a globe pattern. It comes in steel or red gold versions with the city bezel available in several languages. That unmistakable first-class feeling on the wrist.

In creating Caliber 01, the Breitling engineers devised the world’s best chronograph movement. In developing the new Caliber 05, based on the same high-performance architecture, they have also reinvented the world time mechanism by equipping it with an adjustment system boasting unprecedented user friendliness. The Transocean Chronograph Unitime features two mobile disks: a 24-hour disk and a disk bearing the names of 24 cities representing the world’s 24 timezones. The time shown by the central hands corresponds to that of the timezone displayed at 12 o’clock. The city disk also bears indications serving to take account of “summer” or daylight saving time (DST).

When the user changes timezone, he need only pull out the crown and turn it forwards or backwards in one-hour increments in order to correct the hours, the city disk and the 24-hour disk in one smooth move. Meanwhile, the calendar is easily adjusted in both directions to the date corresponding to local time. During these maneuvers, the minute and seconds hands continue turning normally without any loss of precision, and without perturbing any chronograph timing operations in progress.