Breitling for Bentley B05 Unitime
When Angus Davies was recently invited to drive a Bentley for a few days, he chose a Breitling for Bentley B05 Unitime as a suitable travel companion. This world time chronograph is imbued with a high quotient of Bentley design language and represents the culmination of the two prestigious companies working together. This detailed review of the Breitling for Bentley B05 Unitime includes live images, specification details and pricing.
In 2003, Breitling and the luxury car marque, Bentley, joined hands in marriage. Today, it is not unusual for a maker of fine watches to form a strategic alliance with a car manufacturer and there are several examples to be found. Moreover, an association with motorsport enhances the marketing potential of two conjoined luxury names; the synergies enjoyed can deliver colossal brand awareness.
During the early years of their relationship, the Breitling name could be seen adorning the successful Bentley race cars which attained podium glory at the iconic Le Mans 24 Hours race. While Bentley no longer competes in the race event, the union between the two brands continues to endure. Indeed, longevity is one of the unusual aspects of this brand partnership, as most liaisons between watch company and car brand typically last for significantly less time.
Ever since Breitling and Bentley joined forces, the two companies have been exchanging vows. The Swiss watch company continues to make dual-branded timepieces and Bentley chooses to equip its sublime vehicles with Breitling branded dashboard clocks.
Recently, I enjoyed the temporary ownership of a Bentley Flying Spur for the purpose of writing a car review for a magazine. Eager to experience the full flavour of sumptuous living, I thought a Breitling for Bentley B05 Unitime would make a fitting horological companion for my all-too-brief encounter with one of Crewe’s favourite sons.
Bentley B05 Unitime – dial
The Bentley Flying Spur is an incredibly wide vehicle and, as such, proffers vast interior space for its privileged occupants, allowing them to stretch out. Likewise, the 49mm case diameter of the Bentley B05 Unitime provides an abundance of room for the various indications to breathe. Indeed, nothing is squashed or unduly small, everything is optimally positioned and of sufficient scale to ensure ease of interpretation.
The press loan watch I received for evaluation was supplied with a brooding ‘Royal Ebony’ matte dial, paired with a matching black full-grain alligator leather strap. Breitling also offers an ‘Arctica’ dial variant as well as steel bracelet and Barenia leather strap options. However, I found the sultry tones of the press loan to be very agreeable and saw no reason to covet any of its siblings.
Breitling immediately reminds wearers that this watch has globetrotting aspirations, courtesy of the artful depiction of the world on its dial. An openwork lattice-like representation of the world’s oceans delivers an eye-catching texture to the dialscape.
The hour and minute hands are silver-toned, lined with luminescent fill and appear comparatively restrained against the dial vista. Their role of imparting time is clear and is efficiently executed. The tri-compax layout includes a small running seconds, a 30-minute chronograph register and a 12-hour chronograph register.
This is the perfect accessory for the frequent business traveller. Turning the crown in either direction adjusts the internal bezel, allowing the wearer to easily display the local time. The wearer can rotate the crown without fear of harming the movement even when the date is moved backwards. This simple, user-friendly system proved intuitive to use. The dial allows the wearer to see the prevailing time in 24 different cities simultaneously, making it the perfect aid for gentlemen juggling professional duties in numerous locations.
A 49mm steel case with a knurled bezel
The highly polished case of the Bentley B05 Unitime is huge and certainly could never be described as self-effacing. The 49mm diameter will prove too large for a great number of would-be wearers, owing to the tendency to overlap small wrists and the propensity to turn on the arm. Nevertheless, my own wrist (22cm circumference) had no problem accommodating the colossal body of the Bentley B05 Unitime.
The bodywork of the Bentley B05 Unitime is adorned with numerous facets and several sinuous lines. Adjacent the crown, the crown protector features bevelled edges and curving contours which deftly dance with available light. The bezel features a knurled motif, similar in style to the pattern gracing a Bentley gear selector. Indeed, there are numerous components which share the same design language as Bentley’s road cars.
Gracing the right hand flank of the case, the two chronograph pushpieces are capstan-like in form, highly polished and, most pertinently, pleasing to operate. Unlike some column-wheel chronographs, pressing the pushpieces requires a moderate amount of force, albeit they are unlikely to be pressed in error. However, where the pushpieces shine is with their positive on/off action and stutter free start once the chronograph is actuated. The performance of this movement is a cut above many cheaper, modular chronographs.
Most petrol-heads have a strong urge to look beneath the bonnet and admire the powerful engine within. Likewise, admirers of fine watches often prefer timepieces equipped with an exhibition caseback, eager to view the mechanical happenings within. Breitling sates this whim, equipping the Bentley B05 Unitime with a view of the self-winding movement via a pane of sapphire crystal.
The Calibre B05 – a manufacture movement
Powering the Bentley B05 Unitime is a manufacture movement, the Calibre B05. This in-house, self-winding movement features a column-wheel, contains 56 jewels and delivers a prodigious power reserve exceeding 70 hours, conferring an impressive level of autonomy.
The balance has a frequency of 28,800 vph (4Hz) and the movement is independently chronometer certified by COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres).
Appraising the movement via the caseback, the first thing to note is the unusual profile of the oscillating mass. It is made to resemble the wheel of a Bentley road car, featuring seven bevelled spokes and the brand’s ‘B’ logo gracing a hub cap style centre. It looks fantastic.
While the prominent rotor does slightly inhibit the ability to see the components beneath, it doesn’t mar the enjoyment derived from prolonged admiration with a loupe. The central bridges are adorned with Côtes de Genève motif and gold engraved lettering.
Closing remarks
I found the Breitling for Bentley B05 Unitime to be a handsome timepiece.
The large expanse of matte ‘Royal Ebony’ provides a spacious vista on which various indications are shown. The depiction of the world centre stage, incorporating said lattice-like motif, augments the allure of the dial canvas while all functions prove effortless to read.
The worldtime function is simple to operate and the wearer can be rest assured that manipulating the crown, moving from one time zone to another, will cause no harm to the date mechanism. Pressing the chronograph pushpieces delivers a positive action and stutter-free starting sequence.
Size may prove an issue for some. Indeed, the 49mm case diameter is likely to scare off potential purchasers with diminutively sized wrists, however, I personally found the watch accorded an agreeable union with my left arm.
But perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Breitling for Bentley B05 Unitime is its mechanical movement. It has many virtues, including precision, impeccable column-wheel chronograph behaviour, a user-friendly world time mechanism, an eye-catching oscillating mass and an impressive power reserve.
Similar to the legendary mirror-matched wood veneer dashboard of a Bentley car, there is much mechanical substance behind the lustrous outward appearance. The Breitling for Bentley B05 Unitime is undoubtedly attractive, but beyond the veneer there is also a laudable level of mechanical merit. Indeed, the performance of this total Breitling package shares much with the magnificent cars from Crewe and explains why the relationship between both companies looks stronger than ever.
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Technical specification:
- Model: Breitling for Bentley B05 Unitime
- Reference: AB0521U4/BC65/760P/A20BA.1
- Case: Stainless steel; diameter 49mm; water resistant to 10 bar (100 metres); sapphire crystal to front and caseback.
- Functions: Hours; minutes; small seconds; date; world time; chronograph.
- Movement: Calibre B05, self-winding movement; frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz); 56 jewels; power reserve over 70 hours.
- Strap: Black alligator leather strap presented with a steel pin buckle
- Price: £9,620 (RRP as of 18.8.2016)