Breitling Navitimer Rattrapante Review
Today, we will be reviewing the Breitling Navitimer Rattrapante (Split-Second Chronograph) quite intensely. We will be analyzing the pros and cons of this watch and discuss all the available features as well as pricing and overall value.
Every so often in our watch reviews, we really get to a product analysis that will tear apart a watch down to the most granular detail. Today, with the Navitimer Rattrapante watch, is one of those lucky days.
Breitling Navitimer Rattrapante Review
Aesthetics
Let's harp on the looks first. The Breitling Navitimer Rattrapante has a nicely polished stainless steel case and from the looks of the Panamerican bronze-colored dial to all the finely printed tracks, and numerals, this watch certainly has a lot going.
At a 45mm case size and 15.73mm case thickness, the stainless steel case commands a presence on your wrist.
Sub-dials make up the lower-hemisphere of the dial:
- 6 o'clock position: Twelve-hour counter sub-dial
- 3 o'clock position: 30 min counter sub-dial
- 9 o'clock position: small seconds sub-dial
There is an aperture located on the dial between the 4 and 5 o'clock hour markers that display the date. This date window uses a nice, easy to read font and font size. The hour markers and hours and minutes hands have luminescent material to make it glow in the dark and easy to read the time at night or in poor lighting conditions.
To some, this watch may look too busy at face value. To others, it is a masterpiece and the answer to many of their work-related challenges. "Why?" you may ask? For starters, this is a sophisticated tool watch for pilots and those professionals who need unique features for navigation. Read further to find out.
Mechanical Features
Many of these features are built into the dial such as scales to help make quick computations and calculations. The two-directional rotating bezel allows you to quickly use the watch's dial as a conversion table for calculations such as converting miles to kilometers or miles to nautical miles.
It can also be used to calculate climbing times and gauge fuel efficiency using what is called the Slide-Rule complication which works together with the rotating bezel.
For anyone who has never owned a chronograph before (can you believe it? some people never even heard of the Zenith El Primero!) a chronograph is a watch with a stopwatch function. The stopwatch feature is accessed, started, and stopped via the chronograph pushers above and below the crown (the knob in the middle on the right side of the watch).
What makes this Breitling chronograph particularly unique compared to other Breitling Chronographs is the Rattrapante complication which means that it is an automatic flyback chronograph that can not only calculate seconds (using the red chronograph hand with the 'B' at the other end of the hand for a counterweight), but you can also calculate split-seconds (or split-times, as some call it) using the polished split-seconds hand which the anchor-shaped counterweight.
This pilot's watch has a flyback chronograph hand and its position can be reset with the push of a button which when pushed, the split-seconds hand catches up to the main red chronograph hand.
The Breitling Navitimer Rattrapante runs on the Breitling Caliber 03 automatic movement also known as the in-house caliber B03. This split-seconds chronograph movement has the designation of "Chronometer".
A chronometer means that Breitling took the caliber (the mechanical movement) to a third party called COSC who puts the caliber through many tests to achieve a minimum accuracy and precision of -4/+6 seconds per day which is considered a fantastic accuracy score for a mechanical watch.
This notable watch has a 70-hour power reserve which is about 50%-60% higher than the power reserve duration you can expect from your average self-winding watch. One of the common things that you will hear Breitling owners brag about is the way these watches are built. They are rock-solid tanks that are built tough and built to last.
Like all Breitling watches, with this automatic flyback chronograph, you can have almost any type of strap you wish. This particular collection has models available with several leather straps which include either a tang (pin) buckle or a folding buckle. The available straps and buckles are:
- black rubber with tang buckle
- calfskin leather with white saddle stitching (available colors: light brown, dark brown or black) with either a tang or folding buckle
- alligator/crocodile leather with white saddle stitching (available colors: light brown, dark brown or black) with either a tang or folding buckle
- stainless steel bracelet with folding safety latch
