Breitling Chrono Avenger

[andreww]

Primer & Review of the Breitling Chrono Avenger

PART 1 – Chrono Avenger primer

For a long time I have wanted to add an example of Breitling’s “Aeromarine” series to my collection. The Aeromarine series accounts for a large chunk of the Breitling catalogue, and includes all variations of the Superocean, Avenger, and Colt lines. The problem is that the current crop of reps of the Aeromarines doesn’t offer what I am looking for. The Steelfish Superocean may be one of the best reps out there, but I feel that a watch of that mass should do more than just show date and time, thus I was looking for a chrono. The Steelfish chrono would be perfect, but has yet to me repped. The Super Avenger is a great copy, but at more than 48mm, it’s too large for my taste. On the other hand the Colt Chrono, at 39mm, is a little too small. The only other available option is the Chrono Avenger. Although it has been repped to near perfection, the factory that produced that version now only produces a SS version. The Chrono Avenger is currently available in stainless steel, too much of a flaw in my opinion, or in its 2nd incarnation, a slightly “less perfect” titanium version, that is produced by a different factory.

There have been 3 generations of Chrono Avenger reps over the years, and as sometimes happens in the rep world, the quality has moved backwards with every version. Only the first two editions of this watch were constructed of titanium however, and these are the watches this article will focus on. The SS version is identical to the 1st generation model, but obviously cast in stainless steel (see photo below).

Takashi did a comparison of the two titanium watch cases here;

http://replica-watch.info/forum/viewtopic....ghlight=avenger

(contrary to Takashi’s review, I have found a number of owners that claim that the 1st generation Avenger had possibly the best AR of any rep to date. I have found no evidence that the 2nd generation Avenger came with anything more than light AR.)

The 1st generation Chrono Avenger may well have been one of the first “Super Reps”. It was just about perfect. The only obvious “tell” would be a slightly short second hand (short on the bottom end). The 2nd generation fixed this flaw, but introduced a slew of new ones.

Most noticeably, the pearl on the 2nd gen reverted to a massive blob, nothing like the genuine. Many people shaved it down flat, which at least makes it look “presentable”. At some point the 2nd generation Chrono Avenger was produced with a shaved down pearl as well. (*see addendum at the end of the primer)

Also, the font of the digits on the rider tabs of the 2nd generation Avenger is no longer correct. It is most noticeable in the 45, where the top part of the 4 now is closed completely, where the genuine and 1st generation rep use an open 4.

The stamped number (4603 B3) between the lugs disappeared on the 2nd generation, as did the wonderful AR. The overall quality of the casting of the 2nd generation case is also a step backward, especially on the bezel. The edges are not as crisp as the 1st gen, and the markings are also less square at the edges.

The crown guards on both reps are slightly misshaped, and the crown itself is slightly shorter than the gen.

I do feel that the 2nd generation dial is slightly better than the previous version however. The white line around the date window is a little more accurate, as is the size of the dots at each of the number markers. Also, the actual numbers on the 2nd generation dial are a little bit bolder, and look to be almost identical in size compared to the genuine avenger.

As a side note, have you ever wondered how to tell the difference between the rep and genuine dial? Look at the 8. If most of the top half of the 8 is visible, it’s a rep. If most of the top half of the 8 is missing, it’s a gen. Oddly enough, the Brietling catalogue photos of the black dial version, show an 8 like our reps. I have yet to see this on an actual watch however. My guess is that those early photos were the models used to create our dials.

Neither of the rep bracelets seem to have the sharpness that the gen has. In my opinion the 1st generation bracelet is slightly better than the 2nd generation. Look at the crispness of the gen links!

Another detail that took a step backward on the 2nd generation Avenger is the small “B” that should be located on the side of the bezel near the pearl rider tab. On the second generation it was moved incorrectly to the top of the bezel.

To sum up here are the benefits:

1st Generation:

- fantastic AR

- better case casting

- better pearl

- correct engravings “B” and “stamp between the lugs

2nd Generation:

- better dial

- better hands

- still available

*Addendum – Upon receiving my Avenger, I quickly realized that there was actually another version of Avenger that I was unaware of. The model that I received is very close to the 2nd generation in appearance, but it has no AR, the pearl is flat (not blob-like), and the incorrect “B” is not there. My guess is that it is the first revision of this 2nd generation of Chrono Avengers

PART 2 – Chrono Avenger (2nd Generation) review

Let me preface this review by saying that the previous section was written prior to receiving my 2nd generation Chrono Avenger. I was a little bit nervous that I might be disappointed, after discovering all the flaws and after studying a multitude of photos of 1st generation and genuine images.

Knowing all this, I still felt the 2nd generation Chrono Avenger was still a good choice. Despite all of its flaws, it still outshines the current stainless steel version for the simple reason that it is constructed completely of titanium. Also, the 1st generation reps have become so rare that they are already commanding a very high resale value.

First Impressions

My first thought when I opened the package was “man, this thing is light”. Given the fact that this watch is 44mm and over 18mm thick, I was sure that it would have a lot more weight to it, even if it is made of titanium. My overall impression is that all of the flaws mentioned above are greatly exaggerated by the extreme magnification of the photos. The lack of crispness in the casting is almost unnoticeable, and even the pearl is not as glaring an eyesore as you might think.

The Bracelet

I really was not keen on the titanium bracelet. The removable links have screw heads on both sides of the link, and when you try to remove them they just starts spinning in place. I’ll need to use 2 screwdrivers, one to loosen, the other to hold the screw in place. The safety clasp is difficult to open, and if you have short fingernails, its damn near impossible to release. The engravings on the clasp are weak, and the actual links look too rounded when compared to the gen. I’m not really a fan of all titanium watches anyway, so I immediately removed the bracelet in favor of a genuine black calf strap.

The Crystal

I was a little disappointed to find that the crystal had no AR whatsoever. The combination of the deep-faced black dial, slightly domed crystal and thick glass, make for a lot of reflection. I was happy to find that the crystal is nice and clear with no fogginess. There is minimal distortion when viewed from an angle. This glass is a prime candidate for the next AR run!

The Case

The overall condition of the watch case is near perfect, as is to be expected with a titanium watch. No light scratches or swirls on the bracelet to be concerned with, as titanium is much harder than steel. The watch itself is very thick at over 18mm, and at 44mm across the bezel. Its big, but not too big. The case itself seems to be very close to the gen in both size and appearance

The Movement

This watch is powered by the 21k asian 7750, which is fine by me as it makes it easy to do a Swiss transplant at a later date, and as we all know, the 21k hands will fit right on the Swiss 7750. The movement is screwed to a steel spacer ring and the rotor is undecorated.

The Crown and Pushers

My watch did have one problem, a stripped crown (seller was open about it). I have shortened the stem slightly, to get the crown to sit nicely against the case. The crown looks okay but slightly short, and the “B” on the end seems much smaller than the genuine. The Pushers look good, but are not as sharp as the genuine. There does seem to be a little bit of play between the pushers and the sleeves.

The Dial

The dial on this watch is beautiful. What I like most about it is how deep it is recessed into the watch, remember, it is 18mm thick. The dial itself is matte black, the subdials have concentric circles around them. The Numerals are raised, and the lume dots are perfect half spheres. The lume however is pretty weak. The hands are finished in a gloss white, which makes them easy to read in any light. The date font is far from perfect, but an improvement from the 1st generation. The second hand has a slight twist to it (the red square is not sitting flat), and the reset is about a quarter second to the right. I was at the AD today and noticed that many of the gen Breitlings were just as far off.

Overall I am very satisfied with this watch. I would guess that if the 1st generation of Avengers had never been produced, people would be raving about this watch. My advice would be not to wait to pick one of these up, whether it be the 1st or 2nd generation. The faults that I thought would bother me ended up being non-issues. The one disappointment I have is the lack of AR, especially on the inside. The slight dome on the crystal seems to magnify any reflections, and any AR at all would have been a big improvement.

If you want a rugged looking Breit, and have a small to medium wrist, the Chrono Avenger is the watch for you.

BONUS VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku3mDX9XgXM

BTW, the watch came from member "GolfBum", who was a pleasure to deal with. Wouldn't hesitate to do business with him again!

PS – If anybody has a titanium crown, I’d love to restore the screw down function again. PM me!

Edited September 4, 2007 by andreww

[Usil]

Excellent review with good pictures and great comparisons.

Usil

[Watchmeister]

Must reading for anyone contemplating a chrono avenger. Fabulous review Andreww. You are giving By-Tor a run for his money.

[dluddy]

As I said on the other board Andrew, fantastic write-up. I learned a lot about the Avenger. Thanks for sharing

[Rolexman]

Great review... I always like reading your posts as you are like me; a huge Breitling fan.

I myself however would have gone for the SS version as it is the same as the 1st gen. And what I can tell from your review, it's still available and has a better overal finish. Also the new Breitling Skyland shows remarkably much resemblance with the SS Avenger rep.

Edited August 8, 2007 by Rolexman

[By-Tor]

You can add another huge Breitling fan on the list. Fantastic review of course... and naturally it got linked to the Breitling Guide.

This is what this forum should be all about. Thanks.

[docblackrock]

Very nice review

Of course, it's also a painful reminder of my so-far fruitless search for the 1st gen/old factory version

Typically when one does actually surface today, there are other *cough* "issues" to consider

BTW what's the best source for gen calf straps aside from the obvious? I have a nice BOB deployant, but recall you mentioning one of the dealers having a nice line?

[andreww]

The good rep strap is on sale here...

hXXp://www.thewatchprince.com/s.nl/it.A/id.618/.f

[metro23man]

The good rep strap is on sale here...

hXXp://www.thewatchprince.com/s.nl/it.A/id.618/.f

Great review Andreww! I am also a huge Breitling fan. I have 3 Breitling reps at the moment, and my latest is the SS Chrono Avenger. I went for the SS version because it has the new Asian 7750 (28,800 bph) movement with decorated rotor and AR coating on the crystal. The watch face is also very clear and crisp. I don't mind the fact that it is not as accurate as the titanium models, I still think it looks good in SS.

[andreww]

Great review Andreww! I am also a huge Breitling fan. I have 3 Breitling reps at the moment, and my latest is the SS Chrono Avenger. I went for the SS version because it has the new Asian 7750 (28,800 bph) movement with decorated rotor and AR coating on the crystal. The watch face is also very clear and crisp. I don't mind the fact that it is not as accurate as the titanium models, I still think it looks good in SS.

I agree, in fact I wish the gen was made of SS. Hopefully we will see a rep of the Skyland soon, so I can enjoy this magnificent case in shiny steel as well

[zbig]

Excellent review, but one thing about AR. Avenger have AR only on the glass, but inner, have blue painting. I know that because I lost painting when I cleaned cristal.

[andreww]

Bonus video added!

[Toadtorrent]

Great write-up...I'm just starting my Breitling research now...

[setb]

I want one....who can help me ....

thats a awesome Avenger..

[shultz]

Thx for posting that information. That's actually very helpful especially for those members looking for a good base for some projects. I am very glad to own the 1st generation which was the base for some Franken stuff: Gen dial, gen hand set, gen DW, swiss 7750 and a decent ar coating. Please see the pic below:

[setb]

nice one ....selling it ?

[andreww]

I believe most dealers can still get the V2. Take a look here...

http://www.joshwatch.com/bl10007-chrono-av...aph-p-1944.html

[shultz]

nice one ....selling it ?

Never ever

[beefy6969]

I know im a cheap bastard but can someone explain the differences from the Ti Quartz version and the Ti 7750 version?

[beefy6969]

Posted it on repgeek, OK now, I just aquired the quartz titanium model of the Chrono Avenger from a dealer on another forum. On the dealer's description, he stated mineral crystal. After testing it with a bead of water and tapping it, i really think it is sapphire. Can anyone with the quartz version of this watch tell me if it's really sapphire?!

Also, if you have ver.2, how the hell do you grind the pearl down? Use a dremel? Can you please show me the steps? I'd love to at least make the pearl smaller. Pics would be appreciated