Breguet Chronograph Type XXI 3810

Breguet’s Type XX retour-en-vol chronograph marks its 50th anniversary this year with a new development — the Type XXI — designed to meet the expectations of a generation that looks ahead. The new automatic chronograph Type XXI 3810 retains the military bearing of the original watch Breguet developed for the French naval air arm in the 1950s.

The Type XX was ahead of its time, and word soon spread to civilians of its exceptional reliability. For 50 years, Breguet’s developments of the classic pilot’s watch have won a widening circle of enthusiasts. The Type XXI introduces two new features: a central minutes counter and a 24-hour hand. The chronograph minutes, mounted with the seconds, are far more easily read on a full 60-minute scale than on the traditional 30-minute subdial.

This leaves the subdial at 3 o’clock free for a 24-hour hand. The running seconds at 9 o’clock and the deeply recessed 12-hour counter with the date at 6 o’clock remain in their usual places. The chronograph retains the retour-en-vol feature, which enables a busy pilot to zero and instantly restart his chronograph by pressing one button instead of two. Big luminous hands and numbers on a black rhodiumed dial ensure unambiguous information in light and dark.

The steel case, water-resistant to 100 metres , with a bi -directional turning bezel is as tough as it looks. It also shows how appropriate the fluted caseband, a 200-year-old Breguet stylistic feature, looks on a 21stcentury sports watch. The Type XXI is available on a leather strap or a steel bracelet.