Breitling today announced a new collection – the Endurance Pro. Equipped with a thermally compensated SuperQuartz™ movement in a Breitlight® case. We got our new watch and here is our review.
The new collection aims to be a lightweight watch for the athlete and casual crowd. Aimed as an everyday sports chronograph, combining a lightweight, effortless sports watch with a high-precision movement, with a case made of innovative materials (although it was launched in 2013). The launch comes with the Breitling Endurance Pro Strava Challenge, which offers the chance to compete for prizes.
The collection is available in 5 colour options on the strap and dial and crown. All are powered by the same SuperQuartz movement and housed in the same Breitlight case.
Case, Dial and Hands
The case is made of a very light, very strong proprietary material called Breitlight®. As early as 2013, Breitling wholesale had used this material and made its appearance again after many years. Instead of carbon fiber, it’s Breitling’s exclusive Swiss-made case material, which uses a lightweight technopolymer filled with composite fibers for strength and stiffness. The material is 3.3 times lighter than titanium and 5.8 times lighter than stainless steel, and is non-magnetic, thermally stable and hypoallergenic. Breitlight also claims to be highly resistant to scratches, traction and corrosion.
The material is light in texture and is matte without any shimmer from light reflections. As mentioned, five colors are available, each featuring a black dial and black bidirectional rotating bezel engraved with compass bearings and cardinal points (N, S, E, W). The five variations are white, blue, yellow, orange and red. The colour is shown as the accent mark on the rehaut, which also has a pulsometer scale.
The hour and minute hands are coated with SuperLumiNova. The coating on the numerals 1, 2 (partially cut), 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 (partially cut) and 11 is quite thick and bulges out from the sides, giving the Arabic numerals a nice convex shape. The numbers 3, 6, and 9 are large and partially cut out. Some purists might freak out, but we’re not bothered by that, and if you’re a little busy, you’ll find the dial design fairly balanced. We neglected to shoot the lume shots, but noticed that the SulerLumiNova was fairly thick and we were sure it would be very bright. The chronograph second hand has a red arrow hand. The hands on the small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock are white, while the hands on the 1/10-second and 30-minute counters are red.
The crown is tactilely molded in the same color as the strap and inner bezel, providing a great grip for manipulating the watch to wind and set the time. The chronograph works as expected and every chronograph function starts up smoothly.
The watch comes with a Diver Pro rubber strap in the same colour as the inner ring. The strap is secured with a Breitlight double-pin buckle. Vibrant Outerknown ECONYL® Yarn NATO straps are also available separately.
The overall feel is one that is very light but also very tough and sturdy. The enclosure is waterproof to 100m. All of these fit Breitling’s intended use. Bright colors add a playful element. It’s warm to the touch on the wrist, and the textured finish gives it a really nice touch. Since the dial is fairly busy, the dial is less legible, but thanks to the use of large hands and markers, the overall time in hours and minutes can be seen at a glance.
sports
At the heart of the Endurance Pro is the COSC-certified Breitling Calibre 82, whose SuperQuartz™ technology delivers exceptional precision.
We don’t know much about this movement because we know it’s a new movement. The movement is COSC certified. Based on previous experience with thermally compensated Super Quartz movements, we expect their accuracy to remain at least 15 seconds per year. For example, the Breitling B55 features the Breitling Calibre B55 (derived from ETA Thermoline), also a thermally compensated super quartz, which maintains timekeeping accuracy within a deviation of no more than 15 seconds per year.
Competitive Landscape
Using innovative and proprietary materials like Breitlight makes comparisons difficult. However, since the Breitlight is made from polyamide fibers in a composite, while it’s not a true carbon composite, it does compare to a forged carbon fiber case. We know this is a non-apples-to-apples landscape, but at the risk of not offering some comparisons, we present the following possibilities.
The Breitling Endurance Pro provides an interesting entry point into the Breitling world. There’s a rather fun element to the watch, with gorgeous color accents adding to the sporty intent. Visually, it is correct.
A high-precision quartz movement complements the lightweight and robust case. This watch is very lightweight, and despite the case size of 44mm, it’s small to wear in our opinion, making it ideal for hardcore sports and active lifestyles. The textured finish is nice to the touch and provides a warm feel compared to cold metal.
Breitling Endurance Pro Strava Challenge
Strava is the world’s leading app for runners and cyclists. Its features allow athletes to track and analyze every aspect of their activity, no matter what sport they choose. The Breitling Endurance Pro Strava Challenge is designed to engage and inspire participants from around the world.
Entrants to the Strava Challenge, which goes live on August 26, 2020, will compete for a number of great prizes, including a Breitling Colnago C64 bike, a Breitling Endurance Pro watch and a Breitling jersey kit. To be eligible for a prize, entrants must complete 500 minutes – approximately the time it takes a world-class triathlete to complete a full IRONMAN® event – in the activity of their choice, whether swimming, running, cycling, hiking, or other sports.
Unlike IRONMAN® stars, participants in the Breitling Endurance Pro Strava Challenge will have two weeks to complete 500 minutes. The winner will be randomly selected from the entrants who complete the Strava Challenge. For more information, visit www.breitling.com/endurancepro.
Breitling Endurance Pro Specifications
Reference: X82310A51B1S1/X82310A41B1S1/X82310D51B1S1/
X82310A71B1S1/X82310D91B1S1
Watch movement
Caliber: Breitling Calibre 82
Diameter: 30mm
Depth: 5.12mm
Movement: Thermally compensated SuperQuartzTM
Battery life: about 3-4 years
Chronograph: 1/10 second and 30 minute counter
Other features: Pulse meter scale
Display: hour, minute two, date
Certification: COSC-certified
case
Material: Breitlight®
Diameter: 44mm
Height: 12.5mm
Water resistance: up to 10 bar (100 meters)
Glass: Sapphire, Flat, Double Anti-Reflection
Bottom cover: solid, with screws
Crown: Non-screw locking crown
Bezel: Bidirectional
Dial/Hands
Black with white, blue, yellow, orange or red inner bezel
Super-LumiNova® luminous hour and minute hands
strap
White, Blue, Yellow, Orange or Red Diver Pro Rubber Strap w/ Breitlight® Dual Needle
buckle
Outerknown ECONYL® Yarn NATO Strap