The 14 Best Breitling Watches To Add To Your Collection Right Now

Breitling is one of Australia’s favourite watch brands, and it’s easy to see why. Given our national obsession with sports, our enthusiasm for spending time in the great outdoors, and the need for robustness that comes with these pastimes, Breitling watches make for some of the best everyday companions down under.

However, the appeal of Breitling is much deeper than making watches that can handle a day at the beach. It’s a watch manufacturer with a storied history that includes many timekeeping and measurement firsts (including the first-ever speeding tickets, unfortunately), from the soaring skies to the depth of the oceans.

So if you’re curious about Breitling as a brand, or you just want to know what it offers today, we thought we’d take a look at the best watches that have left the La Chaux-de-Fonds factory in recent years. Let’s get into it.

Note that the below list is not ranked.

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BH Approved: The Best Breitling Watch Overall That You Can Buy In Australia

When Breitling relaunched its Chronomat range at the end of 2022, the entire Boss Hunting office was fans. However, when we learned it would also serve as the template for the debut Breitling Australian limited edition, enthusiasm turned to adoration in the face of its enchanting blue-green dial, high-contrast orange GMT hand and engraved Koala bezel. From the universally wearable 40mm case size to its integrated rouleaux-style bracelet, to its unrivalled versatility, this could easily be the only Breitling you’ll ever need.

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The Best Breitling Watches

Breitling Avenger B01 Chronograph

One of Breitling’s most recent releases, the Avenger Chronograph has had fresh life breathed into it, and of all the colourways in the new line-up, our favourite is this sandy-tone reference. Built to handle the rigours of a fighter pilot’s cockpit, this hefty steel chronograph is now powered by Breitling’s manufacture calibre B01 that ticks away at 28,800 v.p.h and delivers up to 70 hours of power reserve. As under the radar as it is capable, just the way we like it.

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Breitling Emergency

It’s fair to say that of all Breitling’s modern watches, the Emergency is one of the — if not the most — legendary watches to leave the La Chaux-de-Fonds factory. Because it isn’t simply a timepiece with an analogue-digital display, it’s also the world’s first watch equipped with a dual-frequency distress beacon (121.5 MHz and 406 MHz), ready to be activated if ever you find yourself in a true wilderness emergency situation. A mastery in miniaturisation.

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Breitling Premier B25 Datora 42

First released in 2021, the Premier B25 Datora 42 is one of Breitling’s most attractive and surprising new watches from the last few years, reviving a long-lost complete calendar chronograph with a moon phase. Far from a heritage-inspired replica, its 42mm case size feels very modern, while the proportions and symmetry of its dial speak directly to the golden age of watchmaking in the 1940s (complete with the face of the moon looking rather pensive). Powered by the COSC-certified Manufacture Caliber B25, this is a watch that deserves all the attention it gets.

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Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43

While the Emergency is a contemporary classic, the Breitling Navitimer (a portmanteau of “navigation” and “timer”) is arguably the most iconic design of the Grenchen-based watchmaker. Today, this decades-old design is expressed wonderfully in the Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43, with its flattened slide rule bezel, and domed crystal over the black and white reverse-panda dial. Powered by the modern automatic Breitling 01 movement, you’re getting a full 70 hours of power reserve when fully wound.

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Breitling Ref. 765 AVI 1964 Re-Edition

Another heritage reissue — albeit with a much less busy design — this Ref. 765 AVI 1964 Re-Edition is a relatively faithful remake of a pilot’s chronograph that was born in the early 1950s, but became popular outside of aviation circles in the 60s. With a historically accurate hesalite crystal covering the dial, an amorphous diamond-like-carbon-coated black bezel, and a hand-wound chronograph movement, it’s a thoughtful blend of the best of past and present.

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Breitling Superocean Automatic 42 Kelly Slater Edition

This rather special Breitling Superocean Automatic 42 was created in collaboration with 11x World Surf Champion Kelly Slater, with a bright orange dial inspired by the very first diving watches of the 1960s. It’s eye-catching — without being attention-seeking — is paired with a comfortable green rubber strap, and is powered by a rock-solid automatic movement. If it’s good enough for Slater, it’s good enough for us.

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Breitling Top Time B01 Triumph

Within the expansive world of Breitling’s collaborative partners, motorcycle manufacturer Triumph has proven an excellent design counterpart and the Breitling Top Time B01 is all the evidence you need to see. Featuring a brushed icy blue dial divided into quadrants, the two chronograph registers are supremely balanced, while the automatic Breitling 01 movement that powers them looks a treat through the sapphire crystal caseback. Mated to a perforated racing-style leather strap, it’s the only thing you need on your wrist before hitting the open road.

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Breitling Endurance Pro Ironman Finisher Breitlight

When Breitling and Ironman first announced their partnership, I was left scratching my head as to why a Swiss watchmaker would want to play in the same space as a literal sea of bobbing Garmin smartwatches. It wasn’t long till it started to make more sense, as both Breitling watches and Ironman triathletes are capable of tremendous feats of endurance in the harshest of conditions. This Breitlight-cased quartz chronograph is about as hardy as they come, with the pulsometer scale around the dial a nice physiology-related touch.

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Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Chronograph

We’ve talked about the Breitling Chronomat collection already in this list, but while the GMT has a practical function, there’s something about the panda-dial chronograph that just looks so good. High contrast — with nice pops of red on the chronograph hand — the dial is balanced without a date window, while the blend of brushed and polished case and bracelet surfaces combine to great effect. If that wasn’t enough, the Breitling B01 movement inside serves up a solid 70 hours of power reserve and is COSC-certified for improved accuracy.

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Breitling Premier B09 Chronograph 40

The B25 Datora 42 might be the jewel in the crown of the Breitling Premier collection but that doesn’t mean the straight-talking members of the family aren’t equally compelling for their own reasons. The Breitling Premier B09 Chronograph 40 is, arguably, a perfect everyday chronograph, with a Goldilocks zone 40mm steel case, a champagne-tone dial that looks great with its sunburst finish, and the hand-wound Breitling Manufacture Caliber B09 movement that powers it.

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Breitling Superocean Automatic 44

Another compelling 2022 announcement, the Breitling Superocean collection is a line-up of proper dive watches that ticks just about every box you could want. Boasting a robust stainless steel case and bracelet (equipped with micro-adjustments of up to 15mm in the clasp), its glossy bezel looks great up close, and the block-like hands and hour markers filled with Super-LumiNova mean you can read the time no matter the lighting conditions.

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Breitling Avenger Automatic GMT 44

With international travel back on the menu, Breitling’s enthusiasm for the GMT complication is sensible, and one that we love the function-first practicality of. This Avenger Automatic GMT 44 is solid from every angle, with an easy-to-read dial, impressive water resistance rating, and a micro-adjustable folding clasp for abrupt changes in temperature. Everything you need, nothing you don’t.

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Breitling Aerospace EVO Titanium

Last, but certainly not least, is one of my personal favourite Breitling watches — the Aerospace EVO Titanium. Essentially the little sibling of the Emergency we’ve already discussed, this function-over-form design uses the lightweight qualities of titanium to great effect, while its analogue-digital display reminds us of the futurism of the mid-80s when the watch was first released (and cutting edge). It’s relatively affordable, comfortable to wear and still perfectly capable of giving you all the information you could expect from an ana-digi timepiece (including alarm, calendar, timer and more).

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How We Chose The Best Breitling Watches

Having been collecting and writing about watches for more than half a decade, I’ve handled plenty of Breitling’s over the years and have a solid understanding of where the brand sits in relation to its peers in the market. Across the Boss Hunting team, we’ve worn or handled almost all of the watches on this list, so if you have any specific questions about what a watch is like in the metal, don’t hesitate to reach out.

For more on how we put together lists like this please have a read of our editorial policy.

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The Best Breitling Watches — Frequently Asked Questions

What is Breitling's most iconic watch?

Without a doubt, the Breitling Navitimer is the watchmaker’s most iconic timepiece, from its slide-rule bezel design to its three-register chronograph dial.

Are Breitling watches a good investment?

We’d generally advise against buying watches purely as an investment, as most watches do not appreciate in value, however, there have been a number of Breitling watches over the decades that have increased in value relative to their original RRP.

Is Breitling a top-tier watch?

Yes, Breitling is a well-respected watchmaker and has been for many, many decades.