The Breitling Watch Blog

What’s the latest gotta-have-it Rolex on the market? Well the Milgauss GV of course!

This is a 2008 Anniversary watch of Rolex’s Milgauss carries the reference number of 116400, and measures 40mm in diameter. The watch has the signature lightning bolt second hand, but a few added features make this watch unique. First of all, the sapphire crystal is tinted green! Also, the 3, 6 and 9 markers are an orange luminova, and the outer ring of the dial has arabic second in increments of 5. Movement is the same 3131 as the regular Milgauss encased in a faraday cage.

People are calling this one of the most collectable modern Rolexes ever, so get your hands on one while you can. A trip to my local AD says there’s a LONG waiting list and likely next year is when I would get one. So.. the Milgauss GV - get it if you can!

Here’s a video that’s been long overdue.. one of Breitling’s more popular models, the Breitling SuperOcean. A classic diver that has been compared to the Rolex Submariner and Omega Seamaster time and time again, but offers the benefits of a significantly improved depth rating over the other two.

The SuperOcean is a great watch. I hope you enjoy the review. Some quick stats:

Movement: Breitling 17
Power Reserve: 42 Hours
Water Resistance: 1500m
Diameter: 42mm
Thickness: 15mm
Weight: 99.7g

Video:

Looks like watch brands are trying to get in on some of the retail action as well as direct promotion of their own brands. Breitling has some Brand Boutiques in Japan and other places in the world, but none in North America unfortunately. However, Jaeger LeCoultre has opened its first North American boutique and Piaget has opened it’s first west coast boutique, already having several boutiques on the east coast and in Hawaii.

JLC continues to be one of the most sought after wristwatch manufactures out there, with over 1000 people working in their workshops in Switzerland. As their catalog states, their personnel span over 40 different professions masterings more than 20 different cutting-edge technologies required to design and produce over 40 different calibres.

Very impressive.

I really look forward to owning my first Jaeger LeCoultre soon. The catalog is indeed a work of art in itself, with over 270 pages of beautiful pictures explaining the watches and their brand. The pinnacle of their achievement is the Gyrotourbillon:

One of the things about Panerai’s that draw me towards them are the numerous strap options and how nice they look. My tastes likely lean towards the rougher, ammo looking straps which don’t go well with dress shirts and suits, but for those occasions, I switch to an OEM Gator strap of some sort usually.

I don’t know if I qualify as a Strapaholic, but I own about a dozen or so aftermarket straps, give or take. They are cheap to buy, and adds some fun to your watch collection without having to shell out the cash for a whole new watch to satisfy the I-need-something-new addiction. I am actually in the process of building an aftermarket strap directory complete with reviews of all the straps I have purchased. This should be a useful resource in the future for new Panerai owners.

From browsing the Paneristi forums, I’ve seem some Strapaholics collect hundreds of straps, and some of them of the rare Pre-V Variety that costs in the thousands of dollars.. for a single strap. I couldn’t afford to do that even if I wanted to!

I’ll be posting a brief informational video on straps on youtube soon, keep your eyes peeled Straps are a great way to add some diversity to your hobby without spending an arm and a leg. And its not just Panerai collectors that can get in on this strap stuff… any watch is suitable for a change of pace by adding an aftermarket strap!

Here is a sampling of some of my straps:

I just posted a video of my Doxa GMT SUB750T Sharkhunter watch. A very unique 44mm watch from Swiss watchmaker Doxa. This is a very cool diver’s watch with a unique look. The Writer Cliver Cussler made this watch famous by outfitting his character Dirk Pitt with the Doxa watch during his adventures throughout his series of books.

I have some photos as well as a video review for you guys to check out… here is a nice pic of the dial:

The watch, though somewhat awkward and vintage in it’s look, is actually quite cool. Though I was a complete naysayer as far as the look is concerned, I quite liked its uniqueness when I first got it. The beads of rice bracelet you can see below is probably the only part of the watch I do not like. It looks like they have a more modern bracelet on their higher end 5000 models.

As you can see, the watch looks pretty good on the wrist, and has quite a decent presence on a wrist just under 7″ like mine:

And here is the video, and hope you enjoy it!

I have picked up a few Panerai’s lately, as I have gotten into the “Panerai Craze”. One of them is this beautiful yet simple PAM114. I recently put up a video review on Youtube, and would also like to share it with you guys here. 44mm Luminor case, white dial, with a exhibition caseback. Very nice base Panerai.

Just a heads up on my buddy Lee at Swiss Watch Store UK. He has launched his new site and deals with a lot of diamond bezeled Breitlings and other Breitlings primarily, though he sells other brands as well occasionally.

A great place for UK-based collectors to pick up their Breitlings and accessories.

http://www.swisswatchstore.co.uk/

As I rediscover my love for Panerai, it is through the PAM 250, which is quite a sporty looking Panny. The PAM250 Chrono Daylight looks quite a bit more modern than the Historic line offerings from Panerai. Very different than the Base models which Panerai is known for.

On the brushed stainless steel bezel is a Tachymeter scale, which goes further to create the somewhat sportier look of the watch. Pushers are discreetly integrated into the 44mm watch case and look very good, however my only complaint is that the lower pusher is difficult to push due to the Crown Lever covering it partially.

The shot above shows the quick change date mechnism that can be adjusted by pushing a pin into it. The instructions state that you can use the corner of the provided screwdriver, but I found that it did not go deep enough when I used mine. The Dial is a matte black which is typical of Panerai… very simple when compared to the likes of brands such as Breitling or Zenith. One nice feature of this dial is the luminous numbers on the subdials.

The second hand for the chronograph on this watch is interesting. While the rest of the hands are a matte black with Lume on them, the second hand for the chrono is a shiny silver metal color, in contrast the the brushed stainless that the rest of the watch has. I do not know why Panerai did that, but it seems an odd choice… having said that.. it does not seem too out of place.

As you can see, the strap is held in with the usual Panerai screw pins. The strap provided with this model is the Black Croco on Deployant, with an extra Rubber strap.

I feel that the size fits my sub 7″ wrist perfectly, and highly recommend this watch to anyone interested in a slightly more complicated Panerai, that isn’t necessarily interested in their historic models.