The Breitling we have all been waiting for – the Premier B25 Datora 42 Copper

Zach Blass

I don’t think I have ever been more excited (in recent times) by a Breitling novelty. The manufacturer has a rich heritage, undoubtedly, but in past years I have not found myself tempted to add one of their watches to my personal collection. I admire and respect their iconic designs, like the Navitimer, but never found myself having a deep hunger or impulse to pull the trigger on one. Today, however, Breitling has really caught my eye with the new Breitling Premier B25 Datora 42 Copper and its gorgeous salmon toned dial – a dial color I am very eager to add to my collection. Its design pays homage to three generations of inventors – Léon, Gaston & Willy Breitling. The watch captures the essence of the 1940’s Datora watches, pairing a classic aesthetic with a modern case build and movement.

The stainless steel case is 42mm in diameter, 15.3mm thick, and 50mm lug-to-lug across the wrist. From the front of the case, you’ll see it is entirely mirror polished. The caseband contrasts its front facing elements, predominantly satin brushed aside from the mirror polished beveling found on the shoulders of the lug hoods. The lug design and case finishing give it a vintage meets sporty aesthetic that is pleasing to the eye.

While those who know me know I prefer smaller case sizes, I think the Breitling Premier B25 Datora 42 Copper does a good job of appealing to those who like larger diameters and those who have smaller wrists. The lug-to-lug measurement is on the manageable side, with 50mm being my personal cutoff mark for my wrist a little over six inches in circumference. Some might say the watch is a tad on the thicker side, but I think considering the level of complication, as well as its 100 meters of water resistance, it is a far tradeoff to ensure this salmon driven superstar fits into the ‘robust elegance’ category. The crown may not be screw-down, but the push-pull crown does have two gaskets to ensure it lives up to its depth rating.

The main attraction of the Breitling Premier B25 Datora 42 Copper is its dial, with a superb salmon hue that will surely attract collectors worldwide. It has the rich darker tone of true salmon dials (perhaps slightly rosier in tone). Its color is closer to the tone you would find on a Patek Philippe 5270P than the paler salmon hues of the Montblanc Heritage Automatics. Breitling has done a great job of evoking a 40’s aesthetic on the dial, utilizing typeface very close to what you would find on the original Premier watches of the era.

Working our way from the outer dial inward, the outboard ring of the dial has a tachymeter scale around the perimeter. There is then a printed hashmark minute track, with every fifth minutes numeral printed for added readability. Arabic numerals are present and correspond to the tiny bolded hash hour indexes, with 3′ and 9′ removed and 2′, 4′, 5′, 7′, 8′, and 10′ slightly cut-off to make room for each of the three registers. At 9′ you have the running seconds register, at 3′ the elapsed minutes register, and at 6′ a date and moonphase indicator. Each register has a form of concentric guilloche that adds a little more texture to the dial. You also have two apertures at 12′ that display the day and month which means you get a full calendar complication here. The white metal syringe style hours and minutes hands are filled with SuperLuminova® for visibility in darkness, while the remaining hands have all been blued for a more classic aesthetic.

The Breitling Premier B25 Datora 42 Copper is paired with a 22mm/18mm tapered brown alligator leather strap with a folding clasp. The strap is curved to sit flush against the case, ensuring a more integrated look with no large gap. While the leather strap is not very aquatic, this pairing is where the watch truly looks at home. If one were inclined to take the watch in the water, fortunately 22mm is not a hard size to find aftermarket straps in.

Inside the Breitling Premier B25 Datora 42 Copper is the Breitling manufacture B25 caliber. The self-winding COSC-certified chronograph movement has a sporting 28,800 vph beat rate and approximately 48 hours of power reserve. With a vertical clutch column wheel architecture you have crisp and smooth pusher actuation and the ability to (theoretically) run the chronograph daily without added wear and tear to the movement (a bonus for those who would like to utilize the central second hand of the chronograph as a running seconds hand). The movement is not particularly finished to a Geneva Hallmark standard, but it is still an attractive caliber with industrially finished Geneva stripes, circular graining, and bevels to the bridges. The open worked rotor offers a larger view of the caliber, a detail owners will surely appreciate.

One final thought…

This watch is truly great news for those lusting after the previously mentioned Patek Philippe 5270P, but have nowhere near the budget to add it to their collection. The Patek Philippe 5270P retails for $205,810 USD, while this new Breitling Premier B25 Datora 42 Copper retails for $12,950 USD. That is almost sixteen times less than the price of the 5270P. Sure the Patek Philippe is a perpetual calendar in platinum, but stainless steel is the hot metal of the day and you will likely never find a Patek Philippe 5270 in steel with a salmon dial. This new Breitling Premier B25 Datora 42 Copper will definitely remain on my radar for sure.

Breitling Premier B25 Datora 42 Copper pricing and availability:

The Breitling Premier B25 Datora 42 Copper is available now for pre-order, and will soon be available for purchase via Breitling Boutiques and Authorized Dealers. Price: $12,950 USD / $16,990 AUD