I wasn’t particularly kind to the new Breitling Endurance Pro in our New Watch Alert. Like all the watches in the NWA, I passed judgement sight unseen. But I am nothing if not a fair man. So I hightailed it down to a local dealer to spend some quality time with a Pro. (Thanks Ben!) My conclusion: it’s a really expensive quartz watch. But it’s also . . .
a hugely accurate really expensive quartz watch.
Thanks to its thermo-compensated COSC-certified Caliber 82 SuperQuartz™ movement, the Breitling Endurance Pro will keep time to the tune of ±10 seconds-per-year. That puts it ahead of the pack, but behind the ±5 seconds-per-year $1350 Longines V.H.P. and $3800 Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Quartz.
Close enough for rock and roll? Yes! Unless you’re looking for temporal bragging rights. For a $3k watch, I’m thinking that’s a thing. Fortunately, the Breitling has a few other tricks up its horological sleeve. Specifically, its weight. Or lack thereof.
The Breitling Endurance Pro is not for those who worry about the unbearable lightness of being – it weighs just 65 grams dripping wet.
The 65g carbon fiber Formex Leggera and 55 gram titanium OMEGA Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra-Light are “proper” mechanical watches that are as light or lighter than the Endurance Pro. The OMEGA costs $48,600. The Formex clocks in at $1650. So there is that.
Credit the 44mm Endurance’s quartz movement and Breitlight® case for the watch’s lack of heavy. Breitling’s carbon composite is 3.3 times lighter than titanium, 5.8 times lighter than stainless steel, non-magnetic, thermally stable, hypoallergenic and “highly resistant” to scratches, traction and corrosion.
And it makes the watch feel like a plastic toy. The Endurance Pro’s orange strap, second hand, crown guard, pusher tips and interior bezel do nothing to counter that impression, and much to enhance it.
Running the chrono dispels at least some of the frivolity. Press the Endurance Pro’s pusher – the action is sharp and precise. The orange second hand slams through the seconds, the right hand subdial goes nuts, spinning once a second, and the top left subdial counts the minutes.
The bottom subdial also counts the seconds. Blame the redundancy on the bright orange pulsometer chapter ring, included to position the Endurance Pro as “the ultimate athleisure watch.”
In other words, Breitling’s marketing mavens are targeting well-heeled exercise junkies who don’t measure their heart rate with a smartwatch. Both of them.
C’mon man! We all know the Endurance Pro is a fashion statement. Thirty minute timer? Crayola colors? If that doesn’t identify the Pro as a tool watch for pulse-quickening S&M (standing and modelling), what about the bezel compass?
The Endurance Pro’s bi-directional bezel compass is beautifully rendered; it glides around the dial like a curling stone on fresh ice. That said, if you’re lost in the northern hemisphere in a non-tropical wilderness and need to head in a particular direction, any watch will do.
To use your watch as an approximate compass outside of the tropics in the northern hemisphere, hold the watch horizontal and point the hour hand at the sun. Half way between that point and the twelve o’clock mark on your watch points to the south.
The Truth About Sundials! Anyway, the Breitling Endurance Pro’s dial is a dog’s breakfast.
Some bright spark decreed that the 12, 3, 6 and 9 indices had to be REALLY BIG and decided “we don’t need no stinkin’ 12! Put the Breitling logo there.”
Then the subdial monsters took a big bite out of the 3 and 6 (rendering them semi-legible) and pretty much devoured the 6. The same creatures all but eliminated the 2 and 10. Only six numerals made it through the attack.
Just for fun, there’s “ENDURANCE” below the dial’s midpoint on the left, bang opposite “CHRONOMETER.” It’s no surprise the date window’s retreated to a relatively quiet corner between the 4 and 5.
I love the Breitling Endurance Pro’s featherweight fighting weight, revel in its durability, worship its amazing accuracy and smile at its technicolor dreamcoat (also available in yellow, blue, red and black).
But the Pro’s premium price and busy AF dial are genuine deal killers. Sometimes first impressions last.
Model: Breitling Endurace Pro
Price: $3k
SPECIFICATIONS:
Case: Breitlight® carbon composite
Diameter: 44mm
Caliber: Breitling 82 Thermocompensated SuperQuartz™
Battery life: 3 – 4 years
Functions: Hour, minute, date, chronometer (1/10th second, seconds, 30 minute sub-dials)
Water resistance: 100m (330 ft)
Weight: 65 grams
RATINGS (out of five stars):
Design * *
Mega-props for the case’s barely-there weight and Dwayne Johnson durability. Brickbats for the 12-car pileup on the dial.
Legibility *
The huge hour and minute hands help, but there’s everything but a flashing light distracting you from the task of timekeeping.
Comfort * * * *
Light as a feather with a band that’s about as flexible as an OFWG.
Overall * *
Expensive and overwrought chrono in cartoon colors. Green light for Breitlight, but case dismissed.
-40-
TTAW is a fully independent watch website.
No considerations provided for this review.
I’ve always loved me some Breitling. Mostly admired from a distance, while in possession of my single example of the Colt Ocean Automatic.
I do like the overall form-factor of this watch. But, yeah… WTF is up with that dial??? It’s like one person designed a dial with the indices with no plans for subdials, logos, or other graphics . And, then another BLIND person came along and just pasted the subdials on top. I agree… deal-breaker all by itself. Shame.
I like your description better than mine. You should write for us!
No lume report on the Lite-Brite? And what’s with the legibly branded band radiating out in each direction? I think you can flip that for a plain bright appearance if afraid people will think it’s a Breitbart ad.
“I couldn’t have a Breitling because I don’t own an Audi.” — Jeremy Clarkson
My pal Ben wouldn’t let me slip into a darkened room with the watch. I can only imagine what he worried about me doing . . .
Everything about this watch reminds me of Luminox, sans tubes.
I really like Breitling. Unfortunately for them, they already made the best ever quartz watch, the Aerospace series (and it’s Emergency and EVO descendants), and they go for like $1000 used.
I own a rolex blnr “batman” I used it as my daily but found I was abusing her a bit to much given the price keeps rising on that watch i had to find another durable watch for everyday. I have had the endurance for about 1 month and I have to say I love it!!! Super light very comfortable and the band doesn’t make you sweat! The only knock if any is the clasp wish it was a little easier to put on. Other than that I’m not a movement snob this watch is an awesome addition to my collection.
I like the sporty look of this. I have 0 clue about watches truth be told. Are there any other watches that fit in this genre and price range that maybe a bit easier on the eye?
Sure. Check out the Breitling Avenger line.
It looks like something you could find at the bottom of the box of cornflakes. Why would Breitling sell something so cheap and tacky looking is a mystery to me.
Money
Ah, one man’s meat is another man’s poison. Just got me an Endurance Pro yesterday and I gotta say I kinda like it. That said I will confess that I’m not a watch collector nor do I have an abiding interest in watches. To paraphrase: I don’t know much about watches, but I know what I like.
And yes, I know the Endurance Pro line is ridiculously overpriced but one reaches a point in life where one realizes that “…you can’t take it with you.”, so you might as well make some frivolous purchases before you cannot.
I like the watch and what they did with the numbers. If you don’t know where 2, 3, 6, 9, 10 and 12 are…
What about all the expensive watches out there that don’t even have numbers??
I think it look great. Saving my pennies to buy one in orange.
My bet is you’re not an Ironman. You’d understand/appreciate this watch more if you were. It is all about the show. Accomplishment. Standout bling that isn’t a stainless steel monstrosity. Next time check out the version with the M-dot Ironman logo. I have the red one. You’d hate it. Goes nicely with my Breitling collection of semi-monstrosities.