Flying High With the Breitling Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Mosquito

2024-04-08

The De Havilland Mosquito was a multipurpose airplane manufactured in Britain during and shortly after World War II. More than 7,700 of these twin-engine, two-seater aircraft were built between 1940 and 1950. Aluminum and steel were scarce during this time, so the engineers at the De Havilland Aircraft Company relied on a material that was not in short supply: wood. The airplane, known as the “Wooden Wonder,” caused a sensation when it outperformed its metal competitors and became one of the fastest and most versatile aircraft of its day.

The Breitling Super AVI B04 Chronograph GMT 46 Mosquito, our test watch, isn’t made of wood, but it is versatile. It’s inspired by the design of the De Havilland Mosquito and equipped with diverse functions as well as the unmistakable features of a Breitling pilots' watch.

The Breitling Huit Aviation Department had already made a name for itself in the 1930s by developing precision cockpit clocks for aviation, which was still in its infancy at that time. Two decades later, in 1953, Breitling introduced another new type of aviation instrument to the world, but now as a wristwatch: the Reference 765 AVI pilots’ watch, which went on to inspire many other models and quickly became known among aviators as the “Co-Pilot.” In 2020, Breitling launched the AVI Reference 765 1953 Re-Edition, a carefully researched and designed reissue of the pilots' watch from 1953.

This timepiece in turn served as the inspiration for the new Super AVI in the newly compiled Classic AVI collection. In addition to the references of the Super AVI, the collection now also includes those of the AVI 1953 Edition and Re-Edition and, after several transformations, the references of the Aviator 8 B01 Chronograph, the Aviator 8 Chronograph and the Aviator 8 Automatic. All in all, the Classic AVI collection currently includes 20 models.

The word “Super” in Super AVI stands for size, which begins with the case. With a diameter of 46.31 mm and a height of 16.32 mm, it really isn’t small, even when measured against current trends. Nevertheless, this watch fits very well, even on a slim wrist, thanks to its lugs, which curve downward, and its strong but supple leather strap, where contrasting stitching brings the adrenaline associated with pilots’ watches to the wrist. The solid high-quality folding clasp with lateral push-pieces adds a welcome feeling of security.

Excerpt from Watchtime

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