ReviewIn-Depth Review Of The Breitling Exospace B55 Connected
The new generation connected chronograph on your wrist.
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When smartwatches entered the watch market a few years ago, the entire world stopped and paid attention. The introduction of smart/connected watches did take the Swiss watch market by surprise, raised some eyebrows and garnered a lot of uncomfortable questions too. While many dismissed the “winds of change”, some adopted them. From the much talked about TAG Heuer Connected to the affordable Frederique Constant Horological Smartwatch, many Swiss watchmakers welcomed this new wave with open arms. With the introduction of the Breitling Exospace B55 Connected watch, Breitling – a brand known for their “instruments for professionals”, have finally taken the plunge too. And from the response they are getting worldwide, it seems that they’ve struck gold.
An Introduction to the watch: Breitling’s Connected Timepiece
Bringing forth a connected chronograph, the Breitling Exospace B55 echoes extraordinary innovation, functionality, and performance. The watch primarily connects to your phone via Bluetooth, and while it gives you all the thrills of owning a smart timepiece, the B55 was meant to accomplish a lot more than being just another ‘smartwatch’. The Exospace is, in fact, the brainchild of the brand’s Vice President, Mr. Jean-Paul Girardin who is a professional helicopter pilot himself.
Keeping a log of take-off and landing times can be a bit of a task, should it be done manually, which is why Mr. Jean realized the need for a wristwatch that could count the time for all takeoff and landing operations. The ultimate goal of this watch would be to minimize pilot distractions and help keep an uncluttered ‘paper-free’ cockpit.
“So while flying helicopters, we have something called a ‘block time’ and ‘flight time’. As a pilot, you have to log the time as soon as the rotor starts moving and that is called block time. When you land and when the rotor is stopped you have your second block time. It’s always a little bit painful to remember ‘block off, takeoff, landing, block on time!’ Mr. Jean said in an interview with AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilot’s Association).
Relying on one device instead of a myriad of devices and paperwork was the goal and the Exospace B55 was designed to make the lives of pilots a lot easier. With the B55, all a pilot has to do is start the ‘chrono flight’ function before the flight and thereon press the 2 o’clock button to clock the block off, takeoff, landing, and block on timings.
“Using the app makes your life much easier because you would then have a digital logbook on your phone, that you can access at any time!”, Mr. Jean concluded.
In addition to flight log-keeping, the watch offers other functions like the Chronograph with split and lap timings, an auto-sync world timer and, of course, notifications from your smartphone. Let’s give you a rundown on all the features that the Exospace offers:
The Functions It offers:
- TimeZone:
The watch displays two time zones wherein one time zone is displayed digitally while the other, analogically. However, with just a click of the push piece, the two time zones can be switched or swapped as per the convenience of the wearer. This ingenious SWAP function is very helpful and extremely useful when traveling. Apart from the two time zones, the watch also tracks the UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) which can be digitally displayed at any given time.
- Chrono Add
This function enables the chronograph of the watch to record up to 50 intermediate times. It also features a digital flyback chronograph and a tachymeter function that allows the wearer to time laps easily along with the average speed over a particular distance (inclusive of unit conversion), respectively. Once recorded, the wearer can download the data on their phone. This provides the wearer with an option to return to their track records anytime for analysis, sharing or storing.
- Lap Timer
The “Lap Timer” function, like the “Chrono Add”, allows the user to measure in succession up to a maximum of 50 recordings. Perfect for a motorsport competition, the lap timer displays the best results of the entire recording automatically which can be stored on your phone for future use.
- ChronoFlight
Chrono Flight is an aeronautical system that records “block times”. It allows the wearer to record the overall flight time from takeoff to touchdown. Apart from calculating the elapsed time during the flight, the system also records the date, departure and arrival times as well as the airport codes. All of this information is stored for future use.
- Countdown/up
Also known as MET (Mission Elapsed Time), the countdown/up function serves as a time tracker for longer periods of time. From start to finish, the duration of the time period can be configured according to the wearer’s needs.
- Timer/Clock
This function allows the watch to be adjusted to 99 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds with the option to sound an independent alarm if desired. The countdown or alarm is sounded off with a vibration or sound or both according to the preferred settings of the watch.
- Notifications
Finally, like a true “Connected” watch, the timepiece is enabled to receive and display notifications from messages to calls. The watch is notified every time the wearer receives a call (with the time and name of the caller), message (an SMS, WhatsApp with the time of receipt) and an email (with the time of receipt). Notifications also include any scheduled appointments for the day. With a capacity to save at least 20 notifications in one go, the Breitling Exospace B55 Connected will definitely keep you connected throughout your day.
The Case & Dial: 46mm titanium case, LCD displays & Tilt function
The immaculately designed, 46mm case is made from black titanium that incorporates a matte finish and has a thickness of over 15mm. One impressive feature of the dial is the “Tilt” function that is incorporated to save power. The LCD backlighting of the two LCD displays on the watch, is scheduled to automatically turn off after a short time out. However, to activate the backlight, all one needs to do is either tilt the watch down past 35 degrees or press the crown.
The tilting action ensures quick and easy legibility without even touching the watch. A clever feature dedicated especially to pilots who can concentrate on flying rather than trying to find the right button on their wristwatch to switch on the LCD display. While many of the functions the watch offers are easily operated from the phone, the dial brings home the brand’s objective of using a watch (that is always on the wrist) to notify the wearer.
Owing to its short curved down lugs and the use of titanium (lightweight alloy), the watch sits comfortably on the wrist despite its incredible size. The unidirectional engraved bezel, excellent case finishing, the knurling effect on the crown and a water-resistance of up to 100m speaks volumes of Breitling’s dedication towards manufacturing technical and beautiful masterpieces.
The black dial of the Breitling Exospace B55 Connected is based on the Breitling Cockpit B50. However, unlike the B50, the Breitling Exospace B55 Connected is categorically set with a much higher visual and sporty aesthetic appeal. Apart from the “normal” highly legible hour chapter ring and blue hour and minute hands filled with Super Luminova, the dial houses two LCD displays that alert the user of any kind of notifications. When reading notifications off the dial, one can also choose to “park” the hour and minutes hand to reduce distractions. Once done, the hands can be set back to the original position with just a double tap on the crown.
The Movement: In-house SuperQuartz movement with rechargeable autonomy
The Breitling Exospace B55 Connected is powered by the brand’s in-house movement – Calibre B55 which is a SuperQuartz™, thermo-compensated quartz movement featuring a rechargeable battery. It is a COSC certified chronometer hence ensuring precise timekeeping – accurate to about 10 seconds a year. Providing functions like a chronograph, countdown timer, alarm and calendar, the movement also features many other functions that are dedicated to the art of flying and aviation.
The battery life or anatomy (as Breitling likes to call it) of the Breitling Exospace B55 Connected can easily last up to two months depending on the usage. To recharge the watch, the small magnetic clip situated on the left side of the case (as shown in the picture below) is connected to a cable that can be plugged into any source – namely a USB port or wall outlet.
Our Verdict
The Breitling Exospace B55 Connected deeply imbibes a sporty persona with its blue rubber strap, engraved bezel and matte black titanium case. Modern in aesthetic and features, the timepiece personifies Breitling’s longstanding tradition of manufacturing “instruments for professionals” while housing a youthful vibe that is both refreshing and innovative. A perfect accessory for all your outdoor activities from swimming, biking, running and of course flying.
Price and Availability:
The Breitling Exospace B55 Connected is available in a blue comfortable “TwinPro” rubber strap that is attached to a pushbutton deployment clasp. The logo-engraved clasp further features a micro-adjustment system that enables the wearer to adjust the size of the strap on the go.
Priced at Rs 604,240, the Breitling Exospace B55 Connected watch is available in India at Ethos Watch Boutiques.
What did you think of the watch? Let us know in the comments section below!
I recently bought the Breitling Exospace…and absolutely agree with the assessment shared in the above article. My watch is a bit more subdued (titanium case, black rubber strap) but still gets compliments whether wearing the watch with a suit or in more casual clothes. The watch has all the charm and build quality you’d expect from Breitling. As a fan of mechanical watches, the fact that Breitling sought a COSC certification for the quartz movement is a great touch. Love this watch!