Quartz Vs Mechanical. A contentious argument between many a watch enthusiast and an advancement in technology that nearly saw the demise of the watch industry in the early 80’s. Many brands disappeared, thankfully one of my favourites did not and from that brand we were gifted the Breitling Chronospace.

In 1985, The Aerospace was born, an ana-digi piece with an LCD screen and lots of functions. Years later, an Aerospace and a Navitimer meet on a flight and the Chronospace was born. Powered by a thermocompensated quartz which ensures a stable rate in the face of varying ambient temperatures. Useful considering the extreme weather that we’ve seen worldwide lately. Apart from fancy words, on the wrist it’s thin (10mm), 41mm diameter and short lugs keep the profile low, sleek and quite versatile. Twisting the crown allows access to the multitude of functions, however requires some finesse and can be tedious at times.

The steel blue dial and large simple hands provide clear legibility along with the large Arabic numerals. Covered by an anti-reflective sapphire crystal and 100m WR completes the neat package. Night viewing is average with only lumed hands and earlier models like this missing out on backlighting of the LCD. The sloped bezel adds great depth to the dial and while not used often is something different to the ever popular Aerospace.

The jangly, thin pin style bracelet isn’t Breitlings best, however is comfortable and I find it rather charming wearing the original. At 20mm lug width, it also pairs well with leather and looks dynamite on a NATO, however case spacing is tight.

I’ve always held the mantra, “the right tool for the right job”. It’s hard to argue with quartz when it comes to robustness, reliability and accuracy. So yes, I adore the Breitling Chronospace. It’s not a sports watch; it’s not mechanical and has a strange bezel. And I love it for every reason it’s different.