Introducing The New Breitling Endurance Pro Watch Collection

Breitling flesh out its Professional collection with a new suite of Endurance Pro quartz chronographs made with ultra-lightweight Breitlight®.

Breitling is no stranger to adversity. Amid a pandemic, Breitling has faced the challenge of maintaining a fixed release schedule and executing a global communication strategy head-on. A successful webcast that may have had a few technical hiccups but still got the message across. Better still, it came at a fraction of the cost for what Breitling would have spent for a Baselworld booth.

Endurance Pro collection

Now Breitling is gearing up for Geneva Watch Days. But just before the first major “fair” since COVID broke kicks off in earnest, we have a little teaser for you. That teaser comes in the shape of the Endurance Pro collection of watches. For a long time, the focus of the brand has been on classic styles and heritage capsules. I speak on behalf of the Fratelli when I say it is great to see new additions to the Professional range. At least half of our team members have a Breitling Aerospace or two, which forms the backbone of the SuperQuartz™-powered Professional. It was touch and go whether the pilot’s partner watch would ever see any new models.

The Breitlight® case material is virtually scratch-resistant and super light.

Some years back, Breitling presented its first attempt to break into the entry-level market with the Colt Skyracer. This was during the final years of the Schneider-era and it kind of showed the design team was running out of ideas. The Skyracer came with the then-new Breitlight® case material that was virtually scratch-resistant and super light. At €2,000, it certainly presented a tempting proposition. But cut corners (such as really weak dial printing) really diminished the impact this piece could have had. The expected Swiss quality of a Breitling was lacking. The piece, while cool, did not exude any kind of value. The flat dial and emotionless case shape did not conjure much excitement to entice would-be buyers or long-standing collectors.

Breitlight® material

The Breitlight® case material had plenty of potential, though. The 100% Swiss-made composite hs already enjoyed some success. It was used for the case of the Avenger Hurricane, for both the 24-hour and 12-hour variations. Despite the obvious comparisons to other plastic watches such as G-Shocks and Swatches, anyone who held and caressed the Breitlight® finishing can immediately let go of any preconceptions. The lightness was apparent — 5.8 times lighter than steel — but what I took away was the smoothness of the hypoallergenic texture. Even long after my first exposure.

The vibrant selection is beach-ready.

After a reasonable hiatus, the Breitlight® case material returns in the form of the Endurance Pro. What we get with the new collection are bright, exuberant color accents, ultra-lightweight cases, and SuperQuartz™ chronograph complications. Each variation has a color-coordinated Diver Pro rubber straps with non-screw-down molded crown grip, pulsometer rehaut, and a start/stop pusher ring. In white, yellow, red, orange, and blue, the vibrant selection is beach-ready. Let’s pray for an Indian summer and a for travel restrictions to be eased further to make the most of it…

New entry-level Breitling for Professionals

The bold numerals, especially the 3-6-9 indices, fill the blank spaces of the dial while also biting chunks out of the chronograph sub-dials. Occupying the area at 12 o’clock is the winged logo that thankfully is embossed rather than printed as it was on the Colt Skyracer. Adding the date at 4:30 is a sore spot, but, overall, I am pleased with the depth and balance the dial brings along with the compass-scale bidirectional bezel. The Breitling Caliber 82 is sourced from ETA and modified to be thermo-compensated to handle temperature variations and regulate ten times more accurately than standard quartz.

I like how the red version has matching red chronograph hands.

At £2,450, the Endurance Pro is the new entry point into the Professional range. It offers improved accessibility without sacrificing the standards of the collection. A flat sapphire glass shrouds the dial with anti-reflective coating on both sides that flash with a blue sheen. Having had a sneak preview, I can say the orange and red versions stood out for me. I also like how the red version has matching red chronograph hands. The yellow version is a little brighter than the sunflower yellow of the Breitling logo. However, a quick strap change to a black strap can tone-down the vibrancy to pair with smarter attire. You can also choose to pair it with one of the Outerknown ECONYL® yarn NATO straps.

Breitling Endurance Pro Strava Challenge

But the real purpose of the Endurance Pro is for sports activities. Coalescing with the Breitling Endurance Pro Strava Challenge, worldwide participants can enroll in their sport of choice to compete to win a watch, bike, or jersey. The challenge is to complete 500 minutes of activity from 26 August 2020. A random group of competitors will be selected to win these prizes. The Endurance Pro is more than up to the task of swimming, cycling, running, or hiking. Mostly thanks to the 100-meter water-resistance and lightweight 44mm case. With a proportionate height of 12.5mm, the size of the case on the wrist is not too demanding either.

Breitling CEO Georges Kern explains, “When Jan Frodeno first became a member of our Triathlon Squad, he asked me what Breitling he should wear. We started brainstorming about the perfect sporty lifestyle watch and that conversation led to the development of the Endurance Pro. With this watch, we adapted our SuperQuartz™ technology to the needs of people like Jan who play as hard as they work. And the Breitlight® case is so light that it won’t interfere with anyone’s training routine or sporting activity.”

I can see the Endurance Pro as an attainable watch for those just entering the hobby who lust for a well-known Swiss brand. Connoisseurs may also view the Endurance Pro as an excellent way to wear a Breitling during rough and tough exertions without fear of scratching the housing or damaging the movement. You can learn more about the new Breitling Endurance Pro here.