Omaha, 88, Hut Hut! The Breitling Chronomat NFL Collection Scores Big!

The breeze is changing direction, leaves are turning yellow, and legions of fans are packing up their SUV’s with coolers, cornhole gear, and mini-grills. It can only mean one thing — football season! The NFL is back, and it’s time to root for your favorite team! Breitling is here to help with the new Chronomat NFL collection. The best news is that there’s a version for every team.

“We’re in the air, we’re on the ground, we’re always in control. And when you say Miami, you’re talking Super Bowl!” I warm up my pipes every Sunday morning with the Dolphins fight song, and if I’m feeling fortunate, I may belt out “Gridiron Heroes” for my second team, the Detroit Lions. It’s a ritual that millions adhere to once September rolls around, followed by Monday-morning quarterbacking in the office. Today, I’m excited to discuss a new limited-edition collection from Breitling that will stoke the fires further. It’s the Chronomat NFL collection, and dare I say it, it rocks!

The Breitling Chronomat NFL Collection

The new Breitling Chronomat NFL collection celebrates each of the 32 teams with a unique dial, hands, and logo combination. That’s right; Breitling is releasing 32 bespoke models, and unlike other brands that enter into sports collaborations, this one doesn’t focus only on large market franchises. The watches are based on the steel Chronomat 42 and are available with a stainless steel bracelet or rubber strap. Each version will see a run of 104 pieces in honor of the NFL’s 104th anniversary, and sadly, they’re only available in the USA. That latter detail makes sense, but it is a shame because the NFL is wildly popular in the UK and increasingly shown in mainland Europe.

Details

I normally dislike sports or car collaborations with watchmakers. I often find them tacky and, especially in the case of cars, odd unless one owns the vehicle. With the NFL, though, everyone can be a fan. Still, is there a way to make a classy, fun sports collaboration watch? I think the new Chronomat NFL collection does it as well as any I’ve seen. Plus, the Chronomat is the perfect platform because it’s a little blingy but also highly functional. Design-wise, each watch uses the team’s primary color. For the Lions, that’s Honolulu Blue with silver sub-registers and blue details. My Dolphins get a rich dose of aqua and hints of coral. The Bills get…well, who cares! No matter which team is chosen, the colors work well with the polished steel bezel, applied indices, and bracelet.

The team logo is placed in the left running seconds sub-register. It’s visible but subtle enough to avoid dominating the dial. The execution is similar to the Omega Speedmaster Mission Patch models. Who will buy these watches? I think players will ante up quickly. Die-hard fans will also be keen because the sporty looks of the Chronomat will go well with game-day gear and weekday office wear alike. Let’s not forget that these watches also bring a water resistance rating of 200 meters and the brand’s in-house B01 automatic chronograph caliber. A chronometer certification helps keep the refs honest on any delay of game calls! At $9,200 on the bracelet and $8,800 on a rubber strap, these aren’t inexpensive, but check out season-ticket prices for your favorite team! The watches are available in US Breitling boutiques and online.

The Chronomat NFL watches

With 32 choices, there are a lot of watches to consider in the Chronomat NFL collection. Unsurprisingly, the teams with bold colors or those not frequently found on watch dials stand out from the pack. It probably goes without saying, but I’d always buy this watch on the bracelet for the extra $400 in cost. Now, let’s take a look at the watches by division.

AFC East

The AFC East is made up of the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and New York Jets. I’m partial to the Dolphins colorway because it’s not a traditional watch color, and I think it looks great. Hopefully, we will see Head Coach Mike McDaniel (a noted rose gold Breitling Navitimer 1952 Quantieme Perpetual wearer) rocking one! The other highlight in this division, and it pains me to say this, is the Jets model with its bold green dial.

AFC South

Here, we have the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Tennessee Titans. The Colts are a historic team that originally played in Baltimore. When I think of the Colts, I think of Johnny Unitas and his high-tops, which makes this a classic colorway. An honorable mention goes to the Jags with the blue-green dial.

AFC West

The AFC West Chronomat NFL models are packed with great designs. The Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, and Los Angeles Chargers bring great options. The members of Raider Nation will be all over their watch, and perhaps we’ll see Darth Raider wearing one in the end zone! All of these are nice, but I love the Chargers’ color combo.

AFC North

The AFC North claims some of the deepest rivalries in sports. The Browns and Steelers have always hated each other, and now the Ravens, the team that was the old Browns, are in the mix. The Bengals were historically not the best team, but they’ve been competitive lately. Steelers fans will happily waive this watch along with their “Terrible Towels” at games, while Brownies fans will bring their wristwear into the Dawg Pound!

NFC East

When you talk about hatred within the NFL, the NFC East has it in spades. The Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Commanders get nasty at games. There are a lot of titles among these clubs, and even though Washington hasn’t been great for years, inter-division matches are full of pre-game hype. Philly wins the watch match here with the dark green dial. I’d happily rock it while housing a Jim’s Steaks cheesesteak on South Street.

NFC South

The NFC South may not be the powerhouse division, but the fans are just as rabid, and they enjoy great weather and epic tailgating! The Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers line up on the gridiron every Sunday. Here, the Panthers’ dial looks fresh with its blue highlights, a perfect color for the Carolina sunshine.

NFC West

Ah, the NFC West. For us East Coasters, these are the teams that play in the later time slot! The Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks truly bring West Coast offenses to the field. It’s hard to bet against San Fran and its history of amazing QBs, but I like the green pop on navy that Seattle offers.

NFC North

Last but not least, the NFC North fights off its cold, gloomy winters with some of the best color combinations in the field. The “Rust Belt” is known for smash-mouth football, although dome stadiums have taken away the winter advantage for some of the teams. The Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings duke it out for divisional dominance. As I mentioned, I like the Honolulu Blue on the Lions’ dial, but the Purple People Eaters version is also compelling.

Final thoughts

I really like the Chronomat NFL collection. These are well-thought-out designs, and the fact that each has a unique dial and handset makes them interesting for fans. As I said, they’re also not so garish that they’re cheesy. As the NFL kicks off its opening weekend for the new season, let’s see how these are perceived. Let us know what you think of the watch for your team in the comments section below.