Dr George Daniels' collection of clocks and watches raised at auction
INTRODUCTION
The Breitling Transocean was first introduced in 1958 in hopes of building on the success of the cult-favorite Navitimer. Breitling went with an understated design and upscale COSC movement for the Transocean, playing nicely into the hands of a post WWII boom and men that we might equate with Don Draper. The slogan for the new watch read: "Men who have faith in the mighty liners of the sky will trust the Transocean, for behind every Breitling wristwatch lies the experience of aviation precision." And so, the watch was a hit in the new, smaller world enjoying the fruits of transatlantic flight.
In 2010, Breitling saw fit to revive the Transocean in the spirit of the original. Released as a chronograph model, the new Transocean retained the understated design and COSC movement, though this time with the brand's first foray into the land of manufacture movements, the B01. The size on the other hand, might have left fans of the original a little turned off. At 43mm, the new Transocean Chronograph's size could be considered average at best within the context of other modern Breitling watches. While the looks and internals certainly make the Transocean Chronograph lust-worthy, they may not be enough for new buyers to forget about the size (43mm) and heft (14.35mm thick).
Breitling's solution, the Transocean Chronograph 38, is released 3 years later and is a breath of fresh air to buyers who prefer to stay south of the 40mm border. The design is restrained, just 2 sub dials adorn the dial at 3 and 9 o'clock. The date window moved to 6 o'clock completes the symmetrical dial. A width of 38mm illicits thoughts of "Finally, a new watch sized for a gentleman" from the James May types among us. Then, the tag line hits you: "First class femininity." It certainly doesn't look like the stereotypical ladies watch. Where is the mother of pearl, the diamonds, the floral patterns? "It looks like a men's watch," you're thinking. One of the great things about this watch though is that it will challenge any antiquated thoughts you may have of gender specific features.
WHO'S IT FOR
In short, this is a watch for anyone who finds it attractive and enjoys wearing 38mm watches. Last I checked, neither of those things is gender specific. Let's face it - while it might be labeled a ladies' watch by Breitling, a lot of guys will prefer this watch to its larger brother. A man wearing this watch out of the house is certainly not analogous to a man wearing his wife's dress out of the house (not that there's anything wrong with that, if you're into that kind of thing). Unless you bring it up, no one will be any the wiser that you're wearing a watch labeled as "feminine" by its manufacturer.
While sitting with a group of friends, both male and female, I asked what they all thought of the watch. "Really beautiful," "I love it," "How much does it cost?" were all among the questions asked. Not once did I get a "This looks like a girl's watch." So why is it labeled that way by Breitling?
This is really the only mystery here, and if you can get past that bit, you'll probably be pretty happy with the watch. One could speculate that, given Breitling's "tough, masculine man, I shave with a knife" kind of image, they didn't want a 38mm men's watch in their catalogue. Perhaps Breitling really thinks that men don't wear 38mm watches, but that doesn't change the fact that many men do, and a lot of us prefer sub-40mm watches. Does that say anything about our masculinity? All I can say is that doesn't about mine.
Earlier this year, Breitling introduced a new addition to their Transocean collection, the Chronograph 38, a watch that has since received equal parts admiration and admonition. It has been lauded for its lovely symmetrical dial and conservative stature, while being being criticized for having been labeled a ladies watch. After wearing the watch for a week, and having judged its merits free of any gender bias, I believe I can put this controversy to rest.
INTRODUCTION
The Breitling Transocean was first introduced in 1958 in hopes of building on the success of the cult-favorite Navitimer. Breitling went with an understated design and upscale COSC movement for the Transocean, playing nicely into the hands of a post WWII boom and men that we might equate with Don Draper. The slogan for the new watch read: "Men who have faith in the mighty liners of the sky will trust the Transocean, for behind every Breitling wristwatch lies the experience of aviation precision." And so, the watch was a hit in the new, smaller world enjoying the fruits of transatlantic flight.
In 2010, Breitling saw fit to revive the Transocean in the spirit of the original. Released as a chronograph model, the new Transocean retained the understated design and COSC movement, though this time with the brand's first foray into the land of manufacture movements, the B01. The size on the other hand, might have left fans of the original a little turned off. At 43mm, the new Transocean Chronograph's size could be considered average at best within the context of other modern Breitling watches. While the looks and internals certainly make the Transocean Chronograph lust-worthy, they may not be enough for new buyers to forget about the size (43mm) and heft (14.35mm thick).
Breitling's solution, the Transocean Chronograph 38, is released 3 years later and is a breath of fresh air to buyers who prefer to stay south of the 40mm border. The design is restrained, just 2 sub dials adorn the dial at 3 and 9 o'clock. The date window moved to 6 o'clock completes the symmetrical dial. A width of 38mm illicits thoughts of "Finally, a new watch sized for a gentleman" from the James May types among us. Then, the tag line hits you: "First class femininity." It certainly doesn't look like the stereotypical ladies watch. Where is the mother of pearl, the diamonds, the floral patterns? "It looks like a men's watch," you're thinking. One of the great things about this watch though is that it will challenge any antiquated thoughts you may have of gender specific features.
WHO'S IT FOR
In short, this is a watch for anyone who finds it attractive and enjoys wearing 38mm watches. Last I checked, neither of those things is gender specific. Let's face it - while it might be labeled a ladies' watch by Breitling, a lot of guys will prefer this watch to its larger brother. A man wearing this watch out of the house is certainly not analogous to a man wearing his wife's dress out of the house (not that there's anything wrong with that, if you're into that kind of thing). Unless you bring it up, no one will be any the wiser that you're wearing a watch labeled as "feminine" by its manufacturer.
While sitting with a group of friends, both male and female, I asked what they all thought of the watch. "Really beautiful," "I love it," "How much does it cost?" were all among the questions asked. Not once did I get a "This looks like a girl's watch." So why is it labeled that way by Breitling?
This is really the only mystery here, and if you can get past that bit, you'll probably be pretty happy with the watch. One could speculate that, given Breitling's "tough, masculine man, I shave with a knife" kind of image, they didn't want a 38mm men's watch in their catalogue. Perhaps Breitling really thinks that men don't wear 38mm watches, but that doesn't
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