DiscerningGent.com has a penchant for a timepiece being a timepiece first and foremost. It’s the primary aim of a good watch to tell the time as accurately as possible. But that doesn’t mean anything beyond those realms should be ignored once it has accomplished that primary goal. For those men looking to combine the two worlds here is the new Breitling Exospace B55 – the first connected chronograph from the watchmaker.
The chronograph is the star of the show here – however through Bluetooth LE it can connect to a smartphone and this allows additional functions such as setting a second timezone, alarms and reminder vibrations. The timepiece also features a backlight for the LCD display which automatically switches on when the watch is tilted towards the user at a 35 degree angle, or simply press the watch’s crown to trigger the same effect.
Notifications are in the same smartwatch vein, providing alerts of the expected elements such as incoming calls, text and social media messages. Timepiece aficionados will be glad to hear there is no ugly micro USB ports for changing. Instead the B55 Exospace relies on a Li-on battery that recharges via a magnetic connector – which is a nice touch.
Further watch features include a unidirectional ratcheted rotating bezel on a 46mm black titanium case, a volcanic black dial and rubber straps in a sporty blue or grey. The movement is based on Breitling’s Caliber B50 chronograph movement, first announced in 2014.
RRP £6,650 – Breitling
