The Armor of Breitling Watches

One of the choicest luxury watch brands for adventurers and other sportsmen is Breitling. Breitling watches are among the sturdiest, most rugged and aesthetic in the world.

Aside from quality materials used in its movement, another key component to the toughness of any Breitling watch is its case.

The case of each Breitling watch is characterized by its technical complexity, the high standard quality of its finish and its exceptional visual beauty. Each case is created out of sophisticated and strong alloys such as anti-magnetic 316L stainless steel or Grade 2 titanum. These primary materials are the key to the case’s capability to withstand up to intensive use.

Each Breitling case is manufactured through a stringent procedure. The first step is to make a middlecase, a rough body of the watch case itself. Each middlecase is cut from a high density metal, stainless steel or titanium bar using a high performance press.

The middlecase is then made to undergo eight stamping operations successively. This step increases the middlecase’s strength to withstand 20 to 85 tons of pressure.

The middlecase is then placed in a furnace. The flame in the furnace refires the middlecase up to 1100 degrees Celsius. This temporarily lessens the steel’s hardness from 250 to 170 vickers. This makes it easier for manufacturers to make minute adjustments to the case. When the case cools, it hardens again to 250 vickers.

In all these operations, a middlecase is made to withstand a total stamping pressure of more than 400 tons!

At this point, the case of a Breitling watch is ready for its finish. Fifteen polishing operations are required to achieve an almost preternatural shine. The operation is done by hand to ensure that all parts of the case are not left out in cleaning. The case is also subjected to nine baths to ensure exceptional cleanliness.

The other components of the case such as the bezel and tabs are also subjected to the same procedure to achieve an immaculately clean and shiny finish.

Finally, all the components of the case are assembled together by hand. The final case undergoes rigorous testing. If the case passes the testing, the movement and the bands can then be incorporated, resulting in the final Breitling watch that is to be packaged and sold to the market.

So, if you happen to own a Breitling watch and accidentally drops the timepiece, you shouldn’t worry too much about it. The tough, tested case will make sure that your watch will stay as functional as ever.