Background

When somebody says "Breitling" most of us think about glossy thick divers watches but to the "friends of Breitling", Breitling is more than that. Breitling has a long heritage of making instrument watches for pilots and for divers.


I have always had an appreciation for the Breitling classics like Top Time and Navigator but since Baselworld 2016 my view of Breitling has changed. Breitling has long modified their movements but since 2009 they develop and make (some of) their own movement and they are even using new innovative materials. Breitling is also one of very few premium Swiss watch brands who still use and develop quality quartz watches.



To name one, Breitling released Chronoworks 2016, a model using ceramics and silicon movement parts resulting in 100 hrs power reserve.




Introduction Breitling Exospace B55



Specifications
Material: Black titanium
Size: 46mm x 15,25mm
Band width: 24mm
Weight: 80 gram without strap
WR: 100m
Battery: Rechargeable 15-50 days.
Glass: Sapphire with outer and inner AR.


Exospace B55 was introduced during Baselworld 2015 but was widely presented as late as December 2015. Exospace is a natural evolution of the models Aerospace Evo and Cockpit B50. It looks like the Aerospace but is larger and has more functions thanks to a rechargeable battery and Bluetooth connectivity.


The movement is HAQ, or Superquartz as Breitling calls it. COSC requires a timekeeping of +-25 seconds/year but Breitling specifies the movement to +-15 seconds/year.




Case and bezel

The 46mm titanium case has an all matte finish and is available in black or standard finish. The case is so finely brushed that it's impossible to see in which directions the case is brushed.
This is a wise choice for a watch with only one type of finish and results in a tactical look without being boring. The reflections from the sun are soft and matches the material well.
The case angles are distinct without being sharp.



The bezel is made from one piece and is also "brushed" except for on top of the "rider tabs" which have a polished finish. The rider tabs at 12, 3, 6 and 9 offers great grip. There are screws along the side of the bezel to keep it secure. The Exospace has a count up bezel as opposed to the B50 model.



The signed crown offers great grip for maneuvering between functions and does not need to be turned fast like on the Aerospace to switch between functions.


The chronograph pushers are not screwed as you might think, the crown guards are fixed. The feel of the chronograph pushers are not perfect but the functions are logical.



The magnetic connector for the charger is located on the left side of the case.




Caseback

The caseback has typical tool watch appearance with minimalistic finish and only the necessarily engravings. It is convex which is good for wearability.




A closer look

The dial is matte grey/black with polished applied numbers 12, 3, 6 and 9.


The hands are as long as they should be (which is rare for a quartz watch) and the Exospace has a seconds hand. If that irritates you, then put the watch in chronograph mode and the seconds hand stays at 12. The displays are big and the legibility of the displays is great.




Strap and clasp

The textile strap tapers from 24mm to 20mm, a choice which more brands should take after since it lets the hand move freely without being hindered by the strap. The strap is both flexible and stable and the lining is very comfortable.


The clasp has a very detailed logo but the clasp is made of polished steel which of course does not match the case. There is a folding clasp available but I prefer the regular clasp.


There are two other alternatives available as well; 24mm/20mm rubber and a bracelet (standard titanium finish only).




Backlight and lume

Superluminova is applied to hands and dial. The amount on the dial is small and therefore the lume isn't something that would impress you. This is however no problem since the backlight of the displays is great. There is also a tilt function which activates the backlight when you angle the wrist towards you.




Digital functions
Digital time

För digital tidgivning finns 4 alternativ.
1: Digital time
2: Weekdays + digital time
3: Week + digital time
4: DDMMYY + digital time
It's also possible to turn off the display.




Bluetooth


With the help of Bluetooth and the Exospace app you can send settings to the watch and receive notifications and different types of chronograph results. It's also easy and fast to switch from one timezone to another or to adjust the local time.


Battery time usually pose a problem to complicated connected watches but Breutling has solved this by a rechargeable battery. The life time is according to Breitling 15-50 days depending on how you use the watch and I've functions. I used the watch and all the features 24/7 for 7 days and only used up 20% of the battery so I have a very hard time to believe that the minimum is only 15 days.




Functions

1: AL1 ON: Alarm. 2 different daily alarms (vibration and/or sound) which can be set by the crown or the app.
2: CHR ADD: Chronograph.
3: LAP TMR: Laptimer chronograph.
4: B01 ADD: Long time chronograph, flight timer.



5: CDCUCLK: Count Down/Count Up clock. Timer, alarm and chronograph combined (Set a count down timer for when the chronograph should start).
6: ALCUOFF: Alarm (off)
7: Timer: Countdown.
8: TIME2: Second timezone.



9: UTC: Universal Time.
10: Notifications: Message/Call, email, meeting (alarm and/or vibration).
11: SETTING: Settings by the crown.
12: BATT: Battery-%.


The watch also has a "sport mode" which turns off some of the chronograph functions.




On the wrist




Some would dismiss any watch larger than 40mm which is a shame. I have worn the Exospace without pause for 7 days straight and the size never bothered me. It is large of course and it looks large but it wears great thanks to the case shape, the tapering of the strap and thanks to it being titanium.




Comparison with Aerospace Evo Night Mission


It would be impossible to review the Exospace without comparing it to the smaller and very popular Aerospace Evo.


While the Evo is small, discreet and versatile, the Exispace is large, eye catching and with even more functions. At a fast glance they look very alike but when you put them on the wrist you will feel and see the difference.




Summary

If you pretend you are a fighter pilot then it would be logical to preset the watch with the data needed for the mission and then retrieve the data from the watch after the mission.


For us who only pretend to be pilots the watch has all the functions you need for a sporty lifestyle and is definitely wearable enough for everyday wear. The notifications in combination with vibration are two handy features, as is the tilt backlight function. There are also many combinations to be chosen from and I bet the black version with blue hands on a blue strap will be the most popular.