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Breitling Chronomatic (Ref. 2110-15), 1969 — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Breitling Chronomatic (Ref. 2110-15), 1969

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Breitling (maker)
Date
1969
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 41 mm
Stock no.
BRL2110-15
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (BRL2110-15)
Catalogue title (original)
1969 Breitling Chronomatic (Ref. 2110-15) (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number BRL2110-15), this is a wristwatch by Breitling, made in Switzerland, dated 1969. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 41 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Craft & Tailored

In the late ‘60s, many major watch brands were competing to create the first automatic chronograph movement. Out of this race, the Buren group (composed of Breitling, Hamilton, and Heuer) created the calibre 11 movement, which is argued to be one of the first, if not the very first automatic chronograph movements ever produced. Breitling used this jointly-developed cal. 11 movement in a model known as the Chronomatic, a quirky, tool-centric sportwatch with offset chronograph registers and a date window just askew of the 6 o’clock position. It featured its winding crown on the left-hand side of its case, while its pair of chronograph pushers remained in their normal position on the right-hand side. This unusual design detail is characteristic of many watches from the various brands who used the cal. 11 movement, and it was intended to showcase the fact that these new automatic chronograph watches did not require manual winding each day. Stock # BRL2110-15C Brand Breitling Style Chronomatic Model 2110-15 Serial 1332XXX Size Men's Material Stainless Steel Dial White Millimeters 41mm Strap 2pc Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The 41mm stainless steel case is in original and unpolished condition with long lugs that show light signs of use. It retains its original Breitling-signed crown and dual pushers. It features a rotating bezel that is black on the outside with a mirrored silver finish on the inside. The silver case back is clean. The watch will be supplied on a 2-piece leather strap. DIAL & HANDS The cream-colored dial hosts the two offset registers, both in black with white markings and red hands, as well as the black date window just to the left of the 6 o’clock position. The rectangular indices at every hour have aged to a greyish brown. The almost-green lume is intact on the red hour and minute hands, with a lume-free red sweep seconds hand completing the design. ACCESSORIES

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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