Action-Packed Time
With a continued focus on living better and healthier, sports watches with multiple functions are as popular as ever.
Breitling’s Emergency II is a watch with a wrist-type dual frequency Personal Locator Beacon (PBL) that emits a signal to help the wearer be found and rescued. The watch can be worn every day, but targets aviation and navigation personnel, mountain climbers, hikers and explorers. Originally introduced in the 1990s, the watch was the first of its kind to emit a signal using a 121.5 MHz analogue frequency. The feature can save your life, like it did an Alaskan man who was rescued from potential disaster because he activated his Breitling beacon.
The latest version has a dual frequency transmitter that alternately operates in two separate frequencies, 121.5 MHz, and 406MH, and a 52mm titanium case with a black, orange or yellow dial. The Emergency II has rechargeable battery and its own charger.
While not formally exhibiting in Basel, the English brothers that make up Bremont, Nick and Giles, presented their novelties via an evening reception. The latest addition to its U-2 collection, which was launched in 2010, is the U-2 Chronometer, U-2/BL, which unlike its predecessors, has a see-through caseback. The watch is an evolution of the brand’s MBI and MBII watches, originally designed for pilots of U-2 spy planes and drawing inspiration from Martin-Baker fighter jet ejection seats.
Developed to withstand extreme conditions, the new version comes with a blue dial and barrels, and has been stress tested to meet the requirements of U-2 crews, taking the watches up to 100,000 feet, and in -50 degrees temperatures.
Originally launched in 2007, Rolex’s Yachtmaster II is now available for the first time in 904L steel. The Cerachrom bezel insert comes in blue. Inside the 44mm Oyster case is the calibre 4161, an automatic mechanical regatta chronograph whose countdown can be programmed from 1 to 10 minutes, and a mechanical memory that resets with the countdown duration last used.
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