Calibre B04 is an automatic chronograph movement with GMT hand produced by Breitling since 2011.
Breitling introduced their calibre 01 (commonly called Cal. B01) in April 2009 in the Chronomat. It is a modern automatic chronograph movement with a column wheel and vertical clutch. It operates at 28,800 A/h, boasts a power reserve of 70 hours, and is a COSC-certified chronometer. The movement shares many characteristics with the Rolex Cal. 4130, and it has been reported that many of the same engineers worked on both movements.
Cal. B04 adds a GMT hand to the basic Cal. B01. This added complication requires no additional height or jewels.
Functions and Complications
Cal. B03 features the following displays on the dial:
- 30 minute chronograph counter at 3:00
- Date window at 4:30
- 12 hour chronograph counter at 6:00
- Small seconds at 9:00
The 12-hour hand is independently adjustable backward and forward independently of the minute hand, while the 24 hour GMT hand runs with the minute hand.
Cal. B04 Applications
Breitling used Cal. B04 in a large number of watches starting in 2011. Most were in the Chronomat series, though it was also used in Bently, Transocean, Navitimer, and Chronoliner ranges.
- Breitling for Bentley B04 GMT
- Breitling Chronoliner B04
- Breitling Chronomat 44 GMT
- Breitling Chronomat 47 GMT
- Breitling Navitimer GMT
- Breitling Transocean Chronograph GMT
Breitling B01 Family Overview
Starting in 2017, Breitling began supplying a version of Cal. B01 to Tudor. The resulting movement, Cal. MT5813, has a free sprung balance with a silicon hairspring, as is common in modern Rolex and Tudor movements. It is also decorated differently. Strangely, it is often quoted as having different dimensions: 30.40 mm diameter and 7.23 mm thickness.
| Calibre | Year Introduced | Jewels | Height | Winding | Date | Complications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B01 | 2009 | 47 or 41 | 7.20 | Automatic | Yes | Some Without Hour Counter |
| B02 | 2013? | 47 | Manual | Yes | 24 Hour | |
| B03 | 2017 | 47 | 9.15 | Automatic | Yes | Split Seconds |
| B04 | 2011 | 47 | 7.20 | Automatic | Yes | GMT |
| B05 | 2013? | 56 | Automatic | Yes | World Time | |
| B06 | 2015 | 47 | Automatic | Yes | 30 Sec Chrono | |
| B09 | 2019? | 47 | Manual | No | ||
| B12 | 2016 | 47 | 7.30 | Automatic | Yes | 24 Hour |
| MT5813 | 2017 | 41 | 7.23 | Automatic | Yes | No Hour Counter |