Calibre B06 is an automatic chronograph movement with an unusual 30 second central seconds hand produced by Breitling since 2015.
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.
Functions and Complications
Cal. B06 modifies the basic Cal. B01 in an unusual way: The central chronograph seconds hand counts 30 seconds per rotation rather than the typical 60 seconds. This allows it to measure to 1/8 second rather than 1/4 second, even though the movement remains a 4 Hz balance. The other chronograph counters are similarly “reduced”, with the minute counter totalizing 15 minutes and the hour counter totalizing just 6 hours.
Cal. B06 features the following displays on the dial:
- 15 minute chronograph counter at 3:00
- Date window at 4:30
- 6 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.
Breitling B06 Applications
Breitling has used Cal. B06 only in a small number of watches:
- Breitling Bentley B06
- Breitling Bentley B06 S
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 |