Breitling is a brand of Swiss watches from the Canton of Jura. The watchmaker offers Certified Chronometers designed primarily for aviation use. They typically have a large face (e.g. the Breitling for Bentley Motors edition has a 48mm Case Diameter) for better visiblity and to allow display of more information on the analogue dials . The more expensive models feature a purely mechanical (rather than Quartz) Automatic Winding mechanism. This purely mechanical Chronometer standard movement gives the watches extremely resistance to electrical and magnetic disturbances with an antimagnetic rating of 80,000 A/m. In Quartz watches, a strong enough magnetic field can depolarize or partly reorient the permanent magnets in the stepper motor. The mechanical movement is for all practical purposes invulnerable to strong electrostatic discharges, RF electromagnetic fields or by EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse), whereas a quartz watch's CMOS logic chip and stepper drivers can be destroyed easily by these. The automatic winding mechanism also gives much better low temperature operational capability than a battery operated watch such as a watch with a Quartz movement. Breitling chronometers are typically well armored and pressure resistant with synthetic sapphire faces to further withstand shock and high pressures.
Quartz models such as the Breitling Aeromarine Colt start at $1,650.00, while typical prices of mechanical, steel cased models are $7,300 (US) for the Breitling for Bentley Motors model. The expense is clearly in the 38 jewel self-winding movement as these steel cased models are more expensive than some of Breitling's Titanium or Gold models.
The Breitling 'Emergency' version contains a highly protected and powerful radio transmitter for civil-aviation use. This broadcasts on the 121.5 MHz distress frequency and serves as a back-up for ELT-type airborne beacons. For military users, Breitling has equipped the Emergency with a miniaturized transmitter operating on the 243 MHz military frequency.
Under normal conditions — flat terrain or calm seas — the Emergency's signal will be picked up at a range of up to 90 nautical miles by search aircraft flying at 20,000 feet.
Reuters reports that in a typical incident, two British pilots, Squadron Ldr. Steve Brooks and Flight Lt. Hugh Quentin-Smith, crashed their helicopter in Antarctica and were rescued after activating their Breitling Emergency transmitter watches. The two pilots were in their lifeboat when a Chilean Otter aircraft found them after homing-in on signals from their watches. [1]
The Emergency is available for customers who do not hold a pilot's licence, but they must sign an agreement stating that they will bear the full costs of a rescue intervention should they trigger the distress beacon. The model was heavily advertised by the Breitling Orbiter 3 -- both Brian Jones and Bertrand Piccard were wearing the Emergency.
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