Introducing: The Breitling Endurance Pro

August 26, 2020

Although many watches are aimed at folks with an active lifestyle, they often feature cumbersome stainless steel cases and fragile mechanical movements. Think of a "sports watch," and it probably checks both of those boxes. But with such a clearly defined intended use, why wouldn't the watch be fashioned from something light, and wouldn't a robust quartz movement handle shocks and impacts better than a mechanical movement?? This is the driving ideology behind the development of the Endurance Pro, a watch with a design that's congruent to its intended use. It's aimed squarely at active watch enthusiasts, and Breitling is even launching the watch with "The Breitling Endurance Pro Strava Challenge," a program that encourages wearers of the watch to rack up 500 minutes of swimming, running, cycling, hiking, or any sport that facilitates breaking a sweat and raising heart rates. Amateur athletes who complete that challenge are entered into a drawing to win Breitling swag, the top prize being a co-branded Breitling/Colnago bicycle.? The Endurance Pro is the spiritual successor to the Breitling Sprint, a chronograph produced in the 1970s that featured a resin case and a pulsometer scale. The Pulsometer scale, theoretically, could aid athletes taking their own heart rate measurements. This feature carries through to the modern Endurance Pro, and so does the use of a non-conventional material for the case. The Endurance Pro is made from Breitlight, which was introduced in 2016. It's 3.3 times lighter than titanium and 5.8 times lighter than stainless steel, which makes it ideal for sporting applications, but it's also interesting from a material science perspective. It's hypoallergenic, lightly textured, and Breitling reports that it "feels warmer to the touch than metal."?While the case is black, the watch comes in five colorways: white, blue, yellow, orange, and red. It comes on a colored rubber strap, but matching Outerknown ECONYL NATO straps can be purchased from Breitling.? The Breitling Sprint used a resin case. It was released in the '70s. Initial Thoughts The "20-Year Rule" states that particular styles and trends in the fashion world work on a two-decade cycle: 20 years pass, and what's old is cool again. The Endurance Pro has an aesthetic that would fit right in on the set of Boy Meets World, and that's exactly what makes it particularly interesting to this author. For many collectors, the Endurance Pro will seem quite familiar. It reeks of "classic" Breitling from the '90s. ?The steady rise of athleisure in the fashion world over the last few years has set the stage for a release like this, but I'm sure it will surprise quite a few collectors as it harkens back to a much more recent era than many of the successful watches Breitling has introduced in the last year, like the Breitling Superocean Heritage '57 Capsule Collection or the Top Time Limited Edition.? Not everyone wants a Luminox or G-Shock to abuse while cycling or hiking C some folks want to jazz it up a little while they're out on the trails, and this is exactly the watch for such occasions. You get some serious heritage in a watch that's fully equipped to stand up to a proper flogging. Watch appreciation is a largely sedentary hobby C so any watch that asks folks to put in 500 minutes of strenuous activity is a great thing. At its core, the Endurance Pro is a fun watch, and we could always use more of that.? The Basics Brand: BreitlingModel: Endurance ProReference Number: X82310A51B1S1/X82310A41B1S1/X82310D51B1S1/ X82310A71B1S1/X82310D91B1S1Diameter: 44mmThickness: 12.5mmCase Material: BreitlightDial Color: Black with various color accentsIndexes: Applied Arabic numeralsLume: Super-LumiNovaWater Resistance: 100mStrap/Bracelet: Nylon and rubber strap options The Movement Caliber: Breitling Caliber 82Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph, dateDiameter: 30mmThickness: 5.12mm?Chronometer Certified: COSC certifiedAdditional Details:?Thermo-compensated SuperQuartz movement Pricing & Availability Price: $3,000Availability: Online and Authorized Dealers. Limited Edition: NoFor more, click here.