The Breitling Emergency Replica Watches antenna is like a big red button with a sign that says, “DON’T PUSH,” more tempting than I could have imagined. But there it is on the side of the watch—the biggest, grippiest knurled crown I’ve ever seen, just begging to be unscrewed. To do so would uncoil the antenna, sending a distress signal to passing aircraft and getting me into a lot of trouble. Surrounding that massive crown, there’s even a black plastic tamper-proof ring that snaps off to add to the utter satisfaction of doing something you shouldn’t. So far, I’ve resisted the urge.
Aside from the tempting antenna, the watch functions are identical to those of a mid-90s Aerospace: a second time zone, digital chronograph, countdown alarm, digital running second, and day/date display, all useful features I use with some regularity. Cheap Breitling Replica popularized and perfected the crown-operated functionality, which still feels modern 16 years after this watch was introduced. Spin the crown in either direction and the digital windows scroll the functions. Pressing the crown then activates these functions, while pulling it out is used for setting. It’s a feature Breitling got right back in the 80s and still uses today on its new Emergency, B50 Cockpit, and B55 Connected, albeit with added functionality.
It would seem that the addition of the bulbous antenna and crown would make it unwieldy to wear, but it has turned out to be one of the most comfortable watches I own, thanks to the use of lightweight titanium and a reasonable 43mm diameter. Though the Emergency came mounted on a well-made titanium bracelet, I immediately swapped it for a 90s-era Fake Breitling Watches rubber strap nicknamed the “Hershey bar” for its raised lettering and texture. Perhaps for a pilot, the bracelet is a good fit, but for more rough and tumble pursuits, I think the long supple rubber strap is perfect. Topping off the adventure-ready kit is a bi-directional compass rose bezel, useful for wayfinding using the watch’s hour hand and the sun to establish due South, though best practice when you want to be rescued is to just stay put.
After all this gushing about the Swiss Breitling Replica Watches, I still have to admit that, despite its usefulness, this watch’s best feature is also its least tangible. When I showed it to someone recently, he said, “that looks like a watch a Navy SEAL would wear!” and it does, bristling with knobs and digital readouts, big and chunky. Strapping it on just makes me feel a little braver, a little more adventurous and a little more inclined to plan new escapades. Does it make me more inclined to take additional risks, imbuing me with a false sense of security? Perhaps. After all, help is only a twist of a crown away. But isn’t life safe and secure enough? Couldn’t we could all stand to take a few more risks? If a wristwatch inspires that, all the better.
