Back in 2019 Breitling launched a limited edition Superocean watch in partnership with Ironman, the famously grueling triathlon series that has bred champions and fostered feelings of inadequacy for decades now. Yesterday in Los Angeles the two launched another collaboration in the way of a duo of Endurance Pro Ironman watches from the brand’s Professional collection. Though two pieces are being debuted, only the red version will be available for the general population while the other black and gold model will only be available to those who finish the Ironman race which consists of a measly 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run (I’ve read this is something around ~40,000 people annually).
We’ve gone in-depth with the Endurance Pro on a couple of occasions (see here and here) so I will just briefly give context here. Part of the Professional collection, the Endurance Pro case is done in the brand’s proprietary Breitlight polymer which is three times lighter than titanium and almost six times lighter than steel while being harder than both. In fact, the watch case weighs 35 grams while the rubber strap itself weights 30 grams to give you an idea of how light it is.
Measuring 44mm wide and 12.5mm thick with 100M water resistance, the Endurance Pro Ironman uses the thermocompensated SuperQuartz Breitling in-house (and COSC certified) Caliber 82 movement. It’s a 1/10th of a second chronograph with a 30-minute counter and is one of the too-few HAQ (high accuracy quartz) movements out there.
As for these two new Endurance Pro Ironman watches, the first is the model with a sort of red gradient dial with black touches and the Ironman logo on the 6 o’clock counter. It comes on a matching red rubber strap that reads “IRONMAN” rather than the usual “BREITLING” text. Red is a pretty bold color choice though the gradient affect is pretty on trend at the moment.
The second model is called the Breitling Endurance Pro Ironman Finisher, which is apt as it’s only available to those people who have completed the race. Honestly this is a pretty badass looking watch, the badassness of it enhanced by its entry requirement. With a black dial with gold touches, it’s stealthy with a burst of finish-line magic. Of course, the case back also has “Finisher Series” on it. I think in both design and swagger, the Endurance Pro Ironman Finisher is the standout. I suppose there will inevitably be cases of — let’s call it stolen valor —where someone buys a Finisher secondhand (or even more nefarious means as this is obviously an unscrupulous person). To them, I say: shame!
One of Breitling’s most successful releases of 2020 was the Endurance Pro, a series of colourful, entry-level Breitling sports watches perfectly suited to the wrist of modern-day athletes. Today, they expand their “ultimate athleisure” collection in partnership with the IRONMAN Group to unveil two new Breitling Endurance Pro IRONMAN watches: one dressed in red available to the general public and another in stealthy black reserved only for those who’ve completed an IRONMAN event.
The Breitling Endurance Pro collection launched last year was an important milestone for the luxury watch manufacturer as they re-entered themselves back into the professional sports watch game. Like the new Breitling Endurance Pro IRONMAN watches, their design was inspired from a 1970’s Breitling watch known as the Spring which combined a unique pulsometer scale with a lightweight resin case. The design was contrived especially for athletes that needed to check their heart rate on something lightweight for the wrist. This very aesthetic remains at the core of the entire Endurance Pro collection, designed not only for recreation sportsmen but professionals like that of Breitling’s Triathlon Squad: Froderno, Chris McCormack and Daniela Ryf, all of which are Iron Man World Champions.
Since its inception in 1978, the IRONMAN triathlon has represented the ultimate test of body, mind, and spirit for athletes. According to Breitling, the three competition stages – swimming, cycling, and running – are the same activities that feature prominently in the lifestyles of Breitling’s core customer base: men and women of action, purpose, and style. With this in mind, Breitling and IRON began a quickly successful partnership back in 2019 with the launch of the Breitling Superocean IRONMAN Limited Edition. Now, their collaborations expands with a duo of Breitling Endurance Pro IRONMAN watches. The first is an exciting red version available globally at all Breitling boutiques and retailers like Jura Watches and the second is a black and gold piece nicknamed the Endurance Pro Finisher exclusively available for IRONMAN race finishers through IRONMAN channels.
“IRONMAN truly reflects our core values of performance and endurance. We’ve designed this to be an ideal watch for elite athletes as well as a casual, everyday sports chronograph for active people who want that winning combination of performance and luxury,” said Breitling CEO Georges Kern.
“We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with such an exceptional and well-respected watchmaker. After the success of our collaboration in 2019, we are pleased to partner with Breitling in creating this new watch which embodies the strength and tenacity of IRONMAN triathletes,” says CEO of The IRONMAN Group Andrew Messick.
Now let’s get into some of the specs… Like its 2020 predecessor, the new Breitling Endurance Pro IRONMAN measures to 44 millimetres in diameter and is entirely engineered from Breitlight, an innovative in-house material designed by the Swiss watch manufacturer. It promises to be 3.3 times light than titanium and 5.8 times lighter than steel as well as being significantly more durable with resistance to scratches, traction and corrosion. It also stands out for its antimagnetic and anti-allergic properties, as well as its thermal stability, which gives it a warmer feel than metal. Topping the case is a bi-directional rotating bezel with engraved compass points. At three o‘clock, a tactile moulded non-screw locked crown with two gaskets delivers easy grip and manipulation in all environments while guaranteeing a healthy water resistant rating of 100 metres.
At the centre, the Breitling Endurance Pro IRONMAN watch opts for a deep red dial which fades out nicely to black as it reaches the inner bezel with pulsometer scale. To pair, the chronograph counters are dressed in black and detailed with red-accented hands. The hour and minutes hands are also coated in Superluminova and the IRONMAN logo is subtly included on the small seconds dial at 6 o’clock. Powering the design is the Breitling Caliber 82, a COSC-certified thermocompensated SuperQuartz movement which claims to be ten times more precise than regular quartz and offers a battery life of approximately three to four years. The Endurance Pro Finisher follows suit but pairs its black dial with gold accents, a black rubber strap and a special case back with a unique IRONMAN Finisher Series engraving.