Our galaxy (the Milky Way) is an expansive and frankly impressive collection of stars, dust, planets and matter. With all this commotion being held together in perfect balance with gravity, it seems only fitting that Breitling decided to name this particular timepeice – the Breitling Galactic. This watch emcopasses the vastness of the Breitling universe, by being a combination of its best attributes. A combination of an ultra-sporty look, yet with sophistication, an edge of ruggedness and some elegant dimensions means you have a watch that fits perfectly with almost any occassion.
It is clear this watch was designed for ladies with a dynamic lifestyle, who in one moment could be hiking through the Lechweg trail in Austria during the day and then attending a gala dinner in Monaco at night. The bold expression of Breitling’s identity is certainly not lost in this timepiece and is impressively displayed on the wrist with this watch. With the Breitling Galactic, you are assured of two things – exquisitely refined practicality and reliability.
Built for women who enjoy world-class performance combined with luxury and technical sophistication, the Breitling Galactic is available in three size models (29mm, 32mm and 36mm). This covers the needs of those who want to keep things a little quiet on the wrist or those looking to make an obvious statement. All Galactic models come with steel or steel and rose-gold bracelets (a few models allow for a sahara tang-type leather strap option also). There are a variety of case and bezel fits to capture the wearer’s essence, whether via a smooth polished rose-gold case, a diamond-set bezel or alternatively the minute-engraved rose-gold bezel.
Dial
Breitling watches are known for their creatively crafted dial designs offering great readability and choice. All the models are characterised with the iconic ‘B’ winged logo above the ‘Breitling’ name in the middle of the dial. The logo comes in either a rose-gold or silver plating depending on the bracelet style. Hour markers for the Galactic watches are available in either rose-gold or diamond with a date window at 3 o’clock an often overlooked feature in many watches. The sword-shaped watch hands are either silver or gold plated, with an iconic Breitling designed minute hand on all quartz models.
The refined details of the watch continue, with the addition of small silver or black minute indices along the outside of the hour markers, further improving readability of the watch. Available on all Galactic models is a scale dividing the hour into hundredths, this makes it easier to read off the minutes on a decimal base. e.g. 0.4hr = 24 minutes. Although it might not seem like much, these are some of the fine details that allow the Breitling Galactic stand apart from other similar timepieces.
29mm and 32mm quartz models are available in mother-of-pearl white, blue, black or champagne coloured watch faces. The large 36mm automatic models are available in mother-of-pearl white, pearl, diamond, bronze and black coloured faces, which beautifully blend in a striped square background, further accentuating the ‘B’ winged Breitling logo. I personally like this touch, as it adds an added element of originality and glamour to the watch. All 36mm Galactic models also have a seconds hand window, providing added quality and reliability as required.
Case
The cases for the Breitling Galatic watch for women do not dissapoint either. There are four case types available for selection:
- Steel
- Steel and rose-gold
- Steel with a gem-set bezel
- Steel and rose-gold with a gem-set bezel
As expected, the price of the watch is slightly dearer, the more it includes. For the 29mm and 32mm watch references, the plain steel or 18k rose-gold case has a smooth, polished finished, providing a luxurious look and feel. All watch models come with a solid case back depending on the material . The 29mm and 36mm models come with a non screw-locked, dual gasket crown which are made of rose-gold or steel, depending on the finish of the case. The 32mm model however comes with three gaskets as standard although we don’t believe this provides any real difference in performance.
The gem-set bezel models look amazing especially when coupled with the part diamond-set hour markers (my personal favourite of all the available Galactic models). This added bit of detail truly sets this watch apart from other like models. The case encompasses cambered sapphire crystal glass which covers the watch face. This has also been made glare-proof on both sides for maximum visibility even when having a look on a very sunny day.
A special feature reserved for the larger 36mm model, is the index-marking on the unidirectional bezel. The bezel of the watch is marked with 4 index markers with added minute markers engraved into the case. These can be used as points of reference to perhaps mark a departure time or even a time limit. A sapphire-protected tritium lume dot is also provide at the 12 o’clock mark of the bezel.
Wearability
Not only are Breitling a household name for premium performance and quality, they have built many of their watches to be comfortable also. For this reason all Galactic models come with a steel or two-tone steel and rose-gold strap. For those who might not like the soft metal grip around their wrist, there is a Sahara tang-type leather alternative available for some watch models.
The Galactic 26mm and 32mm sleek watches are both quartz watches, to the delight or frowning of some. The 32mm model is powered by Breitling’s in-house manufactured 71 calibre and utilises SuperQuartz™ thermocompensated quartz electronic movement. This is said to be ten times more precise than standard quartz and although that has yet to be proven, is a brilliant performance feat if true. In all this model allows for around 6 years of battery life, which is at an acceptable standard. The 26mm model on the other hand, also using the thermocompensated SuperQuartz™ movement is powered by the Breitling 72 calibre. This only promises between 3-4 years of batter life which is slightly disappointing.
A great feature however that has been added to the movement of the quartz models is the fitting of a battery end-of-life detector (EOL). When the battery is weak and almost depleted, the small seconds hand begin to jump every 4 seconds, a smart and innovative feature to remind wearers to replace the battery. The large 36mm automatic chronometer model comes packed with the Breitling 37 calibre. This self-winding mechanical movement provides around 42 hours of reserve power, featuring 27 jewels.
All Breitling Galactic women’s watches are water-resistant as standard. This particular collection comes with 100m water-resistance, this is slightly below the levels expected, as the watch was initially pitched as being a strong, sporty, all rounder. I would have have liked to see at least 300 meters water-resistance even if just for the larger 36mm model. The watches are generally on the light side, although the thickness of the 36mm model might be a slight worry for some (12.3mm). Apart from this, the watch offers exactly what is says on the time, elegant performance for the active woman (alongside a 2 year manufacturer warranty).
Price
The price range of the Breitling Galactic is certainly conservative compared to some of their other timepieces. In fact the Galactic 29 Sleek model with leather strap can be procured for as low as £2,600 at the time of this review. The pricing for this watch is less dependent on the size and more on the material used, for instance both 32mm and 29mm have rose-gold models with gem-set bezels and watch face which cost around £8,000.
Due to the specialised bezel for the 36mm automatic however, the models at this size are between £4,000 and £7,000. The Galactic 29 18K rose-gold with diamond dial and bezel is the top of the range model and costs around £21,000.
