If you live around Boston, or have at least paid us a visit up here, then odds are you have been to Newbury Street and seen all of its vendors and wares. It’s a packed street just off of the Public Garden with enough shops and restaurants to fill even the most empty of itineraries. During the earlier pandemic months, it became a bit of a ghost lane; shops were closed down, either temporarily or permanently, and the hustle and bustle of Boston crowds was nonexistent. While many of the original establishments have returned, there have been a number of newcomers who’ve moved in and taken to giving new life to some of these forgotten storefronts. In this particular case, Boston is excited to welcome Breitling into its Newbury Street ranks; Breitling’s new Boston Boutique has officially opened as of early September, and over the weekend, I was fortunate to be able to explore it, meet the staff, and of course, see some awesome watches. Breitling hosted the Boston Watch Shots group for an introductory event, both to showcase the boutique itself as well as the launch of the new Avenger collection. With the same warm look and feel of an old-school jazz club, Breitling has worked wonders with this space, leaning into the classic architecture to create what can only be described as the grown-up version of the model car and aircraft collection I had as a kid. Let’s take a look through some of what Breitling brought to the table for the event:
After taking a look around and getting a sense of the layout - and a drink, of course - we were treated to an introduction to the latest releases in Breitling’s Avenger collection, which is a series of big, bold sport watches engineered to withstand a beating-and-a-half. These watches were just announced a few days prior to the event, so getting hands-on with them so soon after their launch was a special experience. There were several of the new references to check out, most notably a blue dial GMT, a minty green chronograph, a carbon fiber chronograph with a titanium crown and pushers, and a black dial time-only piece.
I think the Avenger releases will quickly find their people both in and out of the watch community; they’ve got color, they’ve got wrist presence, and they’ve got purpose. I’m a little bit partial to the slightly smaller case sizes, but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised at how wearable the 42-44mm cases were; while they are a noticeable presence on the wrist for sure, they’re not bulbous or overly thick (or thicc, depending on your preference), and make for a comfortable wearing experience. Beyond the Avengers, there were plenty of other watches hanging around that commanded my attention. For example, this Premier Chronograph with a deep green dial. At first glance, it looks to be almost black…
…but with a quick flick towards the light, the dial comes alive and shows a beautiful iridescence. This particular example was worn by the Boutique’s manager, who oh so gracefully tolerated my oooo-ing and ahhhh-ing.
While Breitling may have quite the array of automatic/mechanical watches to choose from, I was pretty giddy when I spotted a few of the Aerospace and Emergency pieces still on display. I love the intersection between analog and digital here, and the fact that they’re offered in titanium makes them all the more a set of unicorns; it’s hard to compare them to any other watches I’ve handled in the past, both from an aesthetic and a construction standpoint. These are on their way out of production as well, so if you’re out there thinking, “hmm, I really would want one of those,” you should make moves sooner than later.
Moving out of the quartz arena, I did take a quick pop by the rows of Superoceans that were on display. I love, love, LOVE this bright light blue dial with the massive square block of lume on the minute hand. Absolute funk in the best way.
For the rest of the afternoon, I spent my time catching up with the other attendees and collectors, chatting it up with the staff (which, staff folks, if you’re reading this, you all were wonderful!), and snapping wrist shots of some of the on-wrist Breitlings in attendance.
Last but not least, a few more aesthetic shots. I could have spent hours walking through and looking at all of the bits of history and model aircraft hanging from the walls, but alas, can’t stay in the store forever.
Big thanks to Breitling and to Boston Watch Shots for putting together a terrific event. These types of experiences are what make the watch community more than just a collective of nerds - though, really, that’s what we are - and I look forward to seeing how Breitling finds its footing here in Boston.
As always, wherever you are, and wherever you’re going, many thanks for stopping by.
Love the decor and the overall look some really cool touches. My favourite is the aerospace I’m a big anidigi fan, some great shots
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Looks like you had a great time, great article Mike