The Breitling Bullhead Pupitre – A Chronograph Unlike Anything You Know

Watch & Bullion

16 July 2017 | 2 min read

The 1970s are without a doubt my favourite time-period in watchmaking. Especially when looking at the stale nature of modern releases, I wish we could go back to the times where watches were released which demanded some real courage. One design that turned the watch world on its head was the Breitling Bullhead Pupitre Reference 7101b chronograph.

The whole idea was mind bending in the first place. A fine mechanical timepiece, inspired by a bull of all animals? Turns out, that what seems crazy on paper, works surprisingly well in practice. The case is vaguely reminiscent of a face being thick on the top and slimming out towards the button. Where you would find the horns of a bull the chronograph buttons are placed.

The result is a watch striking not only in appearance but also functionality. By repositioning the buttons from the right to the top a significantly more ergonomic user experience. Try it yourself; you’ll notice it is significantly more comfortable for the wrist this way! Additionally, due to the watch being thicker on top and thinner on the bottom the watch ends up slightly slanted towards you so it can be viewed more easily.

As much as the case is the stand out feature of this watch though, the dial is no less thrilling. The use of contrast both in terms of colour and form between the squared background for the round markers on the sub-dials captivate the eyes in a unique way. As if all this wasn’t enough though, Breitling decided to top it off by using a neon orange so bright it could come straight from a life-vest for the hands of the watch.

To call the Breitling Bullhead bold is an understatement. It is a child of the 70s and a relic of the past. Sure, it doesn’t quite fit in with the watches of today, but then again, where the 70s about fitting in?