Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Fashion & Style
  3. Legacy Archives

The Manual Wind: Breitling Emergency II Now Available in the U.S.

Breitling_Emergency-II_antenna_560When you think watch technology what comes to mind is reduced friction, smaller parts, exotic, materials, and thinner watches.  One brand that embraced a more traditional definition of technology is Breitling.  In 1995, Brieitling introduced a true pilots companion; the Breitling Emergency.  A multifunction quartz watch in Titainum, the piece had an added element of safety never seen before.  Inside this layered movement was an S.O.S. transmitting antenna that once engaged acted as another line of emergency communication. Breitling_Emergency-II_Intrepid-Orange-dial_side_560When this frequency transmitted, if heard, help was on the way.

Having helped rescue many wearers of the watch, Breitling decided it was time for an upgrade.  The Breitling Emergency II is the first timepiece to have a dual frequency locator beacon.  Where the original Emergency transmitted at 121.5 Mhz; the international air distress frequency. The Emergency II, with microtechnology designed in conjunction with the Breitling_Emergency-II_exploded_560aerospace industry, now also offers an antenna transmitting at 406Mhz.  This is a digital signal reaching out to the international Cospas-Sarsat system which integrates with a series of satellites for more accurate signal positioning.  This lifesaving timepiece was able to meet all of the stringent requirements of the Cospas-Sarsat system including being able to transmit for 24 hours and in extreme temperatures. Although this piece was announced to the world in 2013, with has taken until now to gain the right to be sold in the United States.  Due its size, much smaller than other beacons, the FCC had to be convinced that the device could work properly and accurately in tough conditions.

Recommended Videos

Made out of aerospace grade light weight Titanium, this monster of a timepiece is offered with both a rubber strap and metal bracelet.  Multiple dial colors include black, yellow, and orange.  With its multifunction display and analog hands, the time is always available even while using one of the numerous pilot inspired movement functions.

This kind of added safety for the adventurer does not come cheap though.  The original Breitling Emergency was attainable for every pilot at a roughly $7,000 price tag.  This state of the art life saver on your wrist will set you back $15,750.  Pricy for a quartz timepiece yet reasonable for the added sense of safety.   Don’t dare pull a false alarm!

Ian Schwam
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Contributing writer and watch enthusiast Ian Schwam dons an expert knowledge of all things watches. Having spent a decade in… Read Full Bio
Studio Underd0g’s first calendar watch has a complication that tells you when it’s the weekend
Watch, Dial, Band

Most calendar watches tell you the date. Studio Underd0g’s new watch also tells you how long until the weekend.

The British microbrand has unveiled the 04SERIES Calendar, its first calendar complication and its first automatic watch; that’s a big move to come along all at once. Alongside a moonphase and a retrograde pointer date, it adds something you won’t find on most calendar watches: a weekend indicator.

Read more
Don’t blame the jacket: The black leather jacket is having a moment for all the wrong reasons; here are our editors’ 5 favorites
Clothing, Coat, Jacket

Look, I love a good leather jacket. As a matter of fact, I think this is one of the number one things you should have in your wardrobe. Now, if you have been living in a barn for the last few weeks, you may not know why this is a topic of conversation at the moment. However, if the name Jensen rings a bell, you understand why the black leather jacket is having a bit of a moment. I love that the black leather jacket is having a moment, but not for the reason it is. Even though it is often attributed to “the bad boy,” he isn’t quite what we meant.

So, in an effort to separate the man from the garment, I reached out to all of my favorite writers and experts here at The Manual to get some of their favorite black leather jackets for GOOD reasons.

Read more
The 5 watches to help celebrate with your former soldier: Happy Veterans Day
Wristwatch, Arm, Body Part

I always wake up on Veterans Day with thoughts of the men and women I served with right after 9/11. While I had my favorites, the ones I connected with due to standing at a gate for 18 hours checking IDs, patrolling the base for drunks and, sometimes, more serious crimes, and sleeping on the ground on field training exercises, every one of them stays with me. Brave, generous, and ready to give anything they are asked of, these people deserve to be remembered on Veterans Day. That is why I immediately thought of my favorite military-inspired watches. A reminder of the times I spent with them: both chasing drunks and being one of the drunks. If you feel inclined to get a start on holiday shopping for that brave veteran in your life, here are the watches that will make them think fondly of their time in the service.

A watch is a tool, but it’s also a symbol — a symbol of precision, responsibility, and the weight of time. – 18th-century English watchmaker and inventor

Read more