BREITLING | Blackbird Blacksteel

BREITLING

The Blackbird: A Special Shine with DLC Coating

The "Blackbird" is the nickname of the legendary supersonic, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft "SR-71" that was deployed by the U.S. Air Force in the 1960s. With its all-black body, it performed photographic reconnaissance at supersonic speeds of Mach 3.2 at altitudes of approximately 26,000 meters. A total of 32 aircraft were produced, leaving its mark in history as the world's fastest operational aircraft.

By Yasuto Shibuya

Blackbird BlackSteel

Breitling's popular "Blackbird" model was born as a derivative of the "Chronomat," itself inspired by this aircraft.

The "Blackbird BlackSteel," unveiled at Baselworld in 2010, features a DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) coating on its case.

This involves coating the surface of stainless steel with a carbon material, a component of diamond, specifically an amorphous structure, through methods like ion plating. This dramatically enhances surface hardness and wear resistance. In the case of this model, the surface hardness is said to dramatically increase to 5000 Hv (Vickers hardness), compared to the maximum of around 1000 Hv for a standard stainless steel case (for reference, diamond is 10,000 Hv).

However, the greatest appeal of this DLC-treated model lies not so much in the case's hardness, but in its "special black luster" that combines a refined and striking appearance. If you are captivated, why not first experience this luster at a store?

Automatic movement, stainless steel case with DLC coating, rubber strap, 43.7mm case diameter, limited to 2000 pieces worldwide, 761,250 yen, scheduled for release this summer.