We begin with what makes the watch smart. And we begin by saying that this implementation of the Breitling smart watches UK are the best we have come across to date. Breitling has chosen to use each device at its strengths. The phone is superior to the watch as it has better ergonomic interface, and a larger screen. And watch is superior to the phone as it is wearable, conveniently strapped to the wrist. It also is has superior ergonomics in many of the standard watch functions like telling the time, second timezone, and chronograph functions. And the balance, we feel is quite well chosen.
The iPhone app which we tested was well behaved and worked flawlessly after the 10 seconds or so it takes to pair with the watch. The app uses the real estate afforded by the large iPhone’s screen to good stead. And the displays are logical and clear. The interaction between the watch and iPhone is two way. There is a small lag in the communication as we observed, but we are hopeful that this will reduce in the next releases of the iPhone app and/or watch firmware.
The B55 can be used to display alerts the user that a message is received by the phone. The user can then view and respond to the message on the Smartphone. The B55 does no more than to alert the user. But the full array of settings and readings is available on the iPhone.
The case is 46mm diameter, 15.25mm height solid titanium with a rotating bezel. The case is well made. The unidirectional bezel clicks with an assuring satisfaction.
The design is based on the the Breitling Cockpit B50. However, the B55 dial is visually it simpler and more legible than the rather crowded B50. This is largely due to the lack of compass bearings markers which is engraved on the B50’s bezel, and thankfully absent on the B55.
Like on the Breitling B55 replica watches UK, the B55 has a “Tilt” mode to save power. The LCD backlighting goes blank after a short time out, but is reactivated when the watch senses the user tilts his wrist at a more than 35° angle, or when the crown is pressed. Not only quite clever, but also quite telling that the designers are also practicing pilots. One can keep one’s hands on the aircraft controls instead of fiddling to turn the backlight on the watch.
The entire dial layout intelligently laid out, a particularly important and highly desirable feature considering the mass of information it is capable of displaying. The two LCD displays are also used to alert the user of messages incoming from the connected Smartphone. Messages like WhatsApp, SMS, email, calls are displayed, but the user is not able to interact with the Smartphone through the B55. The watch is merely used to alert the user, as it is always on one’s wrist, it has the advantage of being always near/on-line.