Navitimer Rattrapante AB0310: The Split-Seconds You Can Still Find

At first glance, the Breitling Navitimer Rattrapante looks like a familiar member of the Navitimer family. It has the busy aviation dial, the circular slide rule, the chronograph registers, and the broad 45 mm case. But look more closely at the central hands, and the watch reveals its real trick: there are two chronograph seconds hands, working together until the wearer asks them to do something different.

The AB0310 is a modern split-seconds chronograph powered by Breitling Manufacture Caliber B03. Introduced in 2017, it brought a demanding high-horology complication into the brand’s recognizable aviation-watch design. It is not a perpetual calendar, a GMT, or simply a standard chronograph with an extra hand. It is a rattrapante—a watch designed to measure two elapsed times that begin together but may finish at different moments.

That makes the Navitimer Rattrapante an interesting proposition for collectors. It combines a familiar exterior with a movement complication that is considerably more demanding than an ordinary chronograph. And unlike the extremely rare platinum perpetual-calendar Rattrapante watches produced in the 1990s, the modern B03 model appeared in configurations that collectors can still encounter on the secondary market.

What Is a Split-Seconds Chronograph?

A conventional chronograph measures elapsed time. Press the start pusher, and the chronograph seconds hand begins moving. Press stop, and the hand records the elapsed interval. Reset it, and the hand returns to zero.

A split-seconds chronograph adds a second central chronograph hand, often called the rattrapante hand. At the start of a timing operation, the two hands move together. Press the dedicated split-seconds control, and one hand stops to display an intermediate time while the other continues measuring the full interval.

Press the split control again, and the stopped hand catches up with its companion. The main chronograph has continued running throughout the process.

Imagine timing two runners who start at the same moment. One crosses the finish line first, while the other keeps running. A conventional chronograph can time the overall event, but it cannot independently preserve the first runner’s finish time while continuing to measure the second runner using the same simple central timing display. A rattrapante makes that possible.

The complication is also useful for recording intermediate times during a longer event. The important distinction is that the split-seconds hand does not permanently stop the entire chronograph. It temporarily separates one elapsed-time indication from the other.

The Navitimer Rattrapante AB0310

Breitling introduced the Navitimer Rattrapante in 2017 as the launch platform for its manufacture Caliber B03. The steel model combines the familiar Navitimer design with an additional central timing hand and a dedicated control integrated into the crown.

The watch retains the circular slide rule, allowing it to be recognized immediately as a Navitimer. Its dial is more complex than that of a standard Navitimer chronograph because it must accommodate the split-seconds function alongside the conventional chronograph counters, date, and other aviation-inspired scales.

The AB0310 reference family is associated with a 45 mm stainless-steel case. The model was offered with different dial and strap or bracelet configurations, so the exact suffix matters when identifying a particular watch. Examples include reference AB031021/Q615, while later product codes can contain additional characters identifying the dial, strap, or bracelet.

Collectors should therefore avoid relying on “AB0310” alone to establish every detail. It identifies the broader model family, but the complete reference and actual configuration should be checked against the watch.

Caliber B03: The Mechanical Heart of the Watch

The movement is what makes the Navitimer Rattrapante special. Breitling Caliber B03 is an automatic manufacture chronograph movement based on the architecture of Caliber B01, with a dedicated split-seconds mechanism added to control the second timing hand.

Published specifications identify the B03 as a COSC-certified chronometer operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, with 46 jewels and an approximately 70-hour power reserve. The chronograph includes 30-minute and 12-hour counters, while the watch also displays the date.

Breitling’s design places the split-seconds mechanism in a module that can be handled as a unit during service. Specialist coverage has described the module as comprising 28 components. This modular approach helps make a complicated mechanism more manageable to assemble and service, although it does not make the watch inexpensive or simple to maintain.

The B03 matters because a rattrapante is not achieved merely by placing a second hand over the first. The movement needs a system that can stop one chronograph hand with precision, hold it while the other continues, and then reunite the hands without disrupting the ongoing timing operation.

That requires additional mechanical coordination and energy management. Breitling’s B03 was developed specifically to deliver this function within its modern manufacture chronograph platform.

How to Read the Two Chronograph Hands

The most visually distinctive feature is the pair of central chronograph seconds hands. When both are moving together, they can look almost like a single hand. Their different colors or design details help distinguish them, depending on the exact dial variant.

Start the chronograph with the normal pusher, and the two hands move together. Use the split-seconds pusher integrated into the crown to stop one hand at an intermediate time. The other hand continues moving, allowing the wearer to record the next interval. Press the split control again, and the stopped hand catches up.

Breitling also used a clever visual detail on the original model: elements of the brand’s logo are divided between the two chronograph hands. When the hands overlap, the visual elements come together; when the rattrapante hand is separated, the split becomes apparent.

It is a small design decision, but it connects the mechanical complication to the watch’s identity. The extra hand is not merely an additional technical feature. It becomes part of the way the Navitimer presents its brand signature.

Steel AB0310 vs. the Limited-Edition Versions

The production history deserves careful wording. The stainless-steel Navitimer Rattrapante was offered as a regular model, and the AB0310 reference family should not automatically be described as limited to 250 pieces.

The well-documented 250-piece limitation applies to the red-gold Navitimer Rattrapante introduced alongside the steel version. Certain boutique editions were also limited to 250 pieces. These are related watches, but their case materials, references, and production details are not interchangeable.

For a collector, this distinction matters when reading advertisements and auction listings. A seller may use “limited edition” to describe a gold or boutique model, then attach the same wording to a steel AB0310 without making the exact reference clear. Always verify the complete reference and the actual case material before accepting a production claim.

The steel watch remains attractive in its own right. It offers the B03 split-seconds complication without the additional cost and visual weight of a precious-metal case. For buyers who care more about the movement than about owning a particular limited edition, that may be the more compelling route.

The 10-Piece Platinum Navitimer Perpetual Calendar Rattrapante

Long before the modern B03 Navitimer Rattrapante, Breitling produced a much rarer watch that combined a split-seconds chronograph with a perpetual calendar. Auction records document 1990s platinum Navitimer Perpetual Calendar Rattrapante examples, including reference L46322, from a series of just 10 pieces.

This is a different generation of watch and a different mechanical proposition. The modern AB0310 focuses on the split-seconds chronograph, date, and Navitimer slide rule. The earlier platinum QP Rattrapante combines the split-seconds complication with a perpetual calendar that tracks the calendar through varying month lengths and leap years, together with additional calendar indications and a moon-phase display in documented examples.

Its rarity is supported by auction records, including a numbered example marked 05/10. Other specialist records identify related 10-piece platinum Navitimer perpetual-calendar split-seconds watches from the same era, though the exact reference codes differ between documented examples. That is why the complete reference, movement, and individual watch documentation must be checked before grouping them together.

The QP Rattrapante is a genuine grand-complication collector’s piece, but it should not be treated as the limited-edition version of the AB0310. The two watches share the Navitimer name and the split-seconds idea, yet they belong to different periods and offer different complications.

Why the B03 Rattrapante Is Still Worth Considering

The appeal of the AB0310 is that it makes a sophisticated complication available in a recognizable modern Breitling format. It does not require the buyer to chase one of the 10 platinum QP examples from the 1990s. Instead, it offers a manufacture split-seconds chronograph with a familiar aviation dial, a 45 mm steel case, and a practical automatic movement.

That does not make it a casual purchase. A rattrapante is mechanically more complex than a standard chronograph, and servicing should be entrusted to a watchmaker qualified to work on the movement. But for a collector who wants to experience the complication without pursuing a rare vintage grand complication, the B03 is a meaningful alternative.

It also sits in an interesting position within the Navitimer family. The slide rule and dial layout preserve the aviation identity, while the split-seconds mechanism pushes the watch toward high horology. It is a reminder that the Navitimer can be more than a conventional chronograph with a rotating calculator bezel.

What to Check Before Buying a Used AB0310

• Verify the complete reference: distinguish the steel AB0310 from the red-gold RB0311 and limited boutique variants.
• Test the split-seconds function: both chronograph hands should start together, separate correctly, and reunite when the split pusher is operated.
• Check chronograph operation: confirm the start, stop, and reset functions and observe whether the hands return cleanly to zero.
• Review service history: ask whether the B03 movement has been serviced by a qualified Breitling specialist.
• Inspect the case and bezel: check for excessive polishing, damaged slide-rule markings, and signs of impact.
• Confirm the dial and hands: compare their configuration with the exact reference and beware of mismatched service parts.
• Check the caseback: steel examples may have a solid back, while certain precious-metal or boutique variants have a display back. Confirm the correct configuration.
• Inspect the paperwork: verify the serial and reference information and treat any claim of limited production as something to substantiate.
• Budget for specialist maintenance: the split-seconds mechanism adds complexity, so a watch with uncertain service history deserves particular caution.

Final Thoughts: A Familiar Navitimer with an Uncommon Skill

The Navitimer Rattrapante AB0310 is a watch for collectors who appreciate the mechanics behind a complication. Its dial may initially look like a traditional Navitimer, but Caliber B03 gives it a distinct purpose: the ability to record two elapsed times from a shared start.

The modern steel model also provides a useful point of comparison with Breitling’s earlier 10-piece platinum perpetual-calendar Rattrapante watches. One is a modern manufacture split-seconds chronograph that can still be found on the pre-owned market; the other is an exceptionally rare grand complication combining a perpetual calendar and rattrapante in a precious-metal case.

Neither should be reduced to a production number alone. The AB0310 is compelling because of its movement and the way it integrates the split-seconds complication into the Navitimer design. The platinum QP is compelling because of its rarity and the extraordinary number of functions it combines.

For the collector who wants a serious chronograph complication without stepping into the world of ultra-rare vintage grand complications, the Navitimer Rattrapante remains one of Breitling’s more intriguing modern creations.