It is easy to get caught up in the world of luxury replica watches and think that the only watch you buy must have a crown, a Greek letter, or a name that starts with a P and ends with Philippe. This attitude does a disservice to people who are collectors because there are so many names to choose from. If you want to stay with a big brand and all the security that comes with it, you’d better check out Breitling.
What you see here is the automatic Colt made in 2018. This is the last generation of the Colt. In 2020, it was scrapped by Georges Kern, replica Breitling’s CEO, who has been trying to bring the company back to strength after several years of various directions.
This reinterpretation of the classic Colt design brings a fluted bezel with raised quarters markers and a Breitling signature. A luminous hand is also provided at midnight. This stainless steel bezel is engraved with markers and heavy additions that help cement this watch’s sporty look, but this is not really needed as the steel case is hard to ignore with its 44mm diameter.
As with all sports watches, the Colt is most popular with its black dial, although we found this version with the “Stratus Silver” dial to be just as striking, if not more so. The dial is very technical, with many markings printed on it.
The version we currently have in stock uses a stainless steel multi-link strap, although, at the time, rubber was also an option, and a tasteful leather strap. Again, we prefer this strap. The top of the links has a nice brushed finish, while the sides are fully polished to match the sides of the case.
This model is Breitling’s caliber B17, a reworked ETA 2824-2 movement. While the ETA movement may not make you sweat at first, it is a reliable movement that should be easy to service for many years, if not by Breitling.
So the Colt is a sporty fake watch designed for professionals but embraced by the average watch enthusiast with a large case, a clear dial, and enough water resistance to make it a fully diving watch to rival any Tudor watch. This particular version of ours comes with a full year’s warranty from the Welsh Watch Company, a presentation box, documentation from the sale, and a free insurance valuation certificate. It also comes with the original plastic bezel protector.
In some ways, it is a shame that the Colt collection is no longer with us. The chunky look of this copy watch makes it an attractive purchase, especially at its low price point. However, if you are mourning the loss of the Colt, you shouldn’t fear, as the Avenger model line looks similar to the Colt and is still in production.
