Breguet’s Type XX collection of pilot-inspired chronographs are a modern testament to the Swiss watchmaker’s familial connections to the world of aviation, forged by the founder’s great-great-grandson Louis-Charles Breguet, a pioneer in the field of manned flight. Following up the most recent addition to that sport-luxury collection, 2016’s vintage-influenced Type XXI 3817, Breguet this year pilots the model into a more avant-garde, sporty territory with the launch of the Type XXI 3815 chronograph.

Contrasting with the steel case and sober, gray-toned dial of its predecessor, the Type XXI 3815 features a 42-mm case made of lightweight, corrosion-resistant titanium and a sunburst-finished, deep black dial with brightly colored, luminous hour numerals and hands. The case retains some vintage flair, like the finely fluted caseband that made the early models easier to grip by pilots’ gloved hands, but adds some decidedly contemporary touches, like the black-lacquered 60-minute scale on the titanium bidirectional bezel. Water-resistant to 100 meters thanks to its screw-down crown, the case boasts a combination of polished and satin-brushed finishes on its surfaces.
The dial’s large Arabic numerals are in either luminescent orange or luminescent green. Its layout differs notably from that of the 3817 by its use of two counters, rather than three, to display the watch’s functions. Neither of the two ? a 24-hour indicator at ...