Airbubba,
The $500 Breitling deal was a long tradition back in the 90s. My squadron CO had been a BA as a Capt. and evidently the Breitling watches was long established when flew blue.
While looking for new memebers the watches also indicated the inside track on a slot. Aviators were offered a $500 BA specific Breitling prior to selection or even as a recruitment tool.
S/F, FOG