Suppose sophisticated style underscores the statement you make by the watch you wear. Then Breitling’s extensions to its heritage-inspired Premier line and ever-popular Top Time Classic Cars collection will blow your hair back.
They are both powered by the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01, first released in 2009, one of the industry’s most highly regarded chronograph movements with the added cachet of being produced in-house by the independent watchmaker. The movement is designed for supreme precision, reliability, and functionality.
Chronographs have always been a Breitling speciality since Willy Breitling carved his niche in watchmaking history as the third-generation company founder who took aircraft instrumentation and tool watches to new heights during the Second World War and then developed them into a stylish accessory filled with the best of components and finishes. That was the start of the Premier line 80 years ago. Its journey is chronicled in Premier Story, part three of the Watch Stories series about the world’s most collectable timepieces, the launch of its online sales neatly dovetailing with the reveal of the Premier B01 Chronograph 42. Author Fred Mandelbaum, Breitling’s official brand historian and the world’s foremost Premier collector, was able to tap into the company archives and gain access to the family collection of watches, documents, photographs, and personal memories to piece together Willy Breitling’s success story. “As Breitling’s historian, I’ve been living the wildest dreams of any passionate collector,” he says.
Take a closer look at the six new Premier models, and you’ll notice that the familiar vintage design details have been retained. These include the smooth fixed bezel, twin-register dial, streamlined rectangular pushers, and applied Arabic numerals. The 42mm case diameter affords a little more space for the tone-on-tone sub dials with chronograph minutes at 3 o’clock and running seconds at 9 o’clock. New dial colours of salmon, blue, green, black, and cream provide a contemporary palette for the stainless-steel models. If you prefer gold, try the 18K red gold watch with a classic cream dial for size. The timepieces are fitted with an alligator leather strap or elegant 7-row metal bracelet.
Rev up your style
With well-established collections linked to air, land and sea pursuits, Breitling continues to develop and design watches that personify the luxury brand’s casual, inclusive, and sustainable positioning. You can rev your style statement further with the latest addition to the Top Time Classic Cars collection – the Ford Thunderbird. Finding synergy with the high-performance American sports cars – Ford Thunderbird, Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette, and Shelby Cobra – that embody the spirit of freedom, innovation, and power, the Top Time Classic Cars collection perpetuates that feeling of wild abandon that inspired its 1960s-inspired predecessors.
“The Top Time represented a break from traditional watch design for a generation that was breaking with convention in every way,” says Breitling CEO Georges Kern. “We are going after that sense of freedom and fun with the 1960s-inspired Top Time Classic Cars collection and are thrilled to once again partner with Ford to introduce the new Thunderbird model, along with updated versions of the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette, and Shelby Cobra chronographs.”
The collection, a bestseller in 2021, has led to Breitling partnering with brands like Deus Ex Machina and Triumph Motorcycles for bikes, Ford Thunderbird and Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette, and Shelby Cobra for cars.
A red strap and clean white dial with a teal Thunderbird logo and red chronograph hands differentiate the Ford Thunderbird model. All four watches highlight the colours and emblems of their 1950s and 1960s sports car counterparts.
The exceptional Caliber 01 movement is visible through the open sapphire-crystal caseback and provides around 70 hours of power reserve. As with all of Breitling’s mechanical calibers, each has achieved the rigorous COSC certification after passing a series of arduous in-house shock, winding, and pusher tests. The Top Time’s 41mm stainless-steel case provides increased water resistance of 100m (10 bar).
