Breitling Releases New Top Time and Premier Watches Ahead of Watches and Wonders

The brand has launched its uber-cool additions to the automotive-themed Top Time collection, which includes a brand new Ford Thunderbird-inspired model

March 23, 2023

NEWS

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aaron@gmt-india.in

The countdown to Watches and Wonders has already begun and timepiece makers have started rolling out their latest novelties. Take Breitling. The celebrated watch brand has just launched its ‘sports car’ tribute models in the Top Time collection, wherein the Ford Thunderbird watch makes its debut. There are revamped versions of the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette and Shelby Cobra models. The Premier collection has also been unveiled with six new additions, including an 18 ct red gold variant.

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Top Time: Riders on the Storm

Each of the above colorways represents a specific link to one of four well-known classic cars – the Chevrolet Corvette (red), the Ford Thunderbird (white), the Shelby Cobra (blue), and the Ford Mustang (green).

There was a time when full-blown posters of vintage cars, such as Ferrari F40s, Lamborghini Countachs and McLarens, would take pride of place in our rooms. And we all know that cars and watches are simply made for each other.

Much like the original Top Time chronograph, the modern Breitling Top Time collection represents a lighthearted break from tradition, and the Classic Cars series further leans into this spirit with bright colors and automotive-inspired design elements.

Few timepiece makers have managed to respect and bring out the soul in their creations and Breitling is one of them. It has pushed its boundaries when it comes to releasing such timepieces. Let us look at what binds the latest Top Time watches together. All four models are dedicated to a specific car: Ref. AB01766A1A1X1 or AB01766A1A1A1 is dedicated to a Ford Thunderbird (1955-1957), Ref. AB01762A1L1X1 or AB01762A1L1A1 pays homage to a Ford Mustang (1964-present), AB01762A1L1X1 or AB01762A1L1A1 is dedicated to a Chevrolet Corvette and AB01763A1C1X1 or AB01763A1C1A1 is a tribute to Shelby Cobra.

*Breitling is bringing back the Top Time Classic Cars series for 2023, and in addition to adding a new fourth member to the lineup, the brand is also giving the other three models a significant update*

Three of the four 41 mm stainless steel models come with a trio chronograph layout — 9 o’clock has the 60-second subdial, 3 o’clock has the 30-minute subdial and 6 o’clock gets the 12-hour subdial. The Shelby Cobra still features a two-register layout — at 6 o’clock it gets the Cobra logo. There are two chronograph pushers at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock to start and restart the function. Common to all variants is the in-house B01 self-winding movement with a 70-hour power reserve.

Ford Thunderbird

Although the dials fitted to the new Breitling Top Time B01 Classic Cars watches all offer a similar overall appearance to those from the first generation, they also incorporate a number of small updates and refinements

The Top Time Ford Thunderbird is a new addition with a white dial, a black Breitling logo and a teal Thunderbird logo at 12 o’clock. The dial sports red and orange accents on the tachymeter scale. We can spot the orange, red and light blue accents for the hands of the three sub-registers and a red central chronograph hand.

***From an external perspective, the new generation of Breitling Top Time B01 Classic Cars models offers much of the same shape and profile as their first-generation counterparts***

The bar-shaped hour markers and the hour, minute hands get white Super-LumiNova. Turning the watch over showcases the sapphire skeleton caseback with a stainless steel oscillating weight, engraved with the teal Thunderbird logo and the words, ‘Breitling x Ford’. The watch comes with the choice of a red leather strap or a mesh stainless steel bracelet.

‍Ford Mustang

However, while the first generation features a 40mm case, the new Top Time Classic Cars watches have stainless steel cases that measure 41mm in diameter by 13.8mm-thick, with 20mm lugs and an overall lug-to-lug distance of 50.36mm.

Based on the previous generation, the new Ford Mustang model has a green dial, featuring orange and yellow accents on the tachymeter scale. This model has all three black subdials with white numerals and an orange central chronograph hand.

***The collection has a signed winding crown at the 3 o’clock location flanked by two pump-style pushers offers access to the movement***

Turning the watch over reveals the sapphire skeleton caseback with a stainless steel oscillating weight engraved with the red, white and blue flag, the famous Mustang horse and the words, ‘Breitling x Ford’. The watch comes with the choice of a brown leather strap or a mesh stainless steel bracelet.

Chevrolet Corvette

***Additionally, just like the previous generation, water resistance for the new Top Time B01 Classic Cars watches comes in at a fairly respectable 100 meters.***

This model also features the same red dial with black subdials as seen in the previous model. The tachymeter gets orange and yellow accents with an orange central chronograph hand. The 30-minute and 12-hour counters feature orange and yellow hands respectively — in fact, they stand out against the black background of the registers.

While the first generation had solid stainless steel casebacks, the new Top Time Classic Cars watches all have sapphire display casebacks that have the logos of their respective cars printed on the underside surfaces of the display windows

This model gets the famous Corvette logo at 12 o’clock. Turning the watch over showcases the trio flag engraving on the oscillating weight. This trio refers to the famous Chevrolet flag that carries the ‘bow-tie’, alluding to America and its strong brands, the French flag, lying in between, and the chequered flag. The red-dialled Corvette model comes with the choice of a black leather racing strap or the previously mentioned mesh bracelet.

‍Shelby Cobra

***An integrated self-winding chronograph that operates with a column wheel and a vertical clutch, the Breitling Calibre 01 runs at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz)***

The last watch in the collection, Shelby Cobra, has two subdials and the Cobra logo rests at 6 o’clock. The Top Time Shelby Cobra features a blue dial with a white tachymeter scale that features red and orange accents. The central chronograph hand is executed in red and the hands of the subdials mirror the blue-and-red theme.

***the logos are quite small on the new Top Time Classic Cars watches, and they sit right above the axle of the rotor***

Turning the watch over reveals the sapphire skeleton caseback with the stainless steel oscillating weight engraved with the red Cobra logo and the words, ‘Breitling x Shelby’. The watch comes on a brown leather strap or the same mesh bracelet as mentioned above.

Premier: On Stranger Tides

***Compared to iconic models such as the Navitimer and Chronomat, the Breitling Premier is hardly the most famous collection from the brand’s lineup***

Breitling has introduced six new Premier models, updated with a heritage-inspired design and powered with the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 movement. Reintroduced by the luxury watch manufacturer in 2021, the Premier Heritage chronograph collection revived Willy Breitling’s dream of seeing the functional chronograph made undeniably elegant and infinitely wearable — in his words, “the unmistakable stamp of impeccable taste”.

the 42mm version of the Premier Chronograph is a core offering from Breitling’s modern catalog, and these six new models represent an important line extension that significantly expands this fan-favorite model

Five models in the collection are in stainless steel and one in 18 ct red gold, all six models come with the 42mm cases. Rather than opting for a trio layout for the subdials, the collection uses a dual subdial layout. Ref. AB0145221B1P1 has a black dial, Ref. AB0145171C1P1 uses a blue dial, Ref. AB0145331K1P1 sports a salmon dial, Ref. AB0145371L1P1 features a green dial, Ref. AB0145211G1P1 has a cream dial and Ref. RB0145371G1P1 is the only model that has the 18 ct rose gold case with a salmon dial.

Just like the existing Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 models within the brand’s catalog, the new six models have cases that measure 42mm in diameter by 13.6mm-thick, with 22mm lugs and an overall lug-to-lug profile of 50.03mm.

The chronograph counters of all watches correspond to the colour of the respective dial. The stainless steel models have white backgrounds and black numeral date windows at 6 o’clock. The model with the black dial has a black background and a white numeral date window.

Just like all of the current-production Breitling Premier watches, the new B01 Chronograph 42 models feature signed push-pull winding crowns at the 3 o’clock location, which are flanked by a pair of oblong pushers

The stainless steel models come with steel and golden Arabic hour markers and Super-LumiNova® coating for syringe-shaped hour and minute hands. The more luxurious red gold-cased model has golden Arabic hour markers, golden chronograph pushers, a golden crown and golden syringe-shaped hour and minute hands.

*Running at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz), the new Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 models is an integrated automatic chronograph movement that operates with a column wheel and a vertical clutch*

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Powering the watches is the in-house Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01, a self-winding movement with 70 hours of power reserve. The five stainless steel models come with stainless steel casebacks and stainless steel oscillating weights while the red gold model has a red gold caseback and a red gold oscillating weight.

***Just like nearly all modern Breitling watches, the new Premier B01 Chronograph models are COSC-certified chronometers***

Finishing the watches are black, gold-brown or brown alligator leather straps with folding buckles or stainless steel seven-row bracelets with butterfly clasps.

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Image Credits: Breitling

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aaron@gmt-india.in