Breitling Debuts Updates To Premier And Top Time Classic Car Collections

Luxury watch maker Breitling has absolutely mastered the art of making good things even better, as evidenced by the new additions just unveiled in its popular Premier and Top Time Classic Car collections. The former takes its style cues from heritage pieces from the 1940’s, while the latter – as the name suggests – is something of a love letter to the iconic American sports cars of the 1950’s and ‘60s. As an authorized retail partner for Breitling in Australia, Watches of Switzerland is pleased to offer our valued clients a wide selection of the new models announced. Read on to learn more about what you can expect.

The Premier Collection

In the early days, Breitling built its reputation on its precision cockpit instruments, and later, aviation-oriented wrist watches. However, in the 1940s, the brand decided to show the world that it was capable of making more than just robust and precise tool watches. Enter the Premier, Breitling’s first collection of truly elegant wristwatches. Smaller by Breitling’s standards – ranging in size from 36 to 38mm in diameter – these models were prized for their well-proportioned cases and elegant dials. Yet they offered the same performance of the chronograph movements Breitling was famous for.

The Premier 42 B01 Chrono

The modern Premier collection follows in this same spirit dedicated to everyday elegance. A perfect example of this comes in the form of five new Premier 42 B01 Chrono steel references just added. At first blush the updates are subtle but get into the detail and you’ll see there really is a lot to like here. Presented in a stylish 42mm steel case, Breitling has refined the aesthetic to be more in-line with the heritage character of its smaller sibling, the Premier B09 Chronograph 40. This means the five new dial colours (salmon, blue, green, black, and cream) now feature syringe-style hands, applied Arabic numerals, and a new sub-register layout.

Behind the eye-catching dials beats Breitling’s in-house B01 chronograph movement, designed for maximum precision, reliability, and functionality. Certified as a chronometer by the independent COSC, the B01 was redesigned in 2022 and features a trimmer profile and more compact oscillating weight that can be admired through the transparent sapphire-crystal caseback. The movement is backed by a five-year warranty and provides an approximate 70-hour power reserve. The new versions of the Premier 42 B01 Chrono are available for pre-order from Watches of Switzerland now, on your choice of a classic alligator leather strap or sleek 7-row metal bracelet.

The Top Time

Launched in the 1960’s – a decade defined by free-thinkers and rule-breakers – the Breitling Top Time was an unconventional chronograph, designed for “young and active professionals”. Simple but elegant, the Top Time caught on quickly with a sporty in-crowd of men and women equally drawn to the watch’s impressive proportions. Today, the Top Time collection continues this tradition, with colourful dials and graphic styling.

Top Time Classic Cars Collection

The big news in the updated Classic Cars collection is the inclusion of a new Ford Thunderbird model, complete with a red strap and clean white dial that draws the eye to the teal Thunderbird logo and red chronograph hands. This model sits alongside three others, celebrating the Ford Mustang (green dial), Chevrolet Corvette (red dial) and Shelby Cobra (blue dial). Notable design elements include the perforated leather racing straps, speed-measuring tachymeter scales, and contrasting “squircle” (not quite square, not quite round) subdials that are reminiscent of vintage dashboard gauges. All four models feature the emblems of their 1950s and 1960s sports car counterparts prominently on their dials, and feature either a twin or triple-register lay out.

The case sizes of the new Classic Cars references are slightly smaller than the previous iterations at 41mm and now house the previously discussed Breitling B01 Chronograph movement, delivering an in-house motor that matches the performance of their famous namesakes. Available for pre-order from Watches of Switzerland now, please visit our website for more details.