When is a classic watch not the classic watch you thought it was? When it becomes something else entirely. Take Tag Heuer’s Carrera. Introduced in 1963 as a rugged chronograph for racing drivers, it now comes in date and day-date versions, and in jazzy colors like pink and aquamarine, without any chronograph function at all. (Many chronograph Carreras are also available.)
Omega’s Seamaster started life as a dive watch, but the brand’s current collection features a mind-boggling 287 Seamaster variants, including time-only heritage models, a design-forward Olympic timekeeping edition, and that giant 55mm example of extreme engineering, the Ploprof.
Now Breitling’s Top Time is being introduced in a version that belies its origins as a swinging ’60s chronograph, worn by Sean Connery’s James Bond in Thunderball, and noted for a particularly eye-catching edition that featured a black and white “Zorro” quadrant patterned dial. The Top Time has also featured in adrenaline-related collabs, including with classic American cars, and the Australian custom motorcycle and surfwear brand Deus Ex Machina.
This week it arrives pared down to a smaller, simpler time and date model, one that runs on a new three-hand movement produced by Breitling in-house, the B31. (Though it is slowly and methodically changing this, Breitling has historically used some third-party movements, and even teamed up with Tudor to plug gaps in the offerings of both brands.)
At 38mm, the new Top Time could even pass for a dress watch, or at least be considered dress-watch adjacent, though it keeps enough sporty nods to its predecessors in the TT family, with jazzy dial colors, a minute track running around the inside of the dial, and a bright red second hand. The watches also come on the option of a three-row stainless steel bracelet or a perforated calfskin strap, a nod to vintage racing gloves, and in keeping with the original Top Time aesthetic.
The new movement impresses on a technical level, too, being COSC-certified for accuracy, and having undergone the equivalent of 16 years of use at the testing stage, including 100,000 crown winds and 60,000 shocks at 500G. Parts of the movement, including its free-sprung balance wheel and oscillating weight, are visible through the clear case back of the watch.
The new release is now among the simplest in the Breitling catalog. Seeing as the brand is typically defined by its larger, aviation-themed chronographs, the new Top Time B31 seems like a bid broaden its appeal. The watch is also relatively reasonably priced, at $5,600-$5,900, putting it on par with less extravagant models like the Navitimer.
The Butler’s done it: Breitling’s new brand ambassador.
The trio of Top Times arrives with a new brand ambassador in tow, Austin Butler. The Elvis actor was already been earning his keep last week, “stealth launching” the watch—and his involvement with the brand—when he just happened to be photographed wearing a pre-launch edition at Paris Fashion Week, a move that’s fast become the playbook for watch brands. (Daniel Craig is the OG of generating hype this way for Omega, while Swatch Group’s boss Nick Heyek debuted the new pink MoonSwatch during a press conference the other day, possibly in tribute to Craig, and the checks his company is issuing him.)
“Breitling, for me, is about adventure and pushing the limits of what’s possible,” Butler said in statement. “The Top Time speaks to the way I’ve always wanted to live my life: free and ready to rock ‘n’ roll. It’s a thrill to be part of the squad.”
Breitling CEO Georges Kern is similarly fired up by the partnership.
“I spent time with Austin on the campaign set and was blown away by his dedication and attention to detail,” he comments. “He cares about getting everything just right—something we relate to at Breitling.”
Will the new-look Top Time hit a popular chord? As someone once said: 50,000,000 Elvis fans can’t be wrong.
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