Jewellery & Watch News
Breitling has revealed yet another stunning capsule collection, this time a trio of colourful chronographs celebrating American automotive culture. Each Breitling Top Time Classic Cars watch dedicates its design to one of three cars born during the 1960’s: the Chevrolet Corvette, the Ford Mustang, and the Shelby Cobra.
“It’s about the journey, not the tempo. And that’s true whether you’re tinkering under the hood or hitting the road for a Sunday ride celebrating these beautiful machines,” says Breitling CEO Georges Kern.
As Georges Kern’s words display, Breitling has taken it upon themselves in more recent years to create watches that embody free spirits, utilising a combination of modern and retro features for a playful, attractive and yet still entirely performance-driven collection. As for the Breitling Top Time, it has always been one of the brand’s most youthful designs, offering lighter, less professional aesthetics aimed at youthful audiences. The collection was first unveiled back in 1964 but it disappeared from the brand’s portfolio during the 1970’s. Then in 2020, the design returned with a limited edition watch inspired by the Top Time Ref. 2003. The series now invites a new trio of Breitling Top Time Classic Cars watches to join them detailed with stunning racing-orientated features that go hand in hand with the cars that inspire them. Let’s take a look at the three Breitling Top Time Classic Cars watches.
Breitling Top Time Chevrolet Corvette Watch
The second-generation Chevrolet Corvette car was manufactured between 1963 and 1967 and was instantly disguisable for its graceful profile, remarkable performance both on the road and the track and its rich cherry red colour. This very shade is brought to life in the Breitling Top Time Chevrolet Corvette watch through its rich red dial which takes inspiration directly from the Corvette C2 from the mid-1960s often nicknamed the “Sting Ray”. In contrast to the crimson colour, the dial features black chronograph counters, a black tachymeter scale detailed with sporty orange and yellow accents and the car logo at 12 o’clock.
The case of the Breitling Top Time Chevrolet Corvette watch measures to 42mm and is engineered from classic stainless steel with a non-screw locked crown with two gaskets, sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective treatment on both sides and a snapped case back worthy of a 100 metre water resistant rating. The case back also comes engraved with the Chevrolet Corvette’s logo in impressive detail. Behind it sits the automatic winding Breitling Calibre 25 with a power reserve of 42 hours, 38 jewels and a frequency of 28,800vph. To complete the Breitling Top Time Chevrolet Corvette watch, a black perforated leather strap is added alongside a stainless steel folding buckle.
Specifications:
- Case: 42mm, stainless steel, non-screw locked crown, engraved snapped case back, sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Movement: Breitling 25 automatic winding, hours, minutes, 1/8th of a second chronograph, 30-second, 15-minute and 6-hour totalizer, 42 hour power reserve, 38 jewels, 28,800vph frequency, COSC certified
- Dial: Red with black chronograph counters, Superluminova inserts
- Strap: Black leather with folding buckle
- Reference: A25310241K1X1
Breitling Top Time Ford Mustang Watch
Following closely in line with its red-faced counterpart, the Breitling Top Time Ford Mustang stands out for its deep green dial inspired the famous Ford Mustang car. The original Ford Mustang was produced from 1964 to 1969 and became widely adored for it’s compact, affordable and sporty offerings, especially by rock stars and actors after it featured in some of the era’s most iconic movies. Dressed in green, the dial of the Breitling Top Time Ford Mustang watch beautifully revives the vehicle with sporty black chronograph counters and the same tachymeter scale with orange and yellow accents. The brown leather strap also mimics part of the car’s interior.
The rest of the Breitling Top Time Ford Mustang watch maintains all the same specifications as the Chevrolet Corvette watch with a 42mm stainless steel case, 100 metre water resistant rating, car logo engraving on the snapped case back and sapphire crystal glass. The watch is also powered by the same Breitling Calibre 25 movement with hours and minutes hands, 1/8th of a second chronograph and 30-second, 15-minute and 6-hour totalisers. As with all Breitling watches, the movement is COSC certified offering an accuracy of -4 to +6 seconds per day.
Specifications:
- Case: 42mm, stainless steel, non-screw locked crown, engraved snapped case back, sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Movement: Breitling 25 automatic winding, hours, minutes, 1/8th of a second chronograph, 30-second, 15-minute and 6-hour totalizer, 42 hour power reserve, 38 jewels, 28,800vph frequency, COSC certified
- Dial: Green with black chronograph counters, Superluminova inserts
- Strap: Brown leather with folding buckle
- Reference: A253101A1L1X1
Breitling Top Time Shelby Cobra Watch
The most diverse reference out of the trio is the Breitling Top Time Shelby Cobra watch delivering a smaller case size of 40mm and a traditional bi-compax layout. The two pure white chronograph counters sit at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions on a royal blue dial which once again takes inspiration from an American car from the 1960’s. This time, it’s the Shelby Cobra, a sports car imagined by Le Mans winner Carroll Shelby. Its unmissable blue finish and white stripe down the bonnet is wonderfully obvious in the design of the Breitling Top Time Shelby Cobra watch.
The timepiece’s 40mm case is crafted from stainless steel and features the same cambered sapphire crystal glass, snapped engraved case back and 100 metre water resistant as it’s green and blue brothers. Nevertheless, from within, the case utilises a different movement, this time the automatic winding Breitling Caliber 41 with a 42 hour power reserve, 28,800vph frequency and chronograph complications for 1/4th second and 30 minutes. Finishing off the look of the Breitling Top Time Shelby Cobra watch is a brown calfskin leather strap and stainless steel folding buckle.
- Case: 40mm, stainless steel, non-screw locked crown, engraved snapped case back, sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Movement: Breitling 41 automatic winding, hours, minutes, small seconds, 1/4th of a second, 30 minutes, 42 hour power reserve, 38 jewels, 28,800vph frequency, COSC certified
- Dial: Blue with white chronograph counters, Superluminova inserts
- Strap: Brown leather with folding buckle
- Reference: A41315A71C1X2
