Ask anyone under 40 to name the James Bond watch and you’ll hear Omega. But the first watch Q Branch ever actually gadget-ified belonged to Breitling. In Thunderball, Sean Connery wore a Top Time ref. 2002 rigged with a Geiger counter, and parked outside was the same silver birch Aston Martin DB5 that had stolen the show in Goldfinger a year prior.
Now, sixty-odd years later, Breitling and Aston Martin are official partners, and the pairing has produced the Top Time B01 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Aston Martin DB5.
The Elephant in the Screening Room
Here’s the fun part: Breitling makes zero official mention of Bond anywhere in this release. Not one word. Then the brand went and shot the campaign with a suited gentleman leaning against a silver DB5.
Wink-nudge marketing aside, the bones here are legitimately period correct. The cushion-shaped case with grooved corners and pump pushers pulls straight from the 1960s Top Time playbook, though at 41mm wide and 13.8mm thick, it wears considerably larger than the svelte 36mm original (and last year’s 38mm Racing editions, for that matter).
A Dashboard For Your Wrist
The DB5 references live in the details. The twin “squircle” sub-dials at 9 and 6 o’clock mimic classic dashboard gauges, and the hand-colored gradient calfskin strap (beige lining included) echoes the car’s upholstery. And to round things out, the tachymeter rehaut wears an actual wood inlay as a nod to the DB5’s steering wheel.
Three Trims, One Engine
The lineup breaks down like option packages. Stainless steel with a silver sunray dial (1,022 pieces) is the entry point at $11,400 and hews closest to Connery’s original. The steel model with a platinum bezel and black lacquered dial runs 315 pieces at $18,600. Then there’s the 18k red gold flagship which includes 250 individually numbered pieces at $41,500, complete with a dial cut from natural onyx, a first for Breitling.
Every version runs the brand’s in-house B01, a COSC-certified column-wheel chronograph with a vertical clutch and 70-hour power reserve, all visible through a sapphire caseback alongside an Aston Martin-engraved rotor.
Spec Sheet
Model: Top Time B01 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Aston Martin DB5
Case Size: 41mm
Lug-to-Lug: 47.9mm
Thickness: 13.8mm
Case Material: Stainless steel, steel with platinum bezel, or 18k red gold
Dial: Silver sunray, black lacquer, or natural onyx
Movement: Breitling Manufacture Caliber B01 (COSC-certified)
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Water Resistance: 100m
Strap: Hand-colored gradient calfskin
Limited Edition: Yes, 1,022 (steel), 315 (steel/platinum), 250 (red gold)
Pricing & Availability
All three editions are available starting this month, priced at $11,400 for the steel model, $18,600 for the steel and platinum version, and $41,500 for the red gold flagship. Head over to Breitling’s website to check them out.
Recap
Breitling Top Time B01 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Aston Martin DB5
Breitling turns the DB5’s cabin into a trio of wood-ringed Top Time chronographs, crowned by a $41,500 red gold flagship with the brand’s first onyx dial.
