The Tour de France rolls out of Barcelona this Saturday, and Breitling clearly circled the date on its calendar. The brand just unveiled the Top Time B01 Eddy Merckx, a limited edition chronograph saluting the Belgian rider that most of the cycling world still considers the greatest to ever clip into a pedal. And yes, the dial is yellow, because obviously it’s yellow.
The Cannibal Earned That Nickname
Merckx’s career stats are absurd to say the least. Between the mid-1960s and late 1970s, the man racked up 525 professional victories, 11 Grand Tours, 19 Monument classics, three World Championships, and five Tour de France titles.
He also spent 96 days in the race leader’s yellow jersey, a record that still stands nearly half a century later. Rivals called him “The Cannibal” because he simply refused to let anyone else win.
The Maillot Jaune, Wrist Edition
That famous jersey informs the dial, a saturated yellow punched up with silver “squircle” subdials, a light blue central chrono hand, and Breitling’s signature mushroom pushers. Merckx’s autograph sits above 6 o’clock, while his name replaces the usual text on the tachymeter scale in red.
Flip it over and the sapphire caseback carries “Eddy Merckx Tribute” and “One of 525” engravings – which is a piece for every win.
Timing Bike Races Before Airplanes Were a Thing
Breitling may have built its modern identity in the cockpit, but the brand was producing stopwatches for competitive cycling back in the late 19th century. The brand even supplied official race timing equipment by the 1930s. And the Merckx edition follows last year’s Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali tributes, so there’s a full podium of cycling legends in the Top Time lineup now.
Underneath, you get Breitling’s in-house B01, a COSC-certified automatic chronograph with a column wheel, vertical clutch, and roughly 70 hours of power reserve.
The 41mm stainless steel case stands 13.3mm tall and carries 100m of water resistance. Strap options are a perforated black racing leather with white stitching or a steel mesh bracelet, both appropriately retro.
Spec Sheet
Model: Breitling Top Time B01 Eddy Merckx
Case Size: 41mm
Lug-to-Lug: 50.36mm
Case Thickness: 13.3mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Water Resistance: 100m
Movement: Breitling B01 automatic chronograph (COSC-certified)
Power Reserve: Approx. 70 hours
Band: Black perforated leather strap or stainless steel mesh bracelet
Limited Edition?: Yes, 525
Pricing & Availability
Limited to 525 pieces, the Top Time B01 Eddy Merckx is available now, priced at $8,050 on the leather strap and $8,450 on the mesh bracelet. Head over to Breitling’s website to check it out.
Recap
Breitling Top Time B01 Eddy Merckx
Breitling honors cycling’s greatest ever with a Tour de France yellow Top Time chronograph limited to 525 pieces, one for every Merckx victory.
