As watch brands continue to roll out their new releases in anticipation of this year’s Watches & Wonders in Geneva, we get to sit back and enjoy the new models, movements, and entire collections before us. One of our favorite watch brands, Breitling, didn’t keep us waiting long, unveiling updates for three of its Top Time Classic Cars Edition models while presenting a brand-new model to the lineup as well.
The Classic Cars Edition was added to the Top Time collection back in 2021 and has become a beloved series in the brand’s growing repertoire of iconic chronographs. While a lot of watchmakers have staunch loyalty to the car companies that they’ve partnered with, Breitling, having no exclusive partnerships, gets to play the field by teaming up with different marques and honoring their iconic ‘60s-era nameplates. The trio of timepieces that’s getting updated consists of the 42mm Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Mustang variants, and the 40mm Shelby Cobra variant, all previously equipped with ETA movements. Now, those sourced calibers have been swapped with Breitling’s in-house B01 chronograph movement visible through the caseback and the stainless steel cases have all been set at 41mm.
As for the new watch on the block, Breitling has added a beautiful piece that pays homage to the original Ford Thunderbird which debuted at the 1954 Detroit Auto Show for the ‘55 model year and eventually became the very first personal luxury car upon the debut of its second generation in ‘58. Adorned with a striking red perforated leather racing strap, this chronograph sports a white dashboard-inspired dial with “squircle” totalizers, each with a different color hand, and the T-Bird’s emblem on the upper half. Rounding out the dial is the outer ring which serves as a tachymeter scale to measure speed.
All four versions of the Top Time Classic Cars Edition are available from Breitling’s website now, priced at $8,000 each.
