Meet the re-created Breitling TOP Time watch
Breitling has been busy exploring its archives and developing a host of new models based on vintage pieces. Now, the brand revisits the 1960’s Top Time watch. The decidedly modern yet retro chronograph is one that people most likely won’t be on the fence about thanks to its unusual graphic dial inspired by the era. Known as the Zorro dial (thanks to the slashing sword moves of the masked hero of the same name that was a television show from 1957 though 1961), the white dial is segmented in triangular fashion with two parts in black. It also features bold red hands and accents.
In fact, the Top Time was seen in the 1965 Jams Bond movie Thunderball, where Q handed 007 the watch, which had a Geiger counter built into it that Bond used to avert a nuclear disaster. The new Top Time does not have a Geiger counter. However, it features a 41mm stainless-steel case and houses the Breitling Caliber 23 chronograph movement. A COSC-certified chronometer, the chronograph watch is endowed with 48 hours of power reserve. The hour and minute hands and the dot markers are coated with Super-LumiNova(R) for easy reading in low light. Additionally, the watch boasts a decimal scale, adding to the detailed look of the dial.
The Breitling Top Time was a hit in the 1960’s and reviving it seemed a natural to the brand.
Powering the Top Time is the Breitling Caliber 23 self-winding mechanical movement with ball-bearing rotor. The watch is finished with a nubuck strap and is water resistant to 30 meters.Just 2000 pieces will be made, each retailing for $4,990.
The Top Time Limited Edition is Breitling’s first watch to be offered with a blockchain-based digital passport that confirms the authenticity and ownership of the watch with a single click. “Owners can access the watch’s digital passport at any time and transfer ownership – if they choose to do so – with a simple blockchain transaction.” The watch is initially being offered on Breitling’s e-commerce site, but will be rolled out to the brand’s global retail network soon.
2000 pieces of the Breitling Top Time watch will be made, each retailing for $4,990.
“Breitling aficionados have always loved the Top Time’s dial. When it was released more than 50 years ago, it was a watch that appealed to a younger audience committed to enjoying the freedom and the spirit of the 1960s, and, amazingly, after all this time, it continues to stand out,” says Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling. “The Top Time is an important but often-overlooked part of our heritage, and we know it’s going to resonate with men and women who love this blend of history, design, and great performance.”
