A Closer Look At The Breitling And Triumph Watch And Motorcycle Collaboration

 

It isn’t the first time a watch brand teams with a motorcycle company, but in the recent announcement pairing Breitling with Triumph, not only are new watches being made, but a new motorcycle, too. This pairing of Swiss watch brand Breitling and Triumph will have lovers of watches and bikes gunning their engines. The new Breitling Top Time Triumph watch is offered in two versions – one for the public with the beloved Zorro dial, and one for owners of the new Top Time Speed Twin Motorcycle inspired by the café’ racer culture of yesteryear.

Watch lovers recognize the Top Time as a watch that dates back decades and that Breitling has been re-introducing in a variety of capsule collections over the past few years. Of particular note on the newest Top Time Triumph watch is the bold “Zorro” dial – another favorite detail of watch collectors who nicknamed it. The Zorro dial features criss-cross segments on the dial like the Z that Zorro would cut into the air with his sword.  Only the watch created for the general public boasts the crisscross Top Time dial. The version that is created for the owners of the new motorcycle is the same arresting blue color, but without the zorro pattern and with a simple sunray motif. The dial color – a shimmering pale blue – takes its inspiration from  a 1951 blue Triumph Thunderbird 6T and from a 1970’s   Breitling Top Time watch.

The dial color is also the color of choice for accents on the all-new Top Time Speed Twin Motorcycle made by the 120-year-old Triumph and co-designed by Breitling. The sleek look of the bike recalls the mid-1960’s café-racer style bikes that brought riders from one trendy café to the next in an intriguing subculture. The co-branded motorcycle is being made in a limited edition of just 270 pieces, and the buyers will have the chance to purchase an owner’s version of the Top Time Triumph.  The case back of the watch will be engraved with the number of the bike.

The 41mm Breitling Top Time watch is a chronograph and  COSC -certified chronometer. The watch is powered by a mechanical movement, the Breitling Caliber 23, with 48 hours of power reserve. It is finished with a racing-inspired perforated calfskin strap that has the same stitching as the leather seat of the motorcycle.  Both Breitling and Triumph logos grace the dial, and the caseback is etched with a sketch of the Triumph’s twin engine.

“Triumph’s heritage and modern-retro aesthetic are just two of the many things we have in common,” said Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling. “Their blending of time-honored tradition with high-performance technology is completely in sync with what we do.”

 

(This article by Roberta Naas first appeared on Forbes.com)