A new collaboration between Breitling and Triumph has created sophisticated new timepieces and one hell of a sexy new bike.
We’ve always been fans of collaborations, especially when they involve brands that are not only leaders in their respective fields but that also have natural links that bring a new sense of value to the creations those collaborations give both it. A case in point is the new partnership between Breitling and British motorcycle brand Triumph, and its new timepieces and two-wheel wonder dedicated to the iconic 1960s cafe racers.
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In the mid-1960s, auto racing was having a heyday, and a whole subculture had sprung up around “café racers,” stylish, almost minimalist motorcycles, used to literally transport their riders from hip café to hip café.
Willy Breitling set out to capture the speed-driven style of the day with a completely new take on the timekeeper. The result? The Breitling Top Time, an unconventional chronograph designed for “young and active professionals.” It quickly became the watch of choice for a sporty in-crowd of men and women equally drawn to the watch’s bold proportions.
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Today, that freewheeling 1960s café-racer spirit is back in a spectacular new Top Time collaboration with Triumph, which is celebrating its 120th year of craftsmanship with contemporary design.
The two new 41mm timepieces – the Top Time Triumph and the Top Time Triumph Speed Twin Owner’s Limited Edition, limited to 270 units – both features a striking Polychromatic Blue Scheme dial inspired by the Triumph immortalized in the legendary 1953 biker movie The Wild One; and a distinctive brushed finish in the bow-tie motif nicknamed “the Zorro dial” by Top Time collectors.
In addition, the new timepieces boast a subdued racing-themed calfskin leather strap; Breitling and Triumph logos at 12 and 6 o’clock; oversized mushroom pushers that allow for easy control of the chronograph’s stop-start and reset functions; and a high-contrast tachymeter scale that provides clear legibility of speed readings.
The watches are powered by the Breitling Caliber 23, a COSC-certified chronometer with a power reserve of approximately 48 hours. And one more cool feature collectors will love: the casebacks are etched with a detailed design sketch of Triumph’s parallel-twin engine.
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Triumph, meanwhile, is launching 270 co-branded motorcycles — the 1200cc Speed Twin Breitling Limited Edition — whose buyers will have the privileged opportunity to purchase a special owner’s version of the Top Time Triumph, this one with a sunray dial and engraved caseback featuring the individual number of the bike (owner’s version orders must be placed with Triumph by August 22, 2022).
The bike features dials in the same Polychromatic Blue scheme, as well as higher-specification, fully adjustable Öhlins piggyback twin rear suspension units; a billet-machined aluminum clutch and alternator embellishers with a dark anodized finish that showcases an exquisitely machined Breitling logo; a perforated black leather seat with contrasting grey stitching; and custom instrument faces that take their cues from the watch’s designs.
Sounds like a match made in biker’s heaven.
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