More than half a century after the watch brand released its first collection for young and active professionals, Breitling has given its Top Time line a contemporary refresh.
We all like to consider ourselves active lads – sure, some more than others. And while that doesn’t mean we need a timepiece that’s encrusted with instrumentation that means said activity, we do look for watches that cater to our lifestyles and broadcast the message that we’re a force to be reckoned with. That was the inspiration for Breitling’s Top Time collection back in the 1960s and now the Swiss watch brand has given the acclaimed line a modern representation.
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Like the 1960s model that inspired it, the new Breitling Top Time has an unconventional design that makes a bold style statement. A first glance at the dial, which has long been known to collectors as the Zorro dial, makes it clear that this is a watch that doesn’t take itself too seriously. But that playful face doesn’t disguise the superb chronograph performance.
Inside the Top Time’s 41-millimeter stainless-steel case is a COSC-certified Breitling Caliber 23 chronograph movement with a power reserve of approximately 48 hours. The red hour and minute hands, as well as the dot markers for each hour, are coated with Super-LumiNova, a luminescent material that ensures legibility in all lighting conditions.
Along with the central hour, minute, and chronograph second hands, the dial also features a decimal scale and two subdials – a small second counter at the 9 o’clock position and a 30-minute counter with unique red accents at 3 o’clock.
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The new Breitling Top Time’s modern retro look is perfectly complemented by its brown nubuck leather strap. This striking watch is limited to 2000 pieces, and its caseback is engraved with “ONE OF 2000.”
One of the few features this new chronograph doesn’t have is a Geiger counter, unlike the Top Time handed to James Bond by Q in 1965’s Thunderball. The world’s favorite spy used the watch to avert a nuclear catastrophe by locating stolen missiles that had been hidden underwater. With 007, of course, style is always essential, and owners of the new Breitling Top Time will have it in abundance.
The Breitling Top Time Limited Edition will be the brand’s first watch offered with a blockchain-based digital passport, which 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. Offered in cooperation with Arianee, the digital passport will also complement Breitling’s digital warranty program by offering the absolute security that can only be provided by a blockchain system.
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