Breitling Release Top Time B01 Chronograph 41 Tribute To Aston Martin DB5 Limited Editions

At the start of the year Breitling announced that they would be replacing Girard-Perregaux as the official wristwatch partner of Aston Martin, wasting no time in launching the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team. Now they’re releasing their second collaboration watch together but this time it’s all about Aston Martin’s legendary heritage with the Top Time B01 Chronograph 41 Tribute To Aston Martin DB5. A limited edition series of three watches priced between £8,650 and £35,100.

The Aston Martin DB5 is one of the most recognisable cars from cinema ever since it became the ride of choice for James Bond with its revolving number plate, radar dashboard, oil slick, machine guns, smoke screen, tyre slashers and ejector seat. In 1965’s Thunderball during which the DB5 is present, Bond’s Q-supplied wristwatch for the adventure is a Breitling Top Time chronograph – making for a car and watch pairing born from cinema history.

There are three watches in the Top Time B01 Chronograph 41 Tribute To Aston Martin DB5 series with different combinations of case materials and dial colours. What unifies them all is a 41mm diameter cushion-shaped case with 100m water resistance rating. They also all share a wooden rehaut ring for the tachymeter scale, inspired by the wooden steering wheel on the original DB5.

For the different variations, there’s the Ref. AB0178121G1X1 in full steel with a sunray brushed silver dial and black squircle subdials. Next, Ref. PB0178121B1X1 has a steel case body and a platinum bezel, adding an element of stealth-wealth luxury to the piece alongside its black lacquered dial. Third, Ref. RB0178131B1X1 is full red gold with an onyx stone dial – the first stone dial by Breitling. The three versions are limited to 1,022, 315 and 250 pieces respectively.

As the name Top Time B01 tells you, all three of these chronographs house the Breitling B01 chronograph calibre. It’s an automatic movement with a 70-hour power reserve and COSC chronometer certification, ensuring a high level of accuracy and reliability. It features central hours, minutes and chronograph seconds as well as small seconds at 9 o’clock and a 30-minute timer at 3. It’s visible through each watch’s exhibition caseback where you can also view the custom Aston Martin rotor.

For pricing, the steel model is £8,650, the platinum-bezel model is £14,400 and the red gold is £35,100. All of them are presented on hand-coloured gradient leather straps inspired by DB5 interiors. I love that this collaboration watch goes beyond the basics of using Aston Martin’s core colours and is instead related to something as iconic and identity-defining as the DB5. We’ve seen lots of watches in Aston Martin green from their partnership with Girard-Perregaux so I’m glad that Breitling have come out swinging with such a distinctive collection for only their second project together.

More details at Breitling.