Stepping back in time to witness how icons were made.
Something happened in 1965, in the James Bond spy adventure Thunderball: James was spotted wearing a specially modified timepiece by Q, and it was none other than the Breitling Top Time ref. 2002. The watch was chosen to star alongside the Aston Martin DB5 because Breitling had by then established itself as one of the most desired, if not the most desired, chronograph watches of the time. This legacy was passed down from its innovative development during WWII as the preferred timepiece by aviators and fighter pilots alike. And James Bond being a Navy Commander, the choice was an obvious one.
This July, Breitling paid homage to Aston Martin and the Breitling Top Time Ref 2002 with the Breitling Top Time B01 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Aston Martin, inspired by the tonneau-shaped watch worn by James Bond when they first met. The latest rendition is given a new aesthetic while retaining most of its DNA on the dial. Instead of the tonneau-shaped case, the latest model has a pin-cushion case with a large round dial, while still retaining the nuances of the 1960s timepieces. The Breitling Top Time B01 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Aston Martin DB5 needs to be examined a little closer to appreciate its details; the space at the four-pointed corners of the case has vertical engraving.
A round, slim bezel frames the prominent dial with a brown wood inner bezel inspired by the steering wheel of the luxurious grand tourer, with a tachymeter scale in white numerals and indexes. The dial is decorated with applique baton hour indexes coated with SuperLuminova, and the hour and minute hands are faceted with SuperLuminova inlays, and the slim chrono seconds hand is located centrally. The cushion-shaped sub-dials are framed by a corresponding metal with numerals and indexes with white transferred Superluminova. The timepiece is awash with classic aesthetics that transcend beyond a sports watch and propel it into the realm of classic without the hard edge usually found in the bulky sports watches of the day, culminating in a watch be gladly seen with a pin-stripe suit or those breezy linens on the weekend. All thanks to the elegant and refined aesthetics created by Pablo Widmer, the head of Product Design at Breitling.
The watch comes in three variants – a Stainless steel with sunray brushed silver dial and black sub-dials, with a rhodium rotor which is limited to 1022 pieces; a stainless steel with a platinum bezel for that touch of luxury with sunray brushed black lacquered dial, which is limited to 315 pieces; and finally, the ultimate of the trio, the gold version with gold rotor and a black onyx dial, for that total luxurious experience is limited to 250 pieces. They all have the same dimension of 41mm, a perfect, versatile size that wears beautifully on all wrist sizes.
Nothing but the best for this special Tribute to Aston Martin DB5, Breitling has dropped their star Manufacture automatic Calibre 01 with a COSC -certified Chronograph movement, which endows it with a column-wheel architecture and vertical clutch. It has a 70-hour power reserve. Engineered to reduce wear and tear and to avoid the jamming of gears often found in horizontal layouts. Of course, it costs a little for the column wheel and vertical clutch, but it’s worth it.
This limited series is seriously worth more than just a consideration on your wish list; it’s a must. Easily the best-looking Chronograph watch available out there today.
