Introducing the Breitling Top Time Classic Cars Collection
The 1960’s were definitely an influencial time. Designs from that era can be seen in just about any vintage inspired “Retro” watch collection produced by *Insert Any Brand Here*. This week, Breitling unveiled an interesting little collection inspired by Classic American Cars. The Breitling Top Time Classic Cars Collection pulls inspiration from Chevrolet and Ford in an all new take on their original Top Time model.
THE BASICS:
Brand: Breitling
Model: Top Time Classic Cars Collection
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Crystal: Sapphire with Exhibition Caseback
Case Size: 42mm for the Ford and Chevrolet, 40mm for the Shelby
Water Resistance: 100 Meter
Movement: Breitling Caliber 25 for the Ford and Chevrolet, Cailber 41 for the Shelby
Strap Options: Black or Brown Rally Strap
Price & Availability: $5500 USD
THE JUICE:
The first of the three is the Top Time Chevrolet Corvette. The red dial with the slightly squared sub-dials channel the dashboard of the vehicle really well. Melding the brushed and textured dials scream 1960’s Corvette “Stingray”. And measuring in 42mm, the watch isn’t as oversized as some of the other Breitling Chronographs… which will remain nameless.
In-leu of the Breitling wings, you’ll find the Corvette flags underneath Breitling’s traditional script logo. The orange and yellow handsets provide some well rounded Corvette aesthetics. Of the three models, I feel this one is my favorite.
Next up is the Top Time Ford Mustang. The watch itself is a little less in-your-face than the Corvette model, but still just as clean looking. The Ford Mustang, of the two 42mm chronographs, seems to really channel more of the 1960’s. Once again, donning the logo of the Mustang underneath the Breitling logo, and featuring that same vertical brushed dial. It’s very similar to the Corvette model, but with varying color differences more reminiscent of the Mustang’s from the 60’s. Breitling claims the car “as a true icon popular among rock stars and actors. It also featured in some of the era’s most popular movies.”
We can deduce they mean Steve McQueen, and his Mustang from Bullitt. Regardless, it’s a handsome model that does a fine job channeling the era.
NOTE: Both the Corvette and the Mustang models feature the Caliber 25. This features an 1/8th second measurement, and a 30 second counter in the seconds hand - meaning that the seconds hand rotates the entire dial twice in a minute. You’ll notice that the Tachymeter is limited to fit this feature.
Finally, we have the Top Time Shelby . Rounding out the collection, the Shelby is actually quite different from the first two. First, featuring the Breitling Caliber 41 instead of the 25, you’ll notice that the Shelby only features two sub-dials instead of three. Additionally, this watch measures in at a slightly smaller 40mm.
As much as the Mustang is a crowd pleaser, the Shelby was overwhelmingly requested and this watch channels the cars DNA to a T. The blue dial with white-offsets, and even the dual sub-dials… You know exactly what car influences this watch. Instead of a seconds subdial at 6 o’ clock, Breitling has included a Shelby logo.
Has anyone really asked for more car enthusiast watches? Probably not. Has Breitling killed it with these three? One hundred percent, yes. The Top Time Collection has always done a fantastic job of harkening back to a day older than a lot of us. I’ve personally been a big fan of the original Top Time Limited Edition, and I can find something to like in these three too. Walking the line between car enthusiasts and watch enthusiasts can be tedious - both tend to be finicky in what they feel should influence each other, and many often find brands delve too much or too little in influence. Take a look at the mixed results of Breitling’s recent Navitimer Aviation Capsule models.
Overall, Breitling has treaded that line quite well here. And being that the price isn’t terrible expensive (by Breitling standard anyway), I don’t foresee these having too many issues moving off the shelves.
You can read more at Breitling.com