The Low-Down

Breitling is a brand in an amazing state of evolution. While the Flying B was once the almost-exclusive purveyor of Navitimers and chunky sports watches, the dressy and downright elegant Premier Heritage Collection shows just what the brand can do with some savvy design and over a century of rich history.

IMHO

A brace of watches paying tribute to the brand’s own ‘founders squad’ of Léon, Gaston and Willy Breitling, the three-generations who built the brand up and allowed it to become the powerhouse it is today. ‘Squad’ jingoism aside, it’s hard to argue with the good looks and old-world appeal of these chronographs.

There’s a total of six variants on offer in three main flavours. First up is the more complicated piece, a 42mm automatic offering the usual chronograph functions, with a day/date/month calendar and moonphase thrown in. The hero here is the steel version with a copper dial. Next up there are two takes on a manual split-second chronograph, powered by the B15 movement and coming in either steel (42mm) with a blue dial or red gold with a black dial.

Finally, there are two versions of a 40mm manually wound chronograph running the B09 and cased in either red gold with a silver dial or steel with a pistachio green dial. Green dials are nothing new and have been half-heartedly threatening to overtake blue in the popularity stakes for some time. But Breitling’s take on the colour is both surprising and endearing. Pistachio is great — as far as flavours go, it’s hard to beat. But who knew the same could be said about watch dials. It’s soft and minty and rich and very, very contemporary. British racing green and all the variants of forest green now feel very outmoded. Squad goals indeed.

Tech Specs

Movement: Breitling Manufacture Caliber B09, 70 hours of power reserve, column wheel, vertical clutch, 1/4 second and 30-minute counters.
Case & Dial: Stainless steel, 40mm, 100m water-resistance, pistachio green dial.
Strap: Gold-brown alligator with folding clasp.
Price: 7500 CHF

Movement: Breitling Manufacture Caliber B09, 70 hours of power reserve, column wheel, vertical clutch, 1/4 second and 30-minute counters.
Case & Dial: 18k red gold, 40mm, 100m water-resistance, silver dial
Strap: Dark brown alligator with folding clasp
Price: 16,500 CHF

Movement: Breitling Manufacture Caliber B15, 70 hours of power reserve, split-second chronograph.
Case & Dial: Stainless steel, 42mm, water-resistant to 100m, blue dial
Strap: Gold-brown alligator with folding clasp.
Price: 9500 CHF

Movement: Breitling Manufacture Caliber B15, 70 hours of power reserve, split-second chronograph.
Case & Dial: 18k red gold, 42mm, water-resistant to 100m, black dial.
Strap: Black alligator with folding clasp.
Price: 19,500 CHF

Movement: Manufacture Caliber B25, 48 hours of power reserve, column-wheel, 1/4th second, 30-minute counter hour, minute, second, day, date, month, moonphase.
Case & Dial: Stainless steel, 42mm, water-resistant to 100m, copper dial.
Strap: Dark-brown alligator with folding clasp
Price: 11,500 CHF

Movement: Manufacture Caliber B25, 48 hours of power reserve, column-wheel, 1/4th second, 30-minute counter hour, minute, second, day, date, month, moonphase.
Case & Dial: 18k red gold, 42mm, water-resistant to 100m, silver dial.
Strap: Dark-brown alligator with folding clasp.
Price: 22,500 CHF