The Breitling Premier Collection: Combining Purpose and Style

The New Breitling Premier Collection

The new Breitling Premier collection features five models that are worthy of their historically special name and exude the quality and performance you expect from Breitling.

While Breitling is renowned for its creations for aviators and divers, this eye-catching new watch is made specifically for land-based use, which is also Breitling's specialty.

Breitling CEO Georges Kern was clear about the Premier series' position among the brand's many products:

“This is Breitling’s first modern collection with an eye towards everyday elegance. Combining exceptional quality and performance, the watches are crafted to perfectly balance function and style, while retaining Breitling’s unmistakable brand DNA.”

Breitling's new Premier collection takes inspiration not only in its name but also in its design from the Premier series produced in the 1940s.


The collection was also inspired by Breitling's earlier models.

Like the original Premier series, which was renowned for its elegant atmosphere, the new model establishes an uncompromising style.

The collection includes the chronographs that have cemented the brand's worldwide reputation, day and date models and elegant three-hand watches with discreet small seconds subdials.


Breitling Premier: Style, Purpose, Action

The original Breitling Premier was a highly fashionable watch that was at the forefront of the remarkable changes taking place around the world in the 1940s.

The models in the new collection reflect the time-honoured design codes of the great brand, paying tribute to its traditions while combining urban flair and a passion for precision functionality.

It reflects a proud history, yet will never go out of style.

Furthermore, elegance, performance, and quality are everything customers have come to expect from Breitling, and now more than ever we strive to be a brand you can trust in style, in purpose, and in what you do.



Premier B01 Chronograph 42

The Premier B01 Chronograph 42, equipped with Breitling's in-house Manufacture Caliber 01, is the centerpiece of the new collection.

Breitling's in-house manufactured Caliber 01 is regarded as one of the finest mechanical chronograph movements in the world.

This high-performance, chronometer-certified automatic chronograph has an impressive power reserve of over 70 hours.

The Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 has a sturdy 42 mm stainless steel case with a transparent caseback and is available with a dark blue or silver dial.

The blue dial version is presented with a choice of a blue alligator leather or brown nubuck strap with white stitching, or a stainless steel bracelet.

The silver dial model is available with a black nubuck or alligator leather strap, or a stainless steel bracelet.


The clean dial design features contrasting black subdials, a chronograph minute counter at the 3 o'clock position, a small seconds subdial at the 9 o'clock position and the date at the 6 o'clock position.

Each model features a white tachymeter scale on a black inner bezel around the dial.


 
 Premier Chronograph 42

Breitling has established a worldwide reputation for its chronograph watches, and the Premier Chronograph 42 continues that proud tradition.

Exceptional performance is guaranteed by the Breitling Caliber 13 chronometer movement.

The Breitling Premier Chronograph 42 features 30-minute and 12-hour counters at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions, as well as a small seconds dial at 9 o'clock.

The Premier Chronograph 42 has a 42 mm stainless steel case and is available with a blue or black dial featuring a white tachymeter ring and black scale.

This beautiful premier model is available with your choice of an alligator leather or nubuck strap with white stitching, or a stainless steel bracelet.
 
 
Premier Automatic 40

The Breitling Premier Automatic 40 has an air of understated elegance.

Perhaps more than any other watch in the new collection, this model evokes Breitling's elegant watches from the 1940s.

The stainless steel case is powered by the Breitling Caliber 37, a self-winding mechanical chronometer movement.

The dial is available in charcoal, blue, and silver.

Each color is available with a choice of nubuck or alligator leather straps, or a stainless steel bracelet.

The clean dial is framed by a white minute track and features a small seconds subdial at the 6 o'clock position for an elegant finish.
 
 
Premier Automatic Day & Date 40

The Premier Automatic Day & Date 40 not only displays the time, but, as its name suggests, also displays the day and date at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions respectively.

Powering this automatic watch is the Breitling Caliber 45 automatic chronometer movement.

The Premier Automatic Day & Date 40 watch is available with a black or silver dial and a choice of a stainless steel bracelet or a nubuck or alligator leather strap with white stitching.
 
 
Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Bentley British Racing Green

The Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Bentley British Racing Green celebrates Bentley's long-standing partnership with Bentley Motors, one of the world's leading luxury automobile manufacturers.

The model was originally part of the Breitling for Bentley collection but will now join Breitling's existing watch lineup alongside other limited edition Bentley models.

Equipped with the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 mechanical movement, visible through the transparent caseback, this model has an impressive power reserve of 70 hours.

Featuring a striking British Racing Green dial, this watch is presented with either a stainless steel bracelet or a matching British Racing Green leather strap.

It features contrasting subdials at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions and a date window at the 6 o'clock position.

Also exclusive to this model are the Bentley name engraved plaque on the left-hand side of the case, inspired by the supercharged 1929 "Blower" Bentley, and the transparent caseback featuring the Bentley logo.
 
 
history

In the early 1940s, Europe, North America, Asia, Australasia and northern Africa were embroiled in World War II.

Neutral Swiss company Willy Breitling made watches for aircraft of the British Royal Air Force (RAF).

A visionary and unconventional watchmaker, he had to deliver the watches to a secret RAF airstrip under cover of night.

At that time, Breitling was already an established global brand, used for high-quality instruments for aviation, military and professional use.

Willy Breitling was, of course, knowledgeable about watches, but he also had a clear awareness of the trends of his time.

His brand was established in the late 1930s and early 1940s as a leading manufacturer of military and aviation watches.

At the same time, he had a strong sense of what people wanted.

Willie was convinced that people living in these harsh times wanted, and absolutely needed, products that would give them a sense of calm in their daily lives, as well as a touch of elegance and luxury.


Consequently, while maintaining the brand’s historic role as a maker of primarily functional watches – aviation chronographs and, in keeping with Breitling’s beloved slogan of the era, “professional instruments” – Willy Breitling focused on creating elegant wristwatches for a discerning, stylish, urban customer.

This Premier collection reflected Breitling's fine watchmaking tradition, particularly for a design-driven era.

It was the first Breitling product to feature the product name on the dial, creating excitement for wearers of the new Premier.

The Premier models of that time had case sizes of 36mm to 38mm, which were smaller than Breitling's standard instrument watches, and the bodies were made of gold, with some even featuring leather straps.

This original watch still featured the chronograph movement that Breitling was famous for, and had the exceptional quality and performance associated with the brand, but it was more approachable and stylish than its military or aviation watches.

Willy Breitling once said, "When a man puts on a watch, he declares his taste to the world," and he would have been as pleased as anyone to learn that, more than 75 years later, a collection of the same name is being released that faithfully recreates the 1940s Premier series.



Breitling

Since 1884, Breitling has established a brand internationally renowned for its high-precision timepieces, its pioneering role in the development of the wristwatch chronograph, and its uncompromising commitment to design excellence.

Having long maintained a close relationship with the aviation world, Breitling has shared in the wonderful times as humanity has become able to freely navigate the skies.

Known for its spirit of innovation, Breitling has also earned a special place in the fields of science, sports, and technology. The brand manufactures its own movements and the quality of each and every watch is guaranteed through the trust of being "Swiss Made, COSC-certified chronometers."