April 06
Are Breitling’s 2021 Novelties Their Classiest Watches Yet?
New Watches Already?
It's hard to believe that it has already been a year since Breitling's last web summit, but here we are! Following a crazy year of stopping and starting, global uncertainty, and generally tumultuous times, there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel as we begin to enter life as we once knew it. With that, brands are beginning to release their watches like normal again, a nice break from last year's craziness! Kicking things off before this year's Watches and Wonders, Breitling gave us a whole slew of new watches that continue to push the Swiss watchmaker into the direction of vintage-inspired goodness that their CEO Georges Kern has been leading them in since he joined the brand in 2017.
The New Premier Collection
Designed for "the modern and discerning man of impeccable taste," the latest additions to Breitling's catalog are perhaps their most elegant and refined timepieces in a very long time. Spanning seven variants across three sub-collections, this exciting plethora of complications, colors, and design languages pretty much guarantee that everyone's preferences are covered.
Premier Heritage Chronograph
Inspired by Breitling's great early chronographs from the 1940s when Willy Breitling understood that his customers wanted elegant timepieces with glamour and purpose, the Premier Heritage Chronographs we have here combine elegant vintage-inspired design with modern 21st-century functionality and engineering to create a wonderful expression of Breitling's heritage. Powered by the Breitling Manufacture Caliber B09, these two variants are manually wound and offer exceptional robustness. Based on the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01, you get the creature comforts of an old movement while also getting the modern engineering that pushes these timepieces to the next level.
Available in two variants, these Chronographs are offered with either a gorgeous pistachio-green dial encased within a 40mm stainless steel case or a silver dial, itself encased within an 18k red gold case. Furthermore, the Premier Chronograph sub-collection also houses the latest in Breitling's move towards the higher end of the market, the Premier B21 Chronograph Tourbillon 42 Bentley Limited Edition. Priced at $52,000, this 18kt red gold green dial beauty is undoubtedly a move away from the watches Breitling typically produces, and we love it!
Image source: breitling.com
Premier Heritage Datora
Within the litany of popular modern watch designs that penetrate every corner of watchmaking fandom, there lies a handful of vintage-inspired designs that seem to never age or fall out of fashion. At the top of that list is the humble triple calendar chronograph from the 40s to the 60s. Aging like a fine wine, these timepieces offer exceptional functionality while also presenting themselves as fashion-forward timepieces that will always fit in with whatever style that is seen as contemporary at that given moment in time.
Image source: breitling.com
It seems Breitling has taken this brief and released one of the hottest triple calendar chronographs in a long time. Inspired by Breitling's designs from the 1940s, just like all of these timepieces, the 42 mm Premier Heritage Datora stands out thanks to its legible, practical, and downright complex functions. Featuring day and month indicators under the 12 o'clock numeral and a moon-phase display within the date pointer subdial, this timepiece's design is stunningly symmetrical and easy on the eye. Powered by Breitling's Manufacture Caliber B25, the Datora comes featuring a 30-minute chronograph and is offered in two variants. A copper dial version is framed by a stainless-steel case, while a silver dial comes with the 18k red gold variant.
Premier Heritage Duograph
Finally, getting into another vintage-inspired beauty, we have the Premier Heritage Duograph, featuring one of watchmaking's most intricate complications; a split-seconds chronograph. Its split-seconds (rattrapante) function enables its wearer to measure two separate events simultaneously thanks to its two stacked chronograph hands that are both operated independently of one another.
Powered by the impressive Breitling Manufacture Caliber B15, based on the Breitling Manufacture Caliber B03, the Duograph's two variants are manually wound (reminiscent of vintage chronographs the collection is inspired by) and offer around 70 hours of power reserve. Presented in a stainless steel case with a blue dial and 18kt red gold with a black dial, the 42mm Duograph offers a stylish design with impressive mechanics in a good-looking package that few could turn down.
Our Thoughts
With the use of consistent design language throughout all of these novelties in the form of consistent case shapes, shared fonts, and similar inspiration, Breitling has hit the nail on the head and continue their ascension through the watchmaking industry's ranks. While they may have been critiqued for some lackluster years, Georges Kern has used the powerful assets they hold in their archives to full effect, and Breitling is all the better for it. While we have always been big fans of Breitling, their future looks safe in the hands of Georges Kern as he steers the Breitling ship in for another home run. For more information, please visit breitling.com
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