Breitling watches have a hard-wearing yet luxe history, especially in the air as worn by pilots, but that precision now takes on the race track with Breitling’s debut as the official watch partner of Aston Martin and the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team.
Glenfiddich Scotch already graces the livery of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, while Breitling offers another formidable blend of luxury, effortless style and in the case of this watch, stunning performance.
At the heart of the new partnership is the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team watch, a refined and yet bold timepiece limited to 1,959 editions in a nod to the year Aston Martin joined F1. Breitling has its share of history in auto racing, dating back to Leon Breitling’s 1907 introduction of the Vitesse watch, so named for the French word for speed and notably the first chronograph to measure speeds up to 250 miles or kilometers per hour.
Rather remarkably, the year of Aston Martin’s F1 debut also saw two of its drivers (Graham Hill and Jim Clark) wearing the same Breitling Navitimer watches they used as pilots. As Breitling notes, “Hill and Clark carried those functions from the sky to the circuit, turning the Navitimer into a trackside essential.”
Billed as a global, multi-year partnership, it expands Breitling’s presence in the world of sport at large: Last fall, Breitling became the first official luxury watch partner of the NFL. A meeting of the minds between an iconic Swiss watchmaker and the striking prowess of Aston Martin’s F1 team builds on each company’s historic commitment to innovation, Breitling noted. “Aston Martin builds cars that are as much about presence as performance,” said Breitling CEO Georges Kern. “We share that same heritage of iconic design: every line, finish, and proportion has purpose. Nothing is left to chance.”
The new timepiece incorporates utterly classic Breitling detailing and tasteful nods to Aston Martin throughout the watch. Bells and whistles aplenty dot the watch, including the use of Aston Martin Racing Green and lime color accents across the strap, which is complemented by a groundbreaking lightweight titanium case, the first time the material has ever been used on a Navitimer watch.
Further auto-inspired accents include a textured leather strap inspired by racing harnesses, while one of two caseback engravings sports the phrase “One of 1959,” while triple-chronograph functionality should prove more than useful in extreme conditions on Formula 1 race tracks and your own open-road pursuits.
Within the watch’s “engine,” the 70-hour power reserve of the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 uses a PVD-coated matte black rotor designed specifically for this limited-edition timepiece. And while the Aston Martin logo appears on the crisp dial design, the Breitling logo will grace the Aston Martin Aramco car and team apparel. “From the chronograph to the car, the sky to the circuit, Breitling and Aston Martin have always shared a pursuit of speed,” Breitling said.
For a retail price of $11,500, the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team watch can serve as your own piece of racing history.
