Breitling Goes Back to the Future

No one could ever accuse Breitling of failing to see an idea through.

In March 2018 the luxury Swiss watch company announced its concept of “squads” – groups of brand ambassadors gathered by genre – as an alternative to the traditional celebrity endorsement of man + watch. Since then we’ve been introduced to the Breitling Cinema Squad (including Brad Pitt and Adam Driver), the Breitling Surfer Squad (including Kelly Slater and Stephanie Gilmore) and the Breitling Explorer Squad (including Bertrand Piccard and Inge Solheim). We’ve admired the Breitling Aviation Pioneer Squad (including astronaut Scott Kelly and fighter jet pilot Ricío González) and felt intimidated by the Breitling Triathlon Squad (including Ironmen Jan Frodeno and Chris “Macca” McCormack).

Now Breitling invites us to meet its Breitling Founders Squad, “men who made Breitling what it is today”. They are Léon Breitling, who founded the company in 1884; his son, Gatson, who in 1915 created one of the first wrist-worn chronographs to feature a stop-start pusher at 2 o’clock; and Léon’s grandson, Willy, who patented the second chronograph pusher at 4 o’clock, in 1934. Old school!

Premier Heritage Chronograph

Breitling

Breitling is justifiably drawing attention to its historic achievements as it raids its history books for a new family of watches. Called the Breitling Premier Heritage Collection, it falls within its Premier line of slightly dressier watches that sit apart from its Navitimer pilot and Superocean dive watches, while still being recognisably Breitling. The Premier line was introduced in 1943 (and then reintroduced in 2018).

Premier Heritage Duograph

Breitling

The three new watches in the Premier Heritage Collection are the Chronograph, the Duograph and the Datora – reinterpretations of models from the 1940s.

The 40mm Premier Heritage Chronograph comes in two variations: with a pistachio green dial and a stainless steel case or a silver-coloured dial and an 18k red gold case.

The Premier Heritage Duograph is 42mm and comes with a blue or black dial. Its USP is its rattrapante function, the extra chronograph complication that allows the wearer to record multiple time intervals that start at the same time but don’t end together (ie: lap times in a race).

Premier Heritage Datora

Breitling

The 42mm Premier Heritage Datora features day, date, and moon phase displays and comes with a copper-coloured face in a stainless steel case, or a silver-coloured dial in a 18k red gold case.

All feature Breitling’s latest movements, Arabic numerals, vintage-inspired hands and alligator straps with tone-on-tone stitching. Each is a COSC-certified chronometer and water-resistant up to 100 meters.

Old names, new interpretations – no doubt the original Breitling Founders Squad would have approved.

Premier Chronograph (steel) £6,200, Premier Chronograph (gold) £13,400; Premier Duograph (steel) £7,700; Premier Duograph (gold) £15,900; Premier Datora (steel) £9,250; Premier Datora (gold) £17,950; breitling.com

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