Breitling brings back the 1960s café-racer spirit with a limited automatic chronograph that is part of a new partnership with British Triumph Motorcycles. Dubbed the Top Time Triumph Chronograph, the watch takes inspiration from café racers, a type of sport motorcycles that originated among enthusiasts in the early to mid 1960s in London. These standard production bikes were modified by their owners and optimized for speed and handling for quick rides over short distances, from one café to the next.
At that time, under the aegis of Willy Breitling, the Swiss chronograph specialist set out to capture this speed-driven subculture with the Top Time. This chronograph’s bold design was aimed at “the young and active professionals.” Two years ago, the Top Time made its comeback and, combining eye-catching retro-style with state-of-the art from the Breitling Chronométrie, is now a part of the brand’s collection.
For their debut collaboration, Breitling produces a Top Time Triumph chronograph with a distinctive brushed finish in the bow-tie motif nicknamed “the Zorro dial” by Top Time collectors. Triumph, meanwhile, is launching 270 co-branded motorcycles, the Speed Twin Breitling Limited Edition, whose buyers have the privileged opportunity to purchase a special owner’s version of the Top Time Triumph, this one with a sunray dial and engraved caseback featuring the individual number of the bike.
Both are distinguished by their ice-blue dials with two black counters and a black tachymeter scale. This particular color is a tribute to a blue Triumph Thunderbird 6T from 1951, and a rare, blue-dialed Breitling Top Time Ref. 815 from the 1970s.The stainless-steel case has a diameter of 41 mm and houses Breitling’s Caliber 23, a COSC-certified chronometer based on ETA Valjoux 7753, and is attached to a racing-themed calfskin leather strap.
Price is approximately $5,950.
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