Breitling; one of the world’s most recognisable Swiss luxury watchmaking brands. Bentley; one of the world’s foremost luxury car manufacturers. For generations these two brands, both of whom are at the absolute pinnacle of their respective markets, have been working to create and build on their own infamous platforms. In 2003 Breitling and Bentley came together to design and create the very iconic “Breitling by Bentley” collection which came with great success. And now, to celebrate Bentley’s centenary anniversary, the two brands have once again come together to create the Premier Centenary Limited Edition collection, alongside with Bentley releasing the Centenary Limited Edition Continental GT Number 9 Edition by Mulliner.
Available in either an 42mm wide 18k rose-gold or stainless-steel case, each piece features distinctive styling cues from the “Breitling by Bentley” collection. Both models feature a stunning brown elm burl dial, matching the wooden inserts in the car’s dashboard. Interestingly enough, these particular inserts came from the wooden seats of the 1930 No. 9 Le Mans Bentley race car, also known as the “Blower”, driven by Tim Birken.
The dial forms a dramatic effect, more so on the 18k rose-gold case than the stainless-steel, and this further accentuated by the rose-gold hours markers, hands and of course the red dial hints. The stainless-steel model’s aesthetic doesn’t seem to look as luxurious as its rose-gold counterpart’s, however it still is a very appealing package.
On the left-hand side of the case there is a plate engraved with the Bentley namesake, a nod to the dashboard of the “Blower” Bentley from 1929. The rose-gold version comes with a beautiful brown leather strap, again complimenting the earthy tones of the pieces wonderfully well. The stainless-steel version has a few options in terms of straps, with the choice of either a leather strap with a tang buckle, a leather strap with a folding buckle, or a full stainless-steel bracelet.
Both pieces are powered by the in-house manufactured Caliber B01, featuring a column-wheel chronograph, a power reserve of about 70-hours and COSC certification. This is a highly functional, highly complex and super relevant movement that is both modern and traditional in its architecture and design. Executed flawlessly, it is visible through the sapphire pane in the caseback.
The Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Bentley Centenary Limited Edition is available in either an 18k rose-gold case for $28,000USD and made in a limited run of only 200-pieces, or in a stainless-steel variation starting from $9,950USD and made in a limited run of 1,000 pieces.
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