The famous American sports car lineup
The Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 joins the famous American sports car lineup, giving it a new teammate and more power under the hood.
The 1960s were a decade of innovation, revelry, independence, and boundless vitality. It was the norm to live life at top speed, whether that meant cruising around on a motorbike or revving the engine of a sports vehicle. In response to this new tempo, Willy Breitling, the company's third-generation creator, set out to create a revolutionary chronograph. The Best Ever, as he put it.
Top Time Classic Cars was such a smashing hit in 2021 that Breitling had to bring it back, and this time they turned up the petrol.
The Top Time was popular among car fans and the trendy set because of its constant activity. Its bold, graphic designs dominated magazines and the silver screen (the world's favourite spy, James Bond, donned one in the 1965 film Thunderball), and it was one of the first chronographs to be equally popular with men and women. Breitling has continued this legacy with its Top Time collections, which feature collaborations with iconic vehicle manufacturers such as Deus Ex Machina and Triumph Motorcycles for bikes, and Ford Thunderbird and Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette, and Shelby Cobra for cars.
The Ford Thunderbird from the modernised Classic Cars line features a red strap and a crisp white dial that highlights the teal Thunderbird logo and the red chronograph hands. The Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 powers all four timepieces, which are styled after the iconic racing cars of the 1950s and 1960s down to the last detail.
This excellent manufacture movement has a power reserve of about 70 hours, a 5-year warranty, and the refined mechanics are visible through the open sapphire-crystal caseback. The Breitling 01 Caliber, which debuted in 2009, is a highly esteemed chronograph movement because of its dedication to excellence in these areas. Breitling's mechanical movements have all passed the demanding COSC testing process. A production movement is subjected to a battery of in-house shock, winding, and pusher tests before it is considered complete. The Top Time case, which houses the calibre, has been upgraded to raise its water resistance to 100 m. (10 bar).
The design cues that harken back to classic dashboard gauges include the perforated leather racing strap, the tachymeter scale for gauging speed, and the contrasting "squircle" (not quite square, not quite round) subdials. The Top Time's 41-mm stainless-steel case is a comfortable size for auto and watch enthusiasts of all types, just like its style-driven 1960s forerunner.
The Timeless Cars behind the Top Time Collection
Ford Thunderbird
In 1954, at the first Detroit car show after World War II, Ford revealed the Thunderbird. It was advertised as a luxurious, well-built, and fun-to-drive cabriolet with a distinctive rear fin. The Thunderbird was more about relaxing on the open road than racing through life. The first two versions, the "Classic Bird" (1955–1957) for early two-seaters and the "Square Bird" (1958–1960) for later four-seat iterations, are still the most collectible models today.
Breitling Top Time B01 - Ford Thunderbird caseback
Ford Mustang
Compact and stylish, the first-generation Ford Mustang was manufactured from 1964 to 1974. It was the go-to vehicle for cool Americans of the 1960s, who could choose between versions that were great for families and those that were made for speed freaks. Many of the most well-known films of the time period included it in their plots. This living classic is still being manufactured, but true automobile enthusiasts know that the best examples embodied the carefree attitude of the sixties.
Breitling Top Time B01 - Ford Mustang
Chevrolet Corvette
The most coveted type of the legendary American sports car is the second-generation Chevrolet Corvette, which was produced between the years 1963 and 1967. The concept for the "Sting Ray" was based on a racing car from 1959. Car enthusiasts all over the world have been enamoured with this model for the past 60 years because of the way its low profile body and potent engine offer performance on the road or the track. It hasn't lost its status as a modern masterpiece.
Breitling Top Time B01 - Chevrolet Corvette
Shelby Cobra
Carrol Shelby, winner of Le Mans, envisioned a vehicle in the early 1960s that fused British style with American racing technology. For the sports car market, he developed the Shelby Cobra, which cleverly combined a compact and lightweight frame with a powerful and dependable big-block engine. The Cobra was an immediate hit when it debuted in 1962, and it remains the only American sports car to ever win the European FIA World Manufacturers' Championship race series. Even today, the original Shelby Cobra is prized by enthusiasts for its breathtaking speed.
Breitling Top Time B01 - Shelby Cobra
“The Top Time represented a break from traditional watch design for a generation that was breaking with convention in every way,” says Breitling CEO Georges Kern. “We are going after that sense of freedom and fun with the 1960s-inspired Top Time Classic Cars collection, and are thrilled to once again partner with Ford to introduce the new Thunderbird model, along with updated versions of the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette, and Shelby Cobra chronographs.”
Discover more: Top Time Collection