Celebrating 10 years of Breitling Magnificence
It has been ten years since Breitling launched “Breitling for Bentley” as a tribute to Bentley winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. In 2003 the British automaker began a partnership with the Swiss watchmaker, Breitling, to celebrate the first decade of the fine watch brand and the luxury car maker’s collaboration. This year the companies are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their collection with the release of their new chronographs. What’s even more exciting is the fact that Breitling has launched three of the first “Breitling for Bentley” watches equipped with Breitling manufacturer movements.
The new Breitlings added to this already amazing company are the Bentley B06, the Bentley B04 GMT and the Bentley B05 Unitime. Each of these pieces have been designed to have a self-winding chronograph movement with a column wheel, vertical coupling clutch and a power reserve of more than 70 hours. And, of course, what makes these watches fast and furious are the rotors inspired by Bentley wheel rims.
The Bentley B06 is notable by its “30-second chronograph” system; this system was inspired by a Breitling patent from 1926. It is based on a central hand sweeping around the dial in half a minute (which ensures extremely accurate 1/8th of a second time readings).
Another wonderful feature is the “variable tachometer” with a rotating bezel serving to calculate the average speed of whatever time has elapsed, the distance covered or the speed reached. This watch is truly for the fast and furious. The knurled motif on the bezel is reminiscent to Bentley’s famous Bentley radiator grilles, while the same motif on the open worked dial is inspired by Bentley’s high-performance engine. The transparent caseback offers a glimpse of the 360° sculpted oscillating weight, which obviously evokes the shape of a wheel rim. This handsome Bentley B06 is available in red gold or stainless steel and comes with a bracelet, crocodile leather or sporty rubber strap, adorned with a central raised motif matching the one on the bezel.
The next member of the family is the sexy Bentley B04 GMT. This watch is for ultimate travelers and business men. This time piece combines a dual time zone system and a self-winding chronograph. Breitling states “The wearer adjusts the main hour hand to local time by pulling out the crown and turning it in either direction in one-hour increments, without any loss of precision in terms of the minutes, and with automatic forward and backward date adjustment.” Conveniently, the striking red-tipped hand continues to show home time in 24-hour mode, thus enabling the user to distinguish between day and night. The dial features a radiator grille, once again inspired by Bentley.
The Bentley B05 Unitime, a world time chronograph, is powered by a movement with a patented double-disc mechanism that allows the wearer to easily read the time in all 24 time zones. When the wearer changes time zones, they turn the crown forward or backward in one-hour increments, correcting all indications in one gesture, while the date automatically adjusts to local time. The bezel, which indicates the time zones with the names of 24 cities around the world, also takes into account summer and Daylight Savings Time. The travel theme is enshrined on the dial with an artistically sculpted globe. At its heart is an oscillating weight shaped like a wheel rim, visible through the transparent caseback. The Bentley B05 Unitime is available in steel or red gold with a bracelet, rubber or crocodile leather strap.
Each of these pieces are unique and are so hot on the market that they have not yet garnered a celebrity following. However, history has taught us that celebrities do indeed love their Breitlings.
Here are some celebs who love their Breitling for Bentley:
Famous Poker Player Thomas Wahlroos
Rapper Young Buck
Hockey Player Martin Brodeur
Superbike racer James Toseland
