Breitling For Bentley Motors Chronograph

In a market full of timepieces produced in limited runs to commemorate automotive partnerships, it becomes easy to become rather jaded and dismissive of the nomenclature; particularly when you've been collecting wristwatches as long as we have. But a few really hit it out of the park. 

This isn't one of them.

Luxury automotive manufacturer Bentley and classic Swiss chronograph manufacturer Breitling have been partners for 20 years.

It all started in 2002, when Bentley commissioned Breitling to create a dashboard clock for its luxurious Continental GT. Since then, Breitling has developed an entire collection inspired by numerous Bentley models, including elegant Premier chronographs, sporty Chronomats, and more. 

This particular timepiece, a Breitling Bentley Chronograph from circa the 2000s, echoes somewhat the busy design language of the Navitimer: Housed in a 45mm stainless steel case with a sapphire crystal, a signed crown, and a unique, engine-turned, bi-directional bezel, it features a luminous satin white dial with applied stainless steel wedge indices and a matching handset, a triple-register chronograph layout, a date window at 4:30, and various telemetric and tachymetric scales. Powered by a chronometer-certified version of the automatic Swiss 2892-A2 movement, it comes paired to a matching stainless steel 'slant-link' bracelet with a signed fliplock clasp.

Whether you’re a Breitling collector, a Bentley fan, you’re game for a good, old fashioned oversized chronograph,  or if you're looking for a nouveau-riche statement piece that screams from the wrist with a Swiss chronograph movement that brings you back to those carefree pre-Financiapocalypse days, you've found it.

Breitling, one of the most illustrious names in the annals of the “tool watch,” was founded by Léon Breitling in 1892. And though the firm is no longer operated by its namesake family, it still produces some of the world’s best pilot’s watches, many of which now feature in-house movements.

The company first started manufacturing wrist chronographs as early as the 1930s. In 1936 they became an official supplier to military forces of the United Kingdom and Canada. While perhaps best known for the Navitimer and Chronomat lines — which were used heavily by pilots of many nations — Breitling also produced scores of other chronograph models that merit consideration, such as the more affordable Top Time and Premier. Dive watches, such as the Super Ocean, are also part of the company’s offerings.

The late 1970s was a turbulent time for the Swiss watch industry, and many storied houses were swept away by the Quartz Crisis. By 1978, Breitling was in trouble due to the illness of its leader, Willy Breitling, and the steep decline in sales that had cut through the entire industry. Unable to keep operations going, the company was liquidated, and parts, toolings and naming rights were sold off.
Between 1979 and 2017, Breitling continued under the ownership of the Schneider family. In 2017 an 80% stake in the firm was sold to a British private equity firm, with the remaining 20% sold in 2018. In 2019, the company released the caliber B01, an in-house, automatic chronograph movement that’s since found its way into the Chronomat and Navitimer collections, bringing the tale of this famed manufacturer full circle.

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