Chief executive of Breitling, Georges Kern, who is remaking the brand from top to bottom, most notably by moving away from oversized, extremely shiny wristwatches with fussily designed dials. With the start of that, a new Premier Collection.
The Breitling Premier gets its name from the 1943 elegant original, this new version being leeker, cleaner aesthetic than the average Breitling. And it’s also worth pointing out that the most recent iteration of the Premier from the late 1990s that had cursive Arabic numerals has been sensibly forgotten.
The new Premier line is made up of 4 models, plus a new Breitling for Bentley Chronograph. The key features of this new collection include the range is characterised by moderately sized cases – the largest being a 42mm chronograph. Domed sapphire crystals with antireflective coating are also common to all models which is a key feature.
The dials of the Premier line are two-part, with a separate, sloped flange for either the minute track or tachymetre. Hands and hour markers are baton-shaped. And while the movements across the line differ from model to model, all are COSC-certified chronometers.
The Premier is a line-up with different finishes and styles, available with a variety of metallic finish dials in sedate colours: black, grey, dark blue, and silver. Different and various straps are also available, including Breitling’s new signature slanted-link Pilot bracelet.
The collection starts with the Premier Automatic 40, a 40mm, time-0nly automatic powered by the Breitling Calibre 37, which is actually a variant of the ETA 2892.
With the same size as Automatic 40, the Premier Automatic Day & Date 40, has the calendar in windows. Inside is the Breitling Calibre 45, which is derived from the ETA 2824.
The entry-level chronograph is the Premier Chronograph 42. It has a 42mm case that contains the ETA Valjoux 7750, which has tone-on-tone chronograph sub-dials.
The more intricate and top of the line model is the Premier B01 Chronograph 42, which is equipped with the in-house Breitling B01 movement.
Other than the “tri-compax” layout of the chronograph, another feature that indicates it’s an in-house movement are the contrast colour sub-dials.
The more upscale version is the Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Bentley British Racing Green. It’s perhaps the most sedate Bentley wristwatch Breitling has ever made in the 16-year span of the brand’s collaboration.
Price and availability
The new Premier collection reaches retailers and boutiques October 2018. Prices are as follows for the base models fitted with a calfskin strap:
Premier B01 Chronograph 42 – US$8200
Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Bentley – US$8500
Premier Chronograph 42 – US$6050
Premier Automatic Day & Date 40 – US$4000
Breitling Premier Automatic 40 – US$4000
Crocodile straps are an additional US$200, while a folding clasp is extra US$250. And a matching steel bracelet is US$750.
