Bentley has renewed its long-standing partnership with Breitling, which will see a new generation of watches which combine purpose with style, dedicated to everyday elegance. In 2003 Breitling became the first watchmaker entrusted to design an onboard clock for Bentley’s flagship model, the Continental GT.

Adrian Hallmark, who was Bentley’s Board Member for Sales and Marketing when his brand signed the agree­ment with Breitling, is now the Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors. He commented: “The long-standing collaboration between Bentley and Breitling is a shining example of how, when two like-minded brands work together in an authentic way, the performance of both is enhanced.

“As we approach our centenary year, we will of course be celebrating our past, but, more importantly, we will be looking to­ward the future with a passion for innovation. It gives me great confidence to move forward with partners like Breitling who share our commitment to technolog­ical excellence, expert craftsmanship, and a pioneer­ing spirit.”

The partnership will see Breitling in­tegrating special Bentley editions into its core product offering rather than in a separate Breitling for Bentley collection. The first of these extraordinary watches is the Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Bentley British Rac­ing Green. Powered by Breitling’s flagship Manufacture Caliber 01 in-house mechanical movement, which is visible through a unique transparent caseback with a metalised Bentley logo, the watch has an impressive 70-hour power reserve.

These timepieces also have an engraved plate with a “Bentley” inscription. Inspi­ration for the design of the plate was taken from the dashboard of the historic supercharged 1929 “Blower” Bentley.

The watch is distinguished by its striking British racing green dial and is available with a choice of a stainless-steel bracelet or a British racing green leather strap that matches the dial. Contrasting subdials are posi­tioned at 3 and 9 o’clock, and a date window is located at 6 o’clock.

When Bentley Motors celebrates its centenary next year, Breitling will launch a dedicated limited-edition time­piece to celebrate 100 years of luxury motoring excel­lence.

Breitling CEO Georges Kern is excited about continuing the partnership with Bentley. He commented: “Bentley and Breitling share so many values. Both companies are known for quality, performance, and design excel­lence, and both can build on powerful historical leg­acies. It’s an ideal partnership, and, after more than 15 years, it is a pleasure to add another chapter to it.”

Breitling’s association with motoring has a long history. Its onboard chronograph, launched for aviation in 1931, was also designed for use on automobile dashboards.

Further, there is a personal connection between Bentley and Breitling that can be traced back some 70 years. Willy Breitling, the visionary inventor of the sec­ond chronograph pusher and the grandson of found­er Léon Breitling, was a devoted Bentley fan. From the late 1940s, the flamboyant watchmaker was a familiar sight on the roads between Geneva and La Chaux-de-Fonds at the wheel of one of his many Bentleys.

Bentley at Le Mans
Be­tween 1924 and 1930, the famous “Bentley Boys” won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race five times. That success, however, did not only remain a part of the brand’s past. In 2003, Bentley returned to Le Mans and took the first and second place finishes. At the world’s most famous endurance race, Breitling was Team Bentley’s proud main sponsor and created a limited-edition chronograph, the Bentley Le Mans, to celebrate the feat.

Breitling has long been known for its robust “instru­ments for professionals,” but has also created elegant, luxurious watches that appeal to an even broader de­mographic base. As Breitling and Bentley explore the possibilities offered by their renewed partnership, these two iconic brands look forward to sharing great new products with old friends and introducing them­selves to discerning men and women all over the world.

Facts about the Watch

PREMIER B01 CHRONOGRAPH 42 BENTLEY BRITISH RACING GREEN
Reference: AB0118A11

WATCH MOVEMENT
Caliber: Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01
Diameter: 30 millimeters
Depth: 7.2 millimeters
Winder: automatic with dual-acting ball-bearing rotor
Power reserve: at least 70 hours
Number of components: 346
Balance frequency: 28,800 a/h or 4 hertz
Chronograph: ratchet wheel control, vertical coupling, 30-minute and 12 hour counters
Display: minute, second, window date
Certification: COSC-certified

CASE
Material: stainless steel
Diameter: 42 millimeters
Height: 13.65 millimeters
Water resistance: up to 10 bar (100 meters)
Glass: sapphire, convex, double anti-reflective
Caseback: screwed steel, sapphire glass
Crown: non-screw-locked, two gaskets

DIAL/HANDS
British racing green with contrasting fields for permanent seconds and totalizers
Super-LumiNova® luminescent hour and minute hands

STRAP
Leather strap with folding buckle or stainless-steel bracelet with folding clasp