More than 60 years after the Breitling Top Time and the Aston Martin DB5 first appeared side by side during the golden age of British design, the two marques have reunited.
The Top Time B01 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Aston Martin DB5 takes its cues from one of the most recognisable grand tourers ever built. Introduced in 1963, the DB5 has long represented Aston Martin’s engineered restrained. Breitling’s Top Time offers a more relaxed take on the chronograph for a generation captivated by speed, style and motorsport.
Their paths famously crossed in Thunderball (1965), when Sean Connery’s James Bond wore a Breitling Top Time while driving the now-legendary DB5. It remains one of watchmaking’s most memorable appearances on screen.
Breitling has borrowed from the details that made the DB5 exceptional. A wooden inner bezel references its timber steering wheel, while hand-coloured leather straps echo the richness of the cabin. The cushion-shaped case, mushroom pushers and softly squared subdials retain the easy charm of the original Top Time, with subtle automotive references replacing overt branding.
“The Aston Martin DB5 is one of those rare designs that never dates,” says Georges Kern, CEO of House of Brands. “With this Top Time, we wanted to capture that timeless quality.”
The collection comprises three limited editions. The stainless steel model, limited to 1,022 pieces, is the most faithful to the original Top Time aesthetic, pairing polished steel with a silver dial. A second edition, produced in 315 pieces, introduces a platinum bezel against a black lacquer dial. The most exclusive expression arrives in 18k red gold, limited to 250 individually numbered watches, featuring Breitling’s first dial cut from natural onyx.
Inside each sits Breitling’s manufacture Caliber 01, the brand’s COSC-certified chronograph movement with a 70-hour power reserve, visible through a sapphire caseback fitted with an Aston Martin-engraved rotor.
