Breitling Makes Its Formula 1 Return With Aston Martin And The Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43

As the Official Watch Partner of Aston Martin and the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, Breitling is returning to the world of Formula 1 racing. On 9 February, the Breitling logo will make its first appearance with the unveiling of the AMR26. It will feature both on the Aston Martin Aramco car and on the team’s apparel. The launch of the partnership is accompanied by the introduction of the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team.

The multi-year collaboration will make its track debut at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from 6 to 8 March.

United by speed

Through its aesthetics and functionality, the limited-edition timepiece embodies the close connection both luxury brands share with motorsport – a relationship that has already resulted in several crossovers in the past. As Adrian Hallmark, Chief Executive Officer of Aston Martin, puts it: ‘Aston Martin and Breitling have repeatedly intersected at pivotal moments in design and culture.’ One such example is the appearance of the Breitling Top Time and the Aston Martin DB5 in the James Bond film Thunderball (1965). What was once a cultural parallel has now evolved into a deliberate partnership.

Considering the motorsport heritage of both brands, this collaboration comes as little surprise. As early as 1907, Léon Breitling introduced the Vitesse, a chronograph capable for the first time of measuring speeds of up to 250 miles or kilometres per hour. With the launch of the Navitimer in 1952, Breitling later developed a wrist-worn cockpit instrument whose slide-rule scale was originally designed for pilots and soon found its way onto the racetrack. Formula One legends such as Graham Hill used the Navitimer to track time, speed and distance. During the same era, Aston Martin also entered the Formula 1 arena.

Against this backdrop, it feels only fitting that Breitling’s return to the pinnacle of motorsport—and the start of its partnership with Aston Martin – is celebrated with a Navitimer.

Navitimer with a titanium case for the first time

For the first time in the Navitimer collection, the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team features a titanium case. Thanks to this choice of material, the 43 mm case is almost half the weight of a stainless-steel equivalent. The open sapphire crystal caseback reveals the busy automatic movement, while the caseback ring is engraved with ‘One of 1959’ and ‘Instruments for Divers’.

Dial

The dial also impresses with its lightness and its clear reference to motorsport, particularly the Formula 1 cockpit. Made from carbon fibre, it uses a material that plays a central role in the construction of racing cars.

Inspired by the Aston Martin Aramco livery, green accents run across the black carbon-fibre dial. Matching this, the Super-LumiNova on the hour and minute hands as well as on the indices glows green, ensuring enhanced visibility at night. The central seconds hand stands out in a vivid lime green. The 30-minute counter is positioned at 3 o’clock, opposite the ¼-second counter at 9 o’clock. The sub-dial with the 12-hour counter is located at 6 o’clock and incorporates a date window. For improved legibility, all sub-dials are rendered in white.

Movement of the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team

The open sapphire crystal caseback offers a view of the COSC-certified in-house Calibre 01 with automatic winding, which powers the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. It provides a power reserve of 70 hours and features a matt black PVD-coated tungsten rotor bearing the winged Aston Martin Formula One Team emblem.

Strap, price & availability

The structured black leather strap, with its signature Breitling yellow edges, recalls a cockpit seatbelt and completes the Formula 1-inspired aesthetic. Referencing the year of Aston Martin’s Formula 1 debut, the timepiece is limited to 1,959 pieces and comes with a price tag of 10,500 euros.

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