Breitling’s partnership with Aston Martin gets off to a flying start with the Top Time Tribute

Breitling has announced three limited-edition timepieces that celebrate its partnership with Aston Martin, the first watches since the two companies announced their collaboration back in February 2026.

Available in three finishes, the watch has a sufficiently epic name, the Top Time B01 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Aston Martin DB5. It does, of course, reference the bellwether of all things Aston Martin, the 1963 DB5 grand tourer that has become one of the most iconic and recognisable car designs of all time. It would almost be unnatural if Breitling were to kick off such a partnership without acknowledging this car.

According to Georges Kern, CEO of House of Brands, the umbrella company that oversees Breitling along with the brands Universal Genève and Gallet, ‘the Aston Martin DB5 is one of those rare designs that never fades. It still feels as relevant today as it did in the 1960s. With this Top Time, we capture that sense of timeless style.’

The trio of watches make direct reference to the forms and materials introduced in the DB5, a rich palette of leather, wood and metal that continues to the benchmark for luxury sporting automotive interiors. The watch itself is also period correct, described by Breitling as its own ‘unconventional chronograph, created for a new, youthful, speed-driven audience’.

Happily, there’s another direct Aston connect, one that drives straight through the most prominent cultural waypoint of all, James Bond. In 1965’s Thunderball, a Breitling Top Time ref 2002 was worn by Sean Connery. This was the second on-screen appearance of Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 (first seen the year before in Goldfinger) and the first time that a watch took a starring role as a MacGuffin in the series (Q had equipped it with a Geiger counter).

In the hands of Breitling’s team, this special edition of the Top Time B01 Chronograph 41 might not be able to detect radiation, but it has been given a level of detail and elegance that befits the Smiths dials and leather-clad ambience of a DB5.

Elements like the cushion-shaped case, grooved corners, and mushroom pushers are all deliberate evocations of the 1960s chronograph; automotive gauges were also the direct reference for the form of the two ‘squircle’ subdials.

The leather strap pairs especially well with the wooden inner ring, adding a level of grain and detail that’s rarely found on a watch face. ‘This chronograph blends form with true function,’ says Pablo Widmer, Breitling’s head of product design. ‘As with the Aston Martin DB5, its beauty lies in its lines, materials, and finishings.’

Three distinct editions are available. The stainless steel finish, with silver dial, is limited to 1,022 pieces and represents the closest match to the original 1960s Top Time ref. 2002. There is also a 315-piece edition of a steel and platinum finished watch, with black lacquered dial.

Finally, Breitling is making just 250 individually numbered examples of an 18ct red gold edition, complete with dial cut from natural onyx stone (a first for Breitling).

The new editions use the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 chronograph movement with 70-hour power reserve that supports extended wear. The movement is clearly visible through the open sapphire-crystal caseback, finished with a dedicated Aston Martin–engraved rotor in rhodium-plated or 18ct red gold (depending on the edition).

‘These editions represent something truly distinct from anything we’ve created before,’ says Aston Martin’s CCO Marek Reichman. ‘The collaboration with Breitling brought together two brands with a shared appreciation for timeless design, craftsmanship, and innovation, allowing us to exchange ideas in a way that felt both natural and ambitious. The result is a watch that feels contemporary today, yet timeless for generations to come.’

Breitling Top Time B01 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Aston Martin DB5 is available with a sunray silver dial (£8,650), sunray brushed black lacquered dial (£14,400) and an 18ct rose gold and onyx dial (£35,100)
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