zelin0802 / December 7, 2023

New Product Release: Breitling Top Time B21 Classic Car Chronograph Tourbillon Watch

Since its launch in mid-2021, Breitling’s Top Time classic car series has changed Top Time’s positioning in the brand hierarchy, from an entry-level, youth-oriented chronograph series to a more refined, high-end series that reflects lifestyle. The revised line features frequent brand collaborations, refined finishes and visual homages to some of the most beloved American cars of all time. Top Time’s move upmarket shows no signs of slowing down in 2023, with Breitling’s latest range taking the brand to new heights by introducing a tourbillon to the range for the first time. While its wild new complications may take over, the new Breitling Top Time B21 Classic Car Chronograph Tourbillon Collection (including the Breitling Top Time B21 Ford Mustang, Breitling Top Time B21 Shelby Cobra and Breitling Top Time B21 Chevrolet Kerr Vette) brings the top-level Time series to create a new realm of luxury through unique materials, refined appearance and a more low-key branding than its predecessor.

Interestingly, the case sizes of the new Breitling Top Time B21 Classic Car Chronograph Tourbillon series are not the same. The Top Time B21 Shelby Cobra and Top Time B21 Chevrolet Corvette both come in glossy black ceramic cases that are 44mm wide, while the Breitling Top Time B21 Ford Mustang’s warm bronze case is slightly smaller at 43mm wide. That being said, apart from the materials, there are very few differences graphically between the two case designs. Both case styles feature a wider, more majestic version of the familiar Top Time mid-century sports case silhouette seen in photos, with slightly tapered connecting lugs, narrow smooth bezels and richly brushed bezels. shell side. As one would expect, Breitling has equipped all three watches with a sapphire display caseback, allowing for unobstructed viewing of the movement inside. While these may be more luxurious variants of the basic Top Time platform, Breitling has maintained the sporty edge of the range, with all three models offering 100 meters of water resistance.

Like its standard chronograph siblings, the Breitling Top Time B21 Classic Car Chronograph Tourbillon Collection features dials inspired by their namesake, the beloved car. However, these models take a more subtle approach, using softer colors and no obvious car branding in the images. All three watches share the same dial layout, with a black outer tachymeter ring, the collection’s signature “squirrel” 60-minute chronograph subdial at 6 o’clock, and a tourbillon escapement to match its elegance rounded square cutout. There is a narrow skeleton bridge at 12 o’clock. From here on, each model adopts a layout in a different stylistic direction. With its surrounding bronze case and matching dial hardware, the Breitling Top Time B21 Ford Mustang’s vertically brushed Highland Green dial provides a deep, classic luxury color within the image, setting the tourbillon apart from the rest of the dial through matching and complementary tones. Partially coordinated. In contrast, the Breitling Top Time B21 Shelby Cobra adopts a more serious, understated style in the initial photos, with a desaturated navy blue brushed dial and blacked-out tourbillon bridge. However, the most eye-catching watch of the three is undoubtedly the Breitling Top Time B21 Chevrolet Corvette. Rather than featuring car paint-inspired dial tones like its counterparts, this model shifts the focus to the car’s dashboard. The dial surface is made from a single piece of walnut wood, with a rich graphic blend of highlights, shadows and textures. Wooden dials are indeed a rarity in the modern luxury cheap watch world, but the effect in the photos is vibrant, nuanced and truly eye-catching.

All three watches in the Breitling Top Time B21 Classic Car Chronograph Tourbillon collection are powered by the Caliber B21 automatic tourbillon chronograph movement. Breitling collaborated with movement specialist La Joux-Perret to develop the B21, debuting the Breitling Premier B21 Chronograph Tourbillon in 2022. The end result is an impressively stable performance with a 55-hour power reserve at 28,800 bph, and COSC-certified chronometer accuracy. Visually, the Caliber B21 watch is crisp and modern, although not graphically striking. Vertical brushing and chamfering of the upper three-quarter plate accentuate the broad corrugations on the main plate, while the engraved skeletonized rotor is dominated by a matching combination of vertical brushing and chamfering. As one would expect, though, the tourbillon is the visual centerpiece here, given its use of contrasting metal and the narrow, curved lower tourbillon bridge. Breitling equips all three models with a faux-perforated pull-style leather folding strap, available in midnight blue or cognac brown.

While the modern Top Time nameplate may have strayed far from its entry-level roots, the new Breitling Top Time B21 Classic Car Chronograph Tourbillon Collection proves that the range may well be able to thrive at the higher end of the market. replica watch stores
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