Breitling 2021 Limited Edition Releases

Breitling has released some supreme and highly covetable watches this year. Not all of them are limited editions, of course. We recently covered the new additions to Breitling’s core collection, as well as some completely new releases here. But today we’re highlighting the limited edition models. Amongst these are the Red Arrows addition to the Chronomat range and the new GMT Night Mission watch with a superior 300M water resistance. Let’s take a look…

Premier Top Time Deus Limited Edition

The café racer-inspired Deus watch was Breitling’s first major release this year. It boasts some of the best and most versatile features of the newly revived Top Time line, inspired by the brand’s 1960s classic. Its monumental design has shifted somewhat, since the new limited edition watch is, this time, designed in collaboration with Australian lifestyle brand, Deus ex Machina. Loved by retro watch enthusiasts, the Breitling Premier Top Time Deus Limited Edition watch has proved itself a popular collectable in such a short space of time, with distinguishable features that include narrow, tapering lugs, a cylindrical-shaped mid-case and a polished bezel. A hand-scrawled, cartoon-like sketch of a motorcycle and rider has been designed by the Australian brand’s creative director, Darby Tuckwell and has been etched onto the back of this classic steel case.

The 41mm model carves out some similarities between a lifestyle brand that is associated with everything from surfboards to motorcycles and the Swiss watchmaker. In particular, it unites shared passion for 1960s vibes and youthful yet retro aesthetics. In this design, stick indexes and vibrant orange-coloured central hands join black-filled soft-squared chronograph counters laid out at 3 and 9 o’clock against an off-white dial. There is no denying that these hues, paired with a classic brown calfskin strap, epitomize everything 1960s about the motorsport industry and the surfing world. Limited to 1500 pieces worldwide, the Breitling Premier Top Time Deus watch features Deus ex Machina’s “In Benzin Veritas” slogan on the tachymeter scale that surrounds this dashboard-inspired dial. The 30-meter water-resistant limited edition Breitling watch is powered by the Caliber 23 – a certified chronometer-rated engine able to give a power reserve 48 hours when fully wound. 

Avenger GMT Night Mission Limited Edition

Over the last couple of years, Breitling has been focussing on adding drone-flying sports to its legacy of aviation-inspired instruments. This, of course, opens the gateway to a wider audience who may never have considered a Breitling watch before now. Namely those in the stratosphere of video gaming and computer sport. The next person to add one of these limited edition Breitling Avenger GMT watches to their collection may indeed be a drone racing champion. Drone specialists, mastering the skies from the ground does, after all, add a whole new twist to the piloting watch genre. The new Breitling Avenger GMT Night Mission Limited Edition watch is unlike anything else from the Swiss brand’s current catalogue. For starters, the brand has never really hit the GMT category hard, so the fact that this model marries a second time zone function with a military-inspired aesthetic suggests that Breitling is putting its best foot forward into new and somewhat unknown territory.

There was never any doubt that Breitling would strike gold with the design of the new Avenger GMT watch, however. The dial of the Avenger GMT watch, which is limited to just 2000 pieces worldwide, features a vivid yellow coloured GMT hand that can be confused with nothing else similar on the dial. Cleverly, the unidirectional rotating bezel can also be used as a means to measure elapsed time because the 24-hour scale is printed onto the flange of the dial itself. This 24-hour scale distinguishes itself from the rest of the khaki dial with its black track. Other elements on the dial are pilot-inspired, such as the bright white Arabic numeral hour markers, which have been enlarged on the display for extra visibility. The dial also features a white date window at 3 o’clock and is shielded by a sapphire crystal glass front. Of course, the case of the Avenger GMT watch is broad, measuring in at 45mm and is crafted from black-coated titanium for a lightweight feel on the wrist. Despite its broad diameter, it doesn’t cannibalize the wrist or the overall appearance of the watch.

The green hue and black DLC-coated case is de rigueur for all GMT Night Mission watches, yet the beating heart is a different calibre altogether. The Calibre 32 is based on the ETA 2893-2 and features the GMT function along with a date and central hours, minutes and seconds. The COSC-certified movement is held inside a 300-meter water-resistant case, enabling you to take this GMT watch for a swim without the added worry of water damage. Super-LumiNova is applied to all the indexes and the hands, including the arrow tip of the GMT hand. The case also features a screw-locked crown, a solid caseback and a comfortable khaki-green leather strap that has been treated to look like a canvas band.

Chronomat Red Arrows Limited Edition

If there is one complication that Breitling is synonymous for mastering, it would have to be the chronograph. Gaston Breitling created a dedicated pusher in 1925 and placed it at 2 o’clock on the case. Eight years later, he accompanied it with the 4 o’clock pusher, successfully separating the start/stop pusher and the resetting function. This innovation came in handy for providing on-board flight chronographs to the British Royal Air Force and such like during the 1930s.

Now, an alliance between Breitling and the Red Arrows has been forged, extending Breitling’s commitment to developing aeronautical and aviation timepieces to pioneers of the skies. The new Breitling Chronomat Red Arrows Limited Edition watch is exclusive to just 160 pieces worldwide and features the ‘Breitling bullet bracelet’ that horophiles have long appreciated. The Rouleaux bracelet was developed especially for the Chronomat series – a collection instantly recognised for its rider tab bezel and mechanical virtue.

The new Breitling Chronomat Red Arrows Limited Edition watch is powered by the Breitling Calibre 01 - an in-house manufactured movement with a column wheel and vertical coupling that makes chronograph timings smooth and easy. The COSC-certified self-winding movement is also capable of delivering a 70-hour power reserve should you need to peel yourself away from the timepiece for whatever reason. The 42mm steel watch bears the Red Arrows distinctive insignia on a sapphire crystal glass caseback – the only manufacturer granted the permission to do so. The 9 red arrows are also featured on the northern hemisphere of the blue dial, under the 12 o’clock position.

The 160 limited pieces are intentional too. This number tips its hat to those who have flown as a Red Arrows pilot since the opening 1965 display season. Tom Bould, a Squadron team leader explains more about the significance of the watch, both as a functional tool and as a symbol of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team’s legacy;

“Precision teamwork, accurate timing and dynamic creativity are hallmarks of the Red Arrows and are fundamental to the team’s activities – showcasing the excellence of the Royal Air Force and representing the United Kingdom with world-class displays. The Chronomat Red Arrows Limited Edition is a distinctive example of how these qualities are shared by Breitling, forged by its historic work with the aviation community.”

To complete its unique look, the Breitling Chronomat Red Arrows Limited Edition watch secures around the wrist with its popular Roleaux bracelet and a folding clasp. The bracelet was rereleased just last year, revived from the 1990s in a tightly executed design.

For more information on any of the limited edition Breitling Watches we’ve mentioned here in this article, call a Jura Watches sales member on 01335 453453 or check out further details by visiting the new Breitling releases 2021 range here.