Here’s one press release we missed earlier in April, but because we love vintage Breitling watches we wanted to post it. The Heritage Collection is arguably a bit niche, in that many modern watch buyers are investors looking to make money on the waiting list game. Others buy Breitling because the Bentley connection, or the aviation style and history.
But these are beautiful watches in their own right, that will not date quite so badly as say a 10 year old Avenger or Navitimer might do. The Top Time is another Breitling model we like as it captures the spirit of the original, without being an exact replica. There is a great deal to be said for reworking the greatest hits of the past for any watch brand, so long as you keep pushing on with some more innovative, sometimes quirky, designs.
Here’s the word from Breitling;
Inspired by the inventive spirit of Breitling’s founders, the new Premier Heritage Collection is for the modern and discerning man of impeccable taste. These exquisite timepieces are the brand’s most elegant and refined.
The latest generation of Premiers – Breitling’s Premier Heritage Collection – brings this timeless elegance back to life. The collection includes six watches divided into three distinctive categories: The Chronograph, The Duograph, and The Datora. All feature Arabic numerals, vintage-inspired hands and semi-shiny alligator straps with tone-on-tone stitching. Every watch is a COSC-certified chronometer and water-resistant up to 100 meters.
Groundbreaking functions
The 40 mm Premier Heritage Chronograph is manually wound, just like its 1940s predecessors. It is powered by the Breitling Manufacture Caliber B09, which is based on the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01. It comes in two variations: with an eye-catching pistachio-green dial encased in stainless steel or a stately silver-colored dial encased in 18 k red gold.
With stainless-steel and 18 k red gold cases measuring 42 mm, the Premier Heritage Duograph comes with a blue or black dial, respectively. Its rattrapante function – one of the most elaborate in watchmaking – enables the wearer to measure two elapsed times simultaneously thanks to its two superimposed chronograph hands. This piece houses the mechanical hand-wound Breitling Manufacture Caliber B15, which is based on the Breitling Manufacture Caliber B03.
Like its 1940s predecessor, the 42 mm Premier Heritage Datora also stands out for its highly visible and complex functions, namely its day, date, and moon-phase displays. It is powered by the Manufacture Caliber B25. The Datora’s copper-colored face is framed by a stainless-steel case, while its silver-colored dial comes in an 18 k red gold one.
All three models of the Premier Heritage Collection highlight Breitling’s mastery of timekeeping as it has evolved over the generations.