Breitling’s Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 celebrates its partnership with the Aston Martin Formula One™ Team. Photo courtesy Aston Martin.
Breitling has been announced as the Official Watch Partner of ultra-luxury British automotive manufacturer Aston Martin, marking a compelling collaboration between two brands born of a fascination with speed and meticulous attention to detail. The collaboration will span design, engineering, and speed, culminating in the launch of its first timepiece in Q3 2026.
Parallels between the two brands date back to the earliest days of the automobile.
In 1907, Leon Breitling introduced the Vitesse. French for “speed,” it was the first chronograph capable of measuring speeds up to 250 miles or kilometres per hour. The device was so precise that it was adopted by the Swiss police to issue the first speeding tickets. A few years later in England, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford were testing their hand-built sports car in a defining race up a steep, chalky slope—Aston Hill. The car won, and the name endured.
Founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, Aston Martin is acknowledged as an iconic global brand synonymous with style, luxury, performance, and exclusivity.
By the 1960s, both marques had become symbols of style and modern engineering.
Willy Breitling, the founder’s grandson, shook off the austerity of postwar watchmaking with another watch, the Top Time, a chronograph designed for a new generation of speed—and style-seekers. When it appeared on Sean Connery’s wrist in Thunderball (1965) as the first Q-modified gadget watch in the James Bond franchise, it became an emblem of the era.
Aston Martin’s DB5, which made its debut in Goldfinger (1964) and returned in Thunderball, did the same on four wheels. Appearing together in the same film, they captured the cultural fascination with James Bond’s world, where sophistication met speed and high-tech intrigue.
As this shared legacy evolves, fans of Breitling, Aston Martin, and the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team can look forward to exclusive releases throughout the partnership’s multi-year run, which launches with the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Formula One™ Team, a timepiece that marks Breitling’s return to racing.
Aston Martin continues to blend the latest technology, time-honoured craftsmanship and beautiful styling to produce a range of critically acclaimed luxury models, including the Vantage, DB12, Vanquish, DBX and its first mid-engined plug-in hybrid, Valhalla. Aligned with its Racing. Green. sustainability strategy, Aston Martin is developing alternatives to the internal combustion engine through a blended drivetrain approach, with a clear plan to have a line-up of electrified sports cars and SUVs.