Breitling's heritage renewed
May 10, 2021
Inspired by the innovative spirit of Breitling's founders, the new Premier Heritage collection is designed for the modern and discerning man with impeccable taste. These exclusive watches are the most elegant and refined in the brand's entire offering.
“This heritage-inspired design with a stylish, modern twist embodies some of Breitling’s most famous innovations and revives the brand’s reputation for inventing the modern chronograph,” says Georges Kern of the timeless, elegant Breitling.
The Premier Heritage Collection pays tribute to Breitling's own Founding Branch: three generations of men who changed the history of timekeeping and made the brand famous worldwide. Léon Breitling founded the company in 1884; he later patented a simple clock/tachometer that could measure any speed between 15 and 150 km/h. This invention was incorporated into the 1906 Vitesse pocket watch.
In 1915, his son Gaston created one of the first wrist-worn chronographs. The watch featured a separate pusher at 2 o'clock. This innovation separated the start, stop, and reset functions from the crown. This made the chronograph much more practical for sports requiring timekeeping.
In 1934, Léon's grandson, Willy, patented a second chronograph with two independent pushers – one at four o'clock. Among Willy Breitling's renowned pioneering achievements was the creation of the Huit Aviation Department in 1938.
Impeccable taste
Willy Breitling was not only bold and technologically savvy, but also understood the desire for elegance and opulence. All this inspired him to design the original Premier wristwatches in the 1940s. This was Breitling's first step toward combining functionality with style. Willy described it this way: "When a man wears a watch, it is an unmistakable sign of impeccable taste.".
The latest generation of Premier watches – Breitling's Premier Heritage collection – brings this timeless elegance to life. The collection comprises six watches divided into three distinctive categories: chronograph, duograph, and date.
All feature Arabic numerals and a vintage-inspired design. The straps are crafted from semi-gloss alligator leather with matching stitching. Each watch is a COSC-certified chronometer and water-resistant to 100 meters.
Groundbreaking features
The 40mm Premier Heritage Chronograph is hand-wound, like its 1940s predecessors. It is powered by the Breitling Manufacture Caliber B09 movement, based on the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01. It comes in two versions: with an eye-catching pistachio green dial in a stainless steel case or a sumptuous silver dial encased in 18k red gold.
The Premier Heritage Duograph, depending on the version, features a blue or black dial. The rattrapante function—one of the most sophisticated in watchmaking—allows the wearer to measure two elapsed times simultaneously. This is made possible by two superimposed chronograph hands. This model houses the hand-wound Breitling Manufacture Calibre B15 movement, based on the Breitling Manufacture Calibre B03.
Like its 1940s predecessor, the 42mm Premier Heritage Datora boasts highly visible and complex functions, including day, date, and moon phase displays. It is powered by the Manufacture Caliber B25 movement. A stainless steel case surrounds the copper dial, while the silver dial is set in 18k red gold.
All three models in the Premier Heritage collection highlight the brand's mastery of timekeeping, which has evolved over generations.
