As the so-called “car best price watches does not separate”, car culture has a deep influence on the development of watches. From co-branded models to cooperative models, we can always find car-related shadows in the bezel. With the warming up of various retro and replica watches in recent years, manufacturers’ eyes are not limited to modern cars, but like watches, they seek new inspirations from historical classics. At the 2021 Geneva Watch Day event that ended not long ago, Breitling launched a new retro car capsule series with the theme of three sports cars from the 1960s, using a highly saturated dial color, and the retro style is really eye-catching. .
The Top time series prototype watches can be traced back to the 1960s. The first watch (A23310121G1X1) was released as an online special offer in 2020. The watch boldly uses a contrasting retro dial, which is very expressive. The limited edition (A233101A1A1X1) launched in cooperation with the Deus ex Machina brand earlier this year was designed with a “panda plate” and received a good response. Continuing the series of design ideas, the new products are inspired by the sports cars of the 60s: Chevrolet Corvette, Shelby Cobra, Ford Mustang.
As an American “national treasure” supercar, Corvette represents the history, culture, and spirit of the United States, as well as the highest-end automotive technology, with beautiful and low-key body lines. In the 2011 Johnny Depp movie “Rum Diaries”, the male protagonist drives a 1959 Corvette, recreating the style of this legendary sports car.
The Corvette-themed A253102412K1X1 watch has a diameter of 42 mm. It uses a red dial that is similar to the car’s paint. The chronograph dial is also designed as an instrument panel. The dial has a pair of Chevrolet and racing cars at 12 o’clock. banner. The watch is equipped with a Breitling B25 movement with a 1/8 second chronograph function. This movement has previously appeared on the Premier Culture DATORA watch. According to the brand information, it is a self-produced movement. In addition to regular timekeeping, it also has a moon phase display function. The movement’s scalability is still quite high, but Top The time series does not use the moon phase module.
In 1962, Ford developed Mustang’s first concept car-the Mustang I concept car, whose name is to commemorate the US P-51 Mustang fighter jet during World War II. It is a two-seater sports car with a mid-engine, avant-garde and cool, full of personality.
The watch also uses bold green as the main color, adhering to the concept of precise timing, which is consistent with the pursuit of the ultimate speed concept of sports cars. The Mustang logo is engraved at the bottom of the cheap Breitling brand. It uses the same 42 mm diameter as the Corvette model. It can be said that in addition to the dial color and logo details, the two watches are different. But the blue Shelby Cobra mentioned next is more special.
Shelby Cobra must be indispensable for another superb sports car in the 1960s. The Shelby Cobra is as its name suggests, adhering to the design concept of the supremacy of speed, as fast as a cobra. American Shelby installed Ford’s top-level V8 engine on AC’s Cobra sports car, making it a maximum horsepower of 700 horsepower. It only takes 3.8 seconds to accelerate from 100 kilometers to 100 kilometers, and the maximum speed can reach more than 270 kilometers per hour. . With its powerful performance, it became an instant hit. Since then, Ford acquired AC Company and has been committed to the development of the Cobra series of sports cars.
Different from the previous two watches, the blue model uses a more compact diameter of 40 mm, and the movement is also replaced with a Breitling B41 movement. This is a chronograph movement developed in depth based on ETA 2892-A2. It has two small dials, one for the minute counter and the other for the small seconds display. Restricted by the movement structure, compared to the previous two models, the small plate above the 6 o’clock scale has been cancelled, and the cobra logo has been added to this position. Although there is no surprise from the B25 self-produced movement, this movement is certified by the observatory and is not inferior in terms of performance. Reliability and stability are its biggest advantages.
Compared with the previous online specials and DEUS limited editions of the series, the new Top Time retro car capsules are more eye-catching, especially the red Corvette and green Cobra models. The B25 movement is blessed with a larger 42 mm diameter. I am especially looking forward to it, and I believe that friends who are fascinated by retro sports cars will also be delighted.