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While more marketable leagues like Formula 1 entice with hypercars, social media presence, and reality TV, rally racing continues to wow spectators with its gritty and furious breed of off-road motorsport. Still, the rally world isn’t without flashes of luxury, and Breitling’s three new Top Time B01 Racing models look to celebrate the sport in all its dirty, dangerous beauty. Fortunately, the Swiss brand has a wealth of innovations to pull from their Top Time line—most notable is the “dashboard” dual-chronograph dial design that helps give the new Racing models that rally-inspired edge.
All three Racing models are anchored by a stainless steel cushion case that gives the watch a squared-off and recognizably retro-futuristic look. With a 38mm diameter and a 44.4mm lug-to-lug measurement, the Top Time Racing should wear comfortably on most wrists but remain legible—both important factors to consider in motorsports, where one wasted second could spell disaster (or mortal danger). Raised, grooved sections add texture and dimension to each rounded corner of the case and mirror the tight spacing of the ¼ second dashes around the dial. All three models feature perforated calfskin straps nestled within an 18mm lug width, a design that calls to mind vintage racing gloves but still emphasizes durability and sportiness.
The aforementioned “dashboard” dual-chronograph dial mimics an instrument cluster, with “squircle” (yes, Breitling does call them that) subdials and a contrasting tachymeter scale that allows for precise speed measurements. A double-glareproofed cambered sapphire crystal and a screw-down caseback seal in the Breitling 01 “B01” mechanical movement, manipulated through the use of the non screw-locked crown and double mushroom pushers. Breitling promises 70 hours of power reserve, so you can tear through the mud with confidence, even if your watch has been sitting on the dresser for a few days.
Three colorways make up the Top Time Racing lineup: standard green-and-white and black-and-white models and a limited collaboration (more on that below). Both standard models sport a white tachymeter track and rectangular center “dashboard”, with the contrasting color applied to the dial and the outer rings of the subdials. Silver indices and hour and minute hands match the steel case and are luminous, while the seconds hand and the 30-minute subdial hand wear a reddish orange that matches tiny squares above each hour indicator. Both standard colorways are crisp, with excellent contrast and instant legibility.
To further elevate the Racing line, Breitling has tagged in Martini Racing, a motorsport juggernaut that carries a golden legacy in rally and the automotive world in general. Martini’s iconic livery is applied neatly to the Top Time Racing dial design, with a blue tachymeter and center “dashboard” contrasted by a white dial and outer subdial rings. Bright red replaces the reddish orange on the seconds and 30-minute subdial hands, matching the stripe of red between the double light blue stripes that signal the Martini connection and sits in the center of the dial. Interestingly, while Breitling’s “B” logo and name sit below the 12 o’clock position, Martini’s name appears nowhere on the dial—their livery and colorway are so instantly recognizable that anyone even casually interested in motorsport will immediately clock the watch as a collaboration with the brand. The Martini Racing model is limited to 750 models, and each is numbered on the caseback.
With a standard rally car being manned by a two-person crew—a driver and a co-driver, who relays information to the driver—it’s easy to imagine a pair of matching Top Time Racing watches, perfectly synced, as being part of a rally team’s uniform. Though Breitling has collaborated with other motorsport brands (mainly Ford, Chevrolet, and Triumph) in their Top Time lineup, Martini Racing brings instant brand recognition vis-a-vis their iconic colorway, which pairs superbly with the contrast-heavy retro design of the Top Time Racing models. What results is a watch that puts its rally racing inspirations at the forefront of its design and functionality while maintaining an air of luxury.
All Top Time B01 Racing models are available on Breitling’s online storefront at a retail price of $7,700. Breitling
