The Breitling Top Time collection is about colours, fun and retro cool. What better way to explore that than with vintage motoring? Two years ago, Breitling debuted a trio of classic car-inspired Top Time chronographs, each taking after an American motoring icon from the 1950s and 1960s: the Ford Mustang, the Chevrolet Corvette, and the Shelby Cobra.
This year, a fourth model joins the line-up, paying homage to the Ford Thunderbird. Debuting in 1954 as a highly desirable two-seater convertible, the car cuts a distinctive figure even today with its long, straight shoulder-line from headlamp to tailfin, and half-shrouded rear wheels. Although it packed a V8 engine, it was reputed more for its comfort and user-friendliness, bringing with it the promise of easy cruising in style.
The Breitling Top Time Ford Thunderbird (RM34,700) is a three-register chronograph with rounded-square sub-dials, delivered with a clean-looking white dial that makes the accent colours of the hands and tachymeter bezel stand out all the more. Its stainless-steel case is 41mm in diameter and slightly more than 13mm thick. It also hosts the COSC-certified, 70-hour automatic in-house B01 calibre. It comes with a vibrant red rally-style leather strap.
Meanwhile, the rest of the collection has been updated. Most notably, the B01 calibre is now standard across the board. Sizes have been tweaked as well, with all also sharing the 41mm diameter. Otherwise, the Mustang, Corvette, and Cobra editions—green, red and blue, respectively—are aesthetically unchanged, with the latter still standing on its own as the sole two-register chronograph.
In Malaysia, the refreshed Top Time collection was announced with a retro Americana-themed party at Brick Studio in Sunway Damansara. This meant burgers and hotdogs, arcade games, roller-skates, and a DJ playing throwback tunes—and, of course, classic cars sourced from local collections put on display along with the Top Time watches themselves.
