Inspired by the inventive spirit of Breitling’s founders, the new Premier Heritage Collection is for the modern and discerning man of impeccable taste. These exquisite timepieces are the brand’s most elegant and refined.

The Breitling Premier Chronograph in Pistachio Green

In the 1940s, Breitling created aviation instruments famous for their precision and reliability. The watchmaker then became renowned for its elegant chronographs. But Willy Breitling, the grandson of the original founder, wanted to take the chronograph out of its no-frills aesthetic and create something marvellous that a man of true refinement could wear on his wrist. Thus was born the very first Premier collection, in the 1940s itself. And now, Breitling comes full circle with a brand-new collection for the modern man of the 21st century, a man of impeccable taste, who just has to flaunt the new Premier Heritage Collection inspired by the brand’s inventive spirit.

“This heritage-inspired design with a stylish modern twist embodies some of Breitling’s most famous innovations, and revives Breitling’s legacy of inventing the modern chronograph. This truly is our heritage revived,” says CEO Georges Kern of Breitling’s timelessly elegant new collection.

Breitling's Premier Duograph

The Premier Heritage Collection pays homage to Breitling’s very own Founders Squad: three generations of men who changed the history of timekeeping and made Breitling what it is today. Leon Breitling founded the company in 1884; later, he patented a simple timer/tachymeter that could measure any speed between 15 and 150 km/h, an invention featured in the 1906 Vitesse pocket watch.

In 1915, his son, Gaston, created one of the first wrist-worn chronographs with an independent pusher at 2 o’clock. This innovation separated the start, stop, and reset functions from the crown, making it infinitely more practical for timing sports.

In 1934, Leon’s grandson, Willy, patented the second independent chronograph pusher at 4 o’clock. Among Willy Breitling’s celebrated pioneering achievements was the establishment of the Huit Aviation Department in 1938.

Breitling's Premier Chronograph with a silver dial and 18 k gold case Caseback of Breitling's Premier Duograph

An Impeccable Taste

Besides being bold and tech savvy, Willy Breitling understood people’s desire for a touch of elegance and glamour. This inspired him to design the original Premier wristwatches in the 1940s, Breitling’s first step in linking purpose with style. As Willy saw it, “When a man puts on his watch, it is the unmistakable stamp of impeccable taste.”

Breitling's Premier Duograph with a blue dial and stainless steel case

The latest generation of Premiers – Breitling’s Premier Heritage Collection – brings this timeless elegance back to life. The collection includes six watches divided into three distinctive categories: The Chronograph, The Duograph, and The Datora.

All feature Arabic numerals, vintage-inspired hands and semi-shiny alligator straps with tone- on-tone stitching. Every watch is a COSC-certified chronometer and water-resistant up to 100 meters.

The Premier Chronograph by Breitling with a silver dial

Groundbreaking Functions

The 40 mm Premier Heritage Chronograph is manually wound, just like its 1940s predecessors. It has the hour, minute, and second function (with Super-LumiNova hour and minute hands), and is powered by the Breitling Manufacture Caliber B09, which is based on the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01, beating at 4 Hz, a power reserve of 70 hours. The watch is water resistant at 100 m. It comes in two variations: with an eye-catching pistachio-green dial encased in stainless steel (with a gold-brown alligator leather strap), or a stately silver-coloured dial encased in 18 k red gold (with a dark-brown alligator leather strap).

Breitling's Premier Duograph with a black dial and 18 k red gold case

With stainless-steel and 18 k red gold cases measuring 42 mm, the Premier Heritage Duograph comes with a blue or black dial (gold-brown and black alligator leather strap), respectively. Its rattrapante function – one of the most elaborate in watchmaking – enables the wearer to measure two elapsed times simultaneously thanks to its two superimposed chronograph hands (also known as a split-second chronograph, to measure two events that begin together but don’t end together). This piece houses the mechanical hand-wound Breitling Manufacture Caliber B15 that beats at 4 Hz, with a power reserve of 70 hours, which is based on the Breitling Manufacture Caliber B03. The watch is water resistant up to 100 m.

Breitling's Premier Datora with a silver dial and 18 k red gold case

Like its 1940s predecessor, the 42 mm Premier Heritage Datora also stands out for its highly visible and complex functions, namely its day, date, and moon-phase displays. It’s got a column-wheel chronograph, and is powered by the Manufacture Caliber B25., that beats at 4 Hz, and has a power reserve of 48 hours. The Datora’s copper-coloured face is framed by a stainless-steel case, while its silver-coloured dial comes in an 18 k red gold one. The watch is water resistant to 100 meters.

Breitling's Premier Datora with a copper dial and stainless steel case

All three models of the Premier Heritage Collection highlight Breitling’s mastery of timekeeping as it has evolved over the generations. Breitling manufactures its own movements in-house and the quality of every one is – like the movements in all Breitling watches – confirmed by its status as a COSC-certified chronometer, made in Switzerland.

The stunning Breitling Premier Chronograph