Last year Breitling, led by CEO Georges Kern, released a number of new watches and series in its effort to refocus and hone the image of the brand. Among them were the Navitimer 8 collection, a refreshed Navitimer 1 collection, a new chronograph design within the Superocean Heritage series, and a revived Premier collection. Together, these changes are meant to help the brand better walk the line between its two primary consumers: those attracted to the masculine and technology-driven aspects of Breitling watches, and those with a more collector-minded interest in the distinctive, rich history of Breitling and its vintage designs.

Today, we?ll be focusing on what may have been the most important of all the brand?s 2018 releases, the Premier B01 Chronograph 42. The piece has been described as ?modern retro,? featuring more subtle proportions compared to the bulkier designs of many of the brand’s current offerings, and referencing, with its two-register “panda” dial, the classic configurations of Breitling?s past. The watch is strategically placed within the new Premier collection, which shares the same name as a collection founded in 1943 by Breitling. ?The Premier collection will serve as the stage for much of Breitling?s vintage-look designs going forward,? Kern said in WatchTime’s report report on the collection’s launch, instead of as a pure revival of that 1940s-era collection.
The watch itself uses a 42-mm steel case with engraved fluting...