Breitling. Bentley. Once upon a time there were two brands that shared much common ground. The same passion for fine mechanisms. The same combination of prestige and performance. The same heritage of excellence. The same thrust towards the future, symbolised by a winged B signature. One day their paths met, and this encounter gave rise to a collection of exceptional chronographs. Dedicated to the automobile world, the Breitling for Bentley line unites the best of two worlds. Elegance and expertise. British chic and Swiss tradition. Embodying the perfect combination of technique and aesthetics, it is designed to appeal to connoisseurs and to all those with a love of rare and exclusive watches. Beautiful motors encased in beautiful bodywork.

Breitling, the leader in mechanical chronographs. Bentley, the creator of legendary cars. Two strongholds, two spheres of excellence, but governed by a same spirit resolutely geared towards perfection.

In founding his watchmaking workshops in St. Imier in 1884, Léon Breitling chose to devote himself to technical watches and precision counters. Thanks to his decisive contributions to the development of the chronograph (launch of one of the very first wrist chronographs, invention of the first independent pushpiece in 1915, separation of the stop/start and reset functions in 1923, creation of a second independent pushpiece in 1934), the brand quickly earned international renown. Breitling watches became the finest allies of all those seeking reliable and efficient instruments, particularly pilots; they also accompanied the feats of the pioneers in the field of automobiles which was booming at the same time as the wristwatch.

As a youthful engineer with a penchant for performance, Walter Owen Bentley began his career by developing aircraft engines. In 1919, he turned his talents to cars and created Bentley Motors Ltd as well as his first model: the Bentley 3 Litres.

This passionate racing driver constantly enhanced the power and the reliability of his engines, and his speed machines won outstanding victories in the world's finest races, including the Le Mans 24 Hours. In keeping with his British heritage, “WO” Bentley also endowed his cars with a legendary elegance and refinement.


Throughout the 20th century, Bentley and Breitling perpetuated the spirit of excellence inherited from their founders. Be it chance or a sign of destiny, in 1952 both firms designed a creation that was to become their emblematic product. From a connoisseur's standpoint, the R-Type Continental still enshrines the purest expression of the Bentley spirit. As for the Navitimer chronograph, with its famous circular slide rule, it admirably embodies Breitling's vocation: building top-rate wrist instruments for the most demanding professionals.
 

In 1923, three dedicated automobile enthusiasts decided to create a competition based not only on speed, but also on endurance. This was the start of the Le Mans 24 Hours, destined to become one of the world's most prestigious races. For Walter Owen Bentley and other manufacturers, the idea seemed pretty crazy, but that did not prevent him from rising to the challenge by sending one of his cars to take part in the first edition. 1924 witnessed a glorious triumph: the British firm won the Le Mans 24 Hours with a Bentley 3 Litres – a feat that it accomplished four more times, in 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930, the two latter victories being earned in a Speed 6. This was the era of the legendary Bentley Boys: Benjafield, Birkin, Davis, Rubin, Kidston and above all Barnato, the most famous of them all, a multi-millionaire South African diamond merchant. Gifted sportsmen, authentic connoisseurs of life's many pleasures and mostly fabulously wealthy, the Bentley Boys raced first and foremost for honour, fired by a taste for challenges. Dedicated as much to partying as to winning, they were to leave an indelible imprint on the Bentley spirit: an unmistakable blend of performance and luxury.

In 2003, Bentley revived its glorious sporting past by making its grand comeback to this prestigious track. This new attempt proved to be a master stroke, since the Bentley cars won the race in great style, sweeping the first two places in the ranking. The 1930 Speed 6 with its 180 HP made way for the Speed 8, an over 600 HP high-tech speed machine made of composite materials and reaching a peak speed of over 350 km/h, complete with a sequential gearbox and carbon disc brakes. At the wheel was a new generation of Bentley Boys composed of drivers with an equally strong thirst for sporting feats and triumphs. As the main sponsor of Team Bentley, Breitling issued a limited series chronograph (which quickly sold out) named “Bentley Le Mans” to mark the double victory in 2003. Highly sought-after by collectors, this exclusive timepiece is powered by a selfwinding movement with 24-hour display in reference to the duration of the race. In another subtle allusion to the Le Mans 24 Hours, the engine-turned surface of the bezel is inspired by the dashboard finishing on the Bentley cars that won the race five times between 1924 and 1930.

In 2002, Bentley caused a sensation by launching the Continental GT, at the time the most powerful Bentley ever built. This superb 552 HP four-seater coupé endowed with a phenomenal 650 Nm torque and peak speed of 318 km/h gave the venerable mark a new boost by attracting a younger clientele that is more dynamic than ever but just as demanding. Breitling added its own personal touch to this gem of luxury and performance by taking part in the design of the technical instrumentation and placing its signature on the dashboard clock. This was the first time that Bentley had entrusted this task to a watchmaker.

For Bentley, Breitling has conceived an authentic watch collection. A world apart in which all models share a family likeness, yet each is distinguished by its character, its style and personality. A range of exclusive mechanical marvels that each travels its own road. The sporting elegance of the Bentley Motors, 6.75 and GT chronographs. The sculptural lines of the Bentley GMT multiple timezone model. The daring sophistication of the rectangular Bentley Flying B watches. The classically refined touch of the Mark VI chronographs. The multiple facets of one and the same sovereign art of time. All these prestige instruments are endowed with meticulous finishing, exclusive technical features and exceptional motors achieving peerless performances.

Within their luxurious steel, yellow, rose, red or white gold chassis, Breitling for Bentley chronographs and watches house
exceptional motorisations. All are equipped with movements that are chronometer-certified by the COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute), the highest official distinction in terms of reliability and precision. These noble mechanisms are patiently crafted and assembled by hand in the Breitling Chronométrie workshops, using cutting-edge equipment and in harmony with the highest quality standards. Adding exclusive modules, optimising components, making adjustments and perfecting various functions: such a range of measures further enhances movement performances and prepares them to withstand the merciless trials imposed by the COSC, just as one “prepares” a motor to improve its power and reliability. Over the ten-month period required to produce a Breitling for Bentley timepiece, it undergoes over 1,000 tests. Before taking to the open road, watches are submitted to a technical test lasting from at least three days to a week. In keeping with the finest Swiss watchmaking traditions, each movement, even when hidden under its bonnet, is artfully crafted and enriched with elegant finishing details.

Breitling for Bentley chronographs and watches meld tradition and state-of-the-art technologies. Whether in terms of research on alloys, the use of new materials or the development of exclusive components, watchmakers constantly innovate in order to push the limits of precision, sturdiness and reliability. To effectively harness the power and energy of the mainspring. To reinforce
resistance to shocks, to changes in temperature and to magnetic fields. Each visual detail is conceived in such a way as to enhance the legibility of the information on the dashboard-like dial; each part in the construction is designed to enhance ergonomics, functionality and wearer comfort. Faithful to its pioneering spirit, Breitling has also developed original and exclusive mechanisms such as the “30-second chronograph” and the “variable tachometer” system based on a circular slide rule. An impressive array of feats that reflect its world-exclusive expertise in the field of mechanical chronographs.

Sophisticated lines. Opulent volumes. Powerful presence. Breitling for Bentley creations marry noble styling and refined finishing. Just like the famous British cars. Their generous curves give the wrist a new brand of elegance, born of in-depth aesthetic research. A sense of space, luxury and details that would not be out of place in the luxuriously intimate passenger compartment of a Bentley Mulsanne. A subtle sporting touch entirely in keeping with the Continental models. To reinforce links with the Bentley universe, designers have drawn inspiration from the signature features of the British carmaker, such as the knurled finishing on the control buttons, the engine-turned motif on the dashboard, the typography of the instrumentation or the precious veneers of the Mulliner trim. A range of details that give each timepiece a unique, original and exclusive note.

Time is the ultimate luxury. The time required to assemble a sophisticated construction part by part. The time to polish the curves of a case, to carve out hour-markers from mother-of-pearl or to hand-sew a leather strap so as to give it body and suppleness. In the Breitling workshops, as in those operated by Bentley, it is the hand of the artisan that prepares, adjusts, hones and gives life to the most beautiful mechanisms. It is the eye and the hand that guide the tool in crafting the noblest materials and revealing their full splendour. A concern for fine workmanship, a passion for detail and the quest for excellence are the guiding principles of a tradition in which time is no object when devoted to the tireless pursuit of perfection.