This is the Breitling Top Time B01 Deus model, it’s an automatic (self-winding mechanical) chronograph with 40 jewels and a 70 hour power reserve, using the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 (B01) movement.
The Breitling Top Time model series dates back to the early 1960s, it was conceived by watchmaking legend Willy Breitling personally as a more affordable chronograph model, and the newer versions in the series remain true to their heritage.
By the early 1960s Willy Breitling recognized that chronographs were breaking out of their specialist niche and quickly picking up mainstream appeal among younger buyers. In 1964, Breitling introduced the Top Time as a more affordable chronograph with simple, elegant lines, targeting a fashion-conscious younger crowd with a little less spending power than their older contemporaries. Image courtesy of Breitling.
History Speedrun: The Breitling Top Time
The Breitling Top Time model series was developed by Willy Breitling, the grandson of company founder Léon Breitling, who took charge of the company in 1932 at just 19 years of age. Despite his youth and the harsh realities of the ongoing Great Depression, Willy made a go of it, and he remains a key reason that Breitling still exists today.
By the early 1960s Willy Breitling recognized that chronographs were breaking out of their specialist niche and quickly picking up mainstream appeal among younger buyers. In 1964, Breitling introduced the Top Time as a more affordable chronograph with simple, elegant styling, targeting a more fashion-conscious younger crowd with a little less spending power than their older contemporaries.
The name was deliberately kept short, catchy, and English to ensure the collection was both memorable and approachable for first time buyers.
Initially, Breitling only offered the Top Time with a bicompax dial layout. The first references included the ref. 2002, which became famous almost overnight when a modified example was worn by James Bond in the 1965 007 film Thunderball – it’s now remembered as the very first watch modified by Q (it was equipped with a Geiger counter).
A new three-subdial version, the ref. 810, followed for timing longer events. Cases were available in round and cushion shapes, sized 35mm to 40mm, with Plexiglas crystals and manually wound movements from Venus and Valjoux. In the late 1960s, new variations launched including a “Racing” dial, and in the early 1970s a larger 43mm version appeared.
The movement is the newer Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 (B01), a self-winding integrated chronograph with a column wheel and vertical clutch, beating at 28,800 vph with 40 jewels and a 70 hour power reserve – it’s also COSC-certified as a chronometer.
The series was maintained until the mid-1970s, when the Quartz Crisis devastated traditional Swiss watchmaking. Willy Breitling died in 1979 after selling the struggling business to Ernest Schneider to ensure its survival – Schneider reopened Breitling in 1982 with a focus on aviation. The Top Time did not fit that mold and it disappeared for decades, but it wasn’t gone forever.
The Modern Relaunch Of The Series
The revival of the Top Time series came under CEO Georges Kern, who took charge after CVC Capital Partners acquired Breitling in 2017. Kern resurrected the Top Time in March of 2020 as a 2,000 piece limited edition with the iconic “Zorro” dial, powered by the ETA-based Caliber 23.
It sold out quickly and was followed by a broader relaunch in 2021. The collection became a platform for collaborations, classic car editions honoring the Corvette, Mustang, Shelby Cobra, and Thunderbird, plus partnerships with Triumph Motorcycles and Deus Ex Machina.
Beginning in 2023, Breitling introduced its in-house B01 caliber, this is a column-wheel chronograph with a 70 hour power reserve, and they used it in new Top Time chronograph releases (though some earlier ETA-based Caliber 23 models remained available alongside them).
Today the Breitling Top Time series remains true to its original roots, it’s a series of more affordable Breitling chronographs targeted at a younger crowd who still want an automatic chronograph, just without the five figure price tag.
The central chronograph seconds hand is shaped like a lightning bolt in red, a signature detail carried over from the two earlier Deus editions. The Deus shield emblem sits at 12 o’clock, and hour markers and hands are treated with Super-LumiNova for low-light legibility.
The Breitling Top Time Deus
The Breitling Top Time B01 Deus is a chronograph co-designed with Deus Ex Machina, the Australian custom motorcycle and surf lifestyle brand that was founded back in 2006. It’s the third watch to come from the ongoing Breitling-Deus collaboration, following two sold-out limited editions in 2021 and 2022, and unlike its predecessors it is part of Breitling’s permanent core collection rather than a limited run.
The watch is built around a 41mm polished stainless steel case, 13.3 mm thick, with a fixed polished bezel and a cambered sapphire crystal glareproofed on both sides. The caseback is a transparent sapphire crystal bearing a red Deus logo at its center, giving a view of the movement.
Water resistance is rated at 100 meters, that’s a significant step up from the 30 meters offered by the two earlier Deus limited editions. The crown is non-screw-locked with two gaskets, and the chronograph is operated via mushroom-style pushers at 2 and 4 o’clock.
The dial is black with three white “squircle” subdials, it has small seconds at 9 o’clock, a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, and a 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock, giving it a reverse-panda look.
The central chronograph seconds hand is shaped like a lightning bolt in red, a signature detail carried over from the two earlier Deus editions. The Deus shield emblem sits at 12 o’clock, and hour markers and hands are treated with Super-LumiNova for low-light legibility.
The watch is built around a 41mm polished stainless steel case, 13.3 mm thick, with a fixed polished bezel and a cambered sapphire crystal glareproofed on both sides. The caseback is a transparent sapphire crystal bearing a red Deus logo at its center, giving a view of the movement.
The movement is the newer Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 (B01), a self-winding integrated chronograph with a column wheel and vertical clutch, beating at 28,800 vph with 40 jewels and a 70 hour power reserve – it’s also COSC-certified as a chronometer.
It’s now available to buy direct from the official Breitling store here, and it comes with a five year warranty.
Images courtesy of Breitling
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