The Breitling Watch Source Forums

What's people's thoughts on this new Top Time LE?

https://www.breitling.com/gb-en/watches ... 33101A1A1/

Got to be honest, I immediately thought, "oh that's nice", and then the more I looked at it, the more I found that I didn't like.

I like -
- The size
- The dial colour
- The sub-dial shape (the somewhat cheesily named "squircle")
- The handset colour
- The strap

I dislike -
- The Migauss rip-off chrono-seconds hand
- The "In Benzin Veritas" on the tachymeter scale. (Should be on the caseback only. Or nowhere)
- The Deus logo on the dial. (Yes I know that's the whole point of this LE, but I still don't like it. Again, should be on the caseback only. Or nowhere)
- The B23 - small point, but I'd like Breitling to be all in-house by this point although I know the intention is to cater for a wide price-range.
- More of a general point, I just dislike collaboration pieces with totally unrelated industries.

Lose all the Deus fluff on it, change the chrono-seconds hand, stick in a B01 bi-compax movement, it this would've been a winner in my book.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I agree with your dislikes, 1-2-3 &-5. The in-house is not a deal-breaker for me as it helps keep the price realistic for many. I generally like the piece but can not say I would be pulling out my wallet for one. I would pay the extra and go for the Premier but that is another conversation I would have to have with my wife. Just my opinion.
Be safe all.

So, basically if it had been a completely different watch

I completely agree Driver on all your points but like Frank, in house isn’t a deal breaker for me. I didn’t even notice the chrono seconds hand when I first looked at it and now that you mention it, it really stands out to me. I don’t get the partnership here but I’m also not familiar with the brand but I don’t think I’m alone on this one. If this was just a standard release with a vintage vibe and without the added text and logos on the dial, I think it could be a winner.

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Justin
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I like the overall look but branding on the dial would keep me away. And I hate the lighting bolt second hand. So lose the logo and give it a normal second hand and I would consider it.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

I’m not a motorcycle person and never heard of Deuz before. I presume they’ll need 1500 Deuz fans to put their hands in their pockets for this. Hopefully they exist! I guess they’re in Australia. I don’t mind the features you mention Driver - you need something to make models stand out or they become all the same watch with just a different dial (which when you lose the sweep hand it kind of is)

Pretty much, yeah!

I personally think the "Norton" Premier was far better (i.e. subtly) executed.

To be fair, as I say, there's elements I really do like and I can understand the use of B23 to keep costs down, but I don't like overt collaboration branding, and especially not the taking up of tachymeter space for Deus's "In Benzin Veritas" wording, which strikes me as a bit odd considering it sort of means "In Petrol is Truth" / "In Petrol we Trust", which isn't exactly in line with Breitling new sustainability ethos either (It might've been better with "In Ventus Veritas", or "In Crus Potentia Veritas"! ).

Personally speaking, this sort of collaboration really makes me lament the disappearance of the niche aviation links that drew me to the brand in the first place.

But judging by the outpouring of love for this new one on FB, it looks like another winner for Breitling.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Agreed, but I just can't unsee "Milgauss" when I look at that centre seconds....

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Facebook would be the last source that I would utilize in determining whether or not to buy a watch. Way too many fan boys (and girls) on the Breitling related sites who oooh and aaah everything but rarely go into their pockets to actually buy a watch. When constructive criticism is offered it is quickly shouted down by the Breitling "crowd"!

Reading the above comments I had to flip back and forth between the comments and pictures of the watch, I missed all of the "design" cues because when I first saw the watch, I saw the dial and said thank you, but no thank you. I am not a big fan of the top time re-editions. As someone from the states I guess I am still upset that they haven't done a collaboration with "Harley-Davidson"! LOL

This piece is interesting, but not one I would ever buy. It looks too 1970s for my tastes -- the squircles, shape of the inset hands, and color palate all point back to when all those things were a fad. And there's a reason they were a fad -- along with tube socks, platform shoes, and huge eyeglasses!

Like others, I have never heard of Deus. I do find it interesting that a brand that has positioned itself as so eco-friendly that they lauded reducing the carbon footprint by eliminating traditional packaging and hyped overpriced straps made of recycled junk as a luxury way to save the oceans, only to now tout petrol as king. Very confusing! I was never convinced that Breitling was all that into eco-friendly productions, and this seems to show that all that was just lip service to those consumers who are concerned about it. Personally, I wish they would just drop all the eco-based patting themselves on the back. If you want to make straps out of junk and reduce the carbon footprint, then just do it without making a big deal about it. It makes me question your motives and judge you for everything else that doesn't measure up to that standard, like this watch.

I HATE the crude sketch engraved on the caseback, and I really dislike the sketched logo on the dial. They goes against everything I think of when I imagine a Breitling watch. I searched around a bit this morning out of curiosity, and I see that those types of sketches are used as a motif in some of their shops, but they aren't used exclusively. There are large murals that have more refined drawings that would be a lot more appropriate for a caseback. Or just leave it off. Often times, less is more when it comes to design. (I think one or more of my German industrial design professors beat that into my head!)

I haven't been able to figure out why the red and orange bands are on the tachymeter. Does anyone know why these are highlighting those particular speed ranges?

I like it much more than some here: I find the style, colour, and especially hands very appealing. My one reservation is the protruberance of those pushers - they do look very extreme. I've got pump-style pushers on one of my Zeniths but they don't stick out nearly so much.

Some people are really overthinking this one. It’s a small collaborative run that takes most components out of the parts bin and extends the range of Top Time tributes. No harm done to either brand and Breitling is likely to make a larger premium on the sale of each watch.

Not sure the reason to do something is “it doesn’t cause harm”!

So you didn’t read the rest of the sentence?

I wouldn't say anyone's overthinking - it's just opinions on a new model.... which is all forums are really.

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Driver8

Site Moderator