EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
Breitling collaborates with Victoria Beckham to create a limited edition version of its Chronomat timepiece.
Breitling has long been recognised for its pilot watches and, in more recent times, its sports timepieces, namely the Superocean, which has become a go-to diving watch for those looking to combine style and functionality. One of the few luxury watch brands to be independently owned, Breitling has continued to do things its own way and, under the guidance of chief executive Georges Kern, has transformed over the past six years. Today, the new Breitling is cooler, bolder and more adventurous than ever, and it is also appealing to a much wider target audience.
Breitling has further expanded its elegant timepieces over the past few years with the Chronomat and Navitimer, which appeal to both genders. This year, the brand has decided to take things further, collaborating with British fashion designer Victoria Beckham on a limited-edition Chronomat 36 that combines Breitling’s bold, audacious aesthetic with Beckham’s elegant signature style.
“Working with Victoria felt like a natural fit,” Kern tells Luxury. “The women’s market is more important than ever. Breitling is the cool and relaxed alternative in the watch industry in regard to product design and advertising, steering away from the conventional notion of the purely romantic and classic timepiece. Breitling women are multifaceted – businesswomen, surfers, motorcyclists or pilots.”
Kern, who has been at the helm of the brand since 2017 and has spearheaded its reinvention, is also referring to some of the members of Breitling’s squad concept, which has seen the likes of actress Charlize Theron, ballet dancer Misty Copeland and snowboarder Chloe Kim front its campaigns in groups that appear approachable, cool and relaxed.
In contrast, the Victoria Beckham collaboration has elevated the brand in a different way, with a highfashion campaign, shot by Italian photographer Mario Sorrenti and featuring rising-star model Annemary Aderibigbe. “The reason we approached Victoria Beckham is that her brand shares the same ideals of quiet luxury and understated elegance, wearable in every facet of life. Victoria perfectly incorporates this, which made her the perfect fit to lend the classic yet versatile Chronomat her signature style,” says Kern.
The Breitling Chronomat 36 was chosen by Beckham herself, who then set about putting her own stamp on the design. This played out as a colourful twist on the line’s 36-inch dial timepiece, using yellow gold for the first time on this particular line, juxtaposed with colourways inspired by her own spring/summer 2024 palette, including peppermint, midnight blue, dove grey and sand. “Refined details such as Victoria Beckham’s initials on the second hand and the limited-edition inscription on the dial, instead of an engraving on the caseback, complete the new design. The result is a chic, all-purpose timepiece for women who want the best of both worlds – fashion and function,” adds Kern.
“High fashion and horology bring together the cra smanship and heritage of watchmaking with the style and influence of renowned fashion designers. The Chronomat is already a versatile watch with a classic form, and with Victoria Beckham’s signature style, this collection is a modern, radiant expression of that timepiece.” The model features the watchmaker’s in-house Breitling Caliber 10 movement and is presented in a specially designed co-branded box, and also comes with a travel pouch. Like all Breitling watches, each piece has achieved the esteemed Contrôle officiel suisse des chronomètres certification, which highlights its quality, precision and performance. The capsule collection is the latest step in the brand’s exploration of women’s watches, an area that Kern believes has a lot of potential for growth. “The women’s market represents an enormous potential for our brand. We continuously expanded the female offering in the past years. It is an important segment that we want to enlarge, [it is] currently 12% and we want to grow to 30%.” While Breitling has a strong history with the women’s segment, from its streamlined timepieces to elaborate jewellery-like watches, new offerings in the past few years have led to further growth.
The collaboration, which combines the Swiss watch brand’s cra smanship with Beckham’s modern, understated aesthetic, is limited to 1,500 pieces – available globally, including at Breitling’s Dubai Mall store. Making reference to this limitation, “One of 400” is engraved on the dial of each of the stainlesssteel pieces and “One of 100” appears on each of the gold variations.
“With this collaboration, Breitling will tap into the world of fashion, something not every watch brand could do. [Beckham’s] relevance within the fashion industry enables us to speak to fashion-savvy women while simultaneously reaching a broader female audience,” says Kern.