A good watch at the wrong price
By Rafael Ortiz, Mexico City ยท
I really wanted to love this one. The Top Time name goes back to the 1960s, when Breitling made it for a younger crowd who wanted a stylish chronograph without the Navitimer's bezel clutter. This B01 version is clean and sharp in black with a tachymeter, and at 41 mm by 13.6 mm on 20 mm lugs it's a sensible size.
The B01 is a great chronograph movement: column wheel, vertical clutch, 70 hours. The pushers have that crisp click I like, and you can admire it through the open caseback.
So what's the problem? The price. Between 8,050 and 8,500 dollars, it sits right where you can buy a Navitimer or a Chronomat with the same engine and more history. And a tachymeter is the complication I use least. I'd rather have the Navitimer's slide rule, which I actually use once a month to check a fuel calculation for fun.
If you love the Top Time look, fine, but know you're paying full Breitling price for the model that's meant to be the playful one.