Geneva—Breitling announced Oscar-nominated actor Austin Butler as its latest brand ambassador and the face of its new “Top Time B31” campaign.
The watch brand chose Butler for his effortless confidence and free-spirited energy, which matches its latest collection, said Breitling.
His breakthrough performances include “Elvis,” “Dune 2,” and “The Bikeriders,” while some may know him from his early work on the Nickelodeon series “Zoey 101.”
A defining talent of his generation, said Breitling, his career has been defined by freedom—choosing his roles, crafting his characters, and collaborating with Hollywood’s biggest names.
“Breitling, for me, is about adventure and pushing the limits of what’s possible. The Top Time speaks to the way I’ve always wanted to live my life; free and ready to rock’n’roll. It’s a thrill to be part of the squad.”
Throughout the campaign, Butler is seen wearing pieces from the Top Time B31 collection while riding his motorcycle and playing guitar—two things he enjoys doing in his downtime.
“I spent time with Austin on the campaign set and was blown away by his dedication and attention to detail,” said Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling.
“He cares about getting everything just right—something we relate to at Breitling.”
The Top Time B31 collection includes three watches, all featuring the brand’s first exclusive manufacture three-hand movement.
The Top Time style was first seen in the 1960s, when it was built for speed and style, which appealed to both men and women. It became a favorite for motorsport enthusiasts, fashion icons, and fictional secret agent James Bond—who wore a Q-modified “Top Time” in the 1965 film, “Thunderball.”
Today, the style has been reimagined as a time-only series rather than a chronograph.
The Top Time B31 now uses a Caliber B31 as a return to the fundamentals of watchmaking and to deliver a robust performance in a sleek, modern form, said the brand.
“This is watching distilled to its essentials—pure timekeeping, easy wearability, and distinct character,” said Kern.
Breitling’s “Top Time B31” collection includes three dial designs along with a blue (not seen here), green, or beige racing-themed calfskin leather strap or stainless-steel bracelet ($5,600 for leather strap, $5,900 or stainless-steel bracelet)
The piece keeps its 38 mm size while debuting the first Breitling-designed and developed manufacture three-hand movement.
The new caliber took four years to create, building on the engineering that was established in 2009 with the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01.
It uses a free-sprung balance wheel for improved precision and a skeletonized bidirectional oscillating weight powering the automatic movement.
The caliber is a COSC-certified chronometer that has undergone testing equivalent to 16 years of use, from 100,000 crown winds to 3,456,000 weight turns and 60,000 shocks at 500 G.
It will stay powered for about 78 hours off the wrist and comes with a five-year warranty.
The watch’s caseback is open via a sapphire crystal to view the features of the Caliber B31, with elements finished in Geneva stripes and perlage.
The dial is available in three designs; blue with a white inner ring, green with a black inner ring, or white with a sky blue inner ring. They coordinate with the blue, green, or beige racing-themed calfskin leather strap (inspired by the collection’s racing roots), respectively.
However, each design is also available with a three-row stainless-steel bracelet featuring an asymmetrical center link (a signature Breitling design to add a sportier feel) rather than the strap.
Its bold tachymeter scale uses three-hands to keep the focus on the minutes and second in the contrasting inner bezel ring.
The dial also features applied indexes, a magnified date aperture, and a bright orange seconds hand to add a defining detail across all three colorways.
The Top Time B31 watch retails for $5,600 with the leather strap or $5,900 with the stainless-steel bracelet.
It debuted on Tuesday and is available, along with Butler’s campaign, on the Breitling website.
Along with releasing new collections and featuring new brand ambassadors, Breitling has been acquiring watch brands from the 1800s.
It bought Gallet, a watch brand founded in 1826 and popular in the early days of long-distance travel, on March 10, and back in December 2023 it purchased Universal Genève, a Swiss watch brand from 1894.
While Breitling plans to position Gallet as the “luxury entry-level sibling brand to Breitling,” the brand said in 2023 that it would be hiring a dedicated team for Universal Genève to operate it as a separate brand.