Is Breitling Gunning for Rolex With Its Latest Watch?

The new Top Time is a compact three-hander with some familiar design cues.

Published March 25, 2025

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Breitling has no shortage of legendary watches in its catalog. The Navitimer, arguably the best-known pilot’s chronograph ever, obviously leads the way. But models like the Chronomat, Aerospace and Superocean also have legions of fans.

One of my favorite lines of Breitling, which flies a bit under the radar, is the Top Time. It’s a vintage-inspired motorsports chronograph with an interesting history: Sean Connery’s James Bond wore a modified Top Time in the 1965 film Thunderball.

Now, Breitling has launched a new version of the Top Time unlike any we’ve seen before. It isn’t a chronograph; it’s a three-hand automatic with a date. And based on its styling, it appears primed to square off against one of Breitling’s biggest rivals.

a breitling watch on a mans wrist — We’ve never seen a Breitling quite like this before.

A New Era

The new Calibre B31 automatic that powers the watch is, believe it or not, Breitling’s first-ever three-hand manufacture movement designed and developed by the brand itself. Its previous three-hand manufacture calibres, like the B20 in the Superocean Heritage, were based on Tudor movements.

But unlike Breitling’s other recent in-house movements, it appears the B31 was not produced at Kenissi, the Le Locle-based manufacture owned by Tudor with which Breitling has a partnership. Instead, Breitling says the new Calibre is assembled partly in-house at Breitling and partly at AMT, Sellita’s high-end manufacturing arm La Chaux-de-Fonds.

a breitling watch with a display caseback showing its automatic movement — The B31 movement is visible through a display caseback.

The calibre took Breitling four years to develop and undergoes rigorous testing equivalent to 16 years of use, according to the brand. It’s a COSC-certified chronometer with 78 hours of power when fully wound and is decorated with some nice perlage and Geneva stripes along with a skeletonized rotor.

Breitling’s Datejust?

The internals are the most exciting thing about the new Top Time B31, but the watch’s styling is also worth noting.

At 38mm, it’s among the smallest men’s watches ever produced by modern Breitling, and its traditional size — combined with some intriguing stylistic choices — have me convinced that this is Breitling taking a swing at the Rolex Datejust.

a breitling watch outside — Take a Rolex Datejust, dial the sportiness up to 11, and you’ll probably end up with something like this.

Take a look at the baton hands and indices. Yes, they are borrowed from the Top Time Chronograph, but in this three-hand layout, they look very Rolex-y. Further driving home that point is the cyclops date window at 3 o’clock. That is a signature of the Datejust, and of Rolex in general, so seeing it pop up on a three-hand Breitling is a little jarring.

Water resistance is 100m, making it just as everyday-appropriate as a Datejust, and even the bracelet offered is the closest thing Breitling offers to a Rolex Oyster bracelet — Breitling’s slashed-Oyster “Professional” bracelet, complete with polished center links.

Despite its similarities, however, the new Top Time is no Datejust ripoff. Its vintage-inspired case is completely different, its bold minute track and use of multiple colors on the dial put it into far sportier territory, and it’s available on your choice of a bracelet or a perforated leather rallye strap. It also features a sapphire display back, something we’ll probably never see on a Datejust.

three breitling watches — Three colors of the Top Time B31 are available to start.

Pricing and Availability

With its everyday style, new in-house movement and “Rolex but make it sportier” vibes, I think the new Top Time three-hander is a big hit for Breitling. The brand certainly thinks so, too, as it has introduced movie star Austin Butler as the face of the watch for its initial campaign.

I think the Top Time B31 will appeal to people who like the idea of a Datejust but want something a bit more unique/visually interesting or are just looking to save a little money. A comparable steel Datejust in 36mm with a smooth bezel on an Oyster bracelet goes for $7,550, while the new Top Time B31 retails for just $5,900 on a bracelet or $5,600 on a strap.

It’s available now from Breitling.