Breitling Named The Official Watch Partner Of Aston Martin And F1 Team

British ultra-luxury automaker Aston Martin announced Breitling as its Official Watch Partner, forging a collaboration that connects the two legendary brands with over a century of parallel histories. The global, multi-year partnership brings together Aston Martin’s world of stunning high-performance vehicles with the precision engineering and craftsmanship that defines Swiss watchmaking.

The partnership extends to motorsport as well, with Breitling becoming the Official Watch Partner for the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. For enthusiasts of both automotive excellence and horological mastery, this collaboration promises exclusive releases through its multi-year run, starting with the first Aston Martin-branded timepiece set to launch in 2026.

A Shared Legacy Dating Back Over a Century

The connection between these two brands runs deeper than a simple business arrangement. Both Aston Martin and Breitling emerged from an obsession with speed and meticulous attention to detail, with their histories intersecting at pivotal moments in automotive and watchmaking evolution.

In 1907, Leon Breitling introduced the Vitesse—French for “speed”—the first chronograph capable of measuring speeds up to 250 miles or kilometers per hour. The device proved so precise that Swiss police adopted it to issue the first speeding tickets. Just a few years later across the English Channel, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford were testing their hand-built sports car in a defining race up Aston Hill, a steep, chalky slope. The car won, and the Aston Martin name was born.

“Aston Martin and Breitling have crossed paths at key moments in design and culture,” says Adrian Hallmark, CEO of Aston Martin. “The partnership is a perfect showcase of excellence, design mastery and performance, something that is integral to everything that Aston Martin puts its name to.”

The 1960s: When Both Brands Became Cultural Icons

By the 1960s, both marques had evolved into symbols of style and modern engineering. Willy Breitling, the founder’s grandson, revolutionized postwar watchmaking with the Top Time chronograph—a watch designed for a new generation of speed and style enthusiasts. When Sean Connery wore it in Thunderball (1965) as the first Q-modified gadget watch in the James Bond franchise, the Top Time became an instant cultural icon.

Aston Martin achieved similar legendary status on four wheels. The DB5 made its debut in Goldfinger (1964) and returned in Thunderball, cementing its place in cinematic history. The fact that both brands appeared together in the same film captured the era’s fascination with James Bond’s world, where sophistication, speed, and high-tech intrigue converged.

Design Philosophy: Where Performance Meets Presence

The partnership between Aston Martin and Breitling makes sense when you consider their shared approach to design and engineering. Both brands obsess over every detail, ensuring that form follows function while creating objects of undeniable beauty.

“Aston Martin builds cars that are as much about presence as performance,” says Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling. “We share that same heritage of iconic design: every line, finish, and proportion has purpose. Nothing is left to chance.”

This philosophy of purposeful design will guide the collaboration as it spans the worlds of design, engineering, and speed. The partnership aims to deliver timepieces that embody the same principles that make Aston Martin vehicles objects of desire—meticulous craftsmanship, innovative engineering, and timeless aesthetics.

Navitimer B01: Racing Heritage Meets Modern Engineering

The partnership launches with the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, a watch that puts the legendary Navitimer back in the world of racing. Limited to just 1,959 pieces—a number that pays tribute to the year of Aston Martin’s first foray into Formula One—this timepiece is a masterclass in performance-oriented design.

Every element reflects racing DNA. The watch features Aston Martin Racing Green and lime accents drawn directly from the Aston Martin Aramco livery, creating an immediate visual connection to the F1 team. The lightweight titanium case marks a significant first for the Navitimer line, while the carbon fiber dial takes inspiration from materials found in an F1 car’s cockpit. Even the textured leather strap recalls a racing harness, and enhanced night-time visibility ensures the watch remains legible under any conditions—from the pit lane to the podium.

What’s Under the Hood: Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01

Flip the watch over, and the open sapphire-crystal caseback reveals what Breitling calls the watch’s “engine”: the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01. This COSC-certified chronometer delivers a 70-hour power reserve and is built for absolute timing accuracy under pressure—exactly what you’d expect from a watch designed for the world of motorsport.

The matte-black rotor, developed specially for this edition, is made of tungsten coated with high-durability PVD (physical vapor deposition) and features the Aston Martin Aramco logo. Additional caseback engravings include “One of 1959” and the phrase “Instruments for Drivers”—a nod to the functional, purpose-built nature of both brands’ creations.

From Track to Wrist: The Partnership in Action

The collaboration extends beyond the watchmaker’s bench and into the heart of Formula One competition. The Breitling logo will be visible on the Aston Martin Aramco car and team apparel starting from the team’s season launch on February 9, where the 2026 livery will be unveiled for the first time. The partnership makes its official on-track debut at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, March 6-8, 2026.

For those who love motorsport, this partnership represents something more than marketing synergy. It’s a union of two brands that have always pursued speed; from the chronograph to the car, the sky to the circuit. As this shared legacy continues to evolve, fans of Breitling, Aston Martin, and Aston Martin Aramco can look forward to exclusive releases throughout the multi-year partnership.

Time and speed, reunited.

Photos courtesy of Breitling