The Breitling Premier Norton Edition is a potent representation of a partnership between two iconic brands that share intriguingly similar timelines and powerful legacies. The watch expresses the style and performance expected from a maker of refined Swiss watches and a motorcycle brand renowned for its exclusive British engineering.
The Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Norton Edition celebrates the partnership between the prestige watch brand Breitling and British motorcycle company Norton, known worldwide for its high-performance motorcycles. The watch is part of Breitling’s Premier collection, a family of elegant watches defined by their fashionable flair. The new Norton Edition is a distinctive interpretation of the Premier that makes a bold urban chic style statement. Willy Breitling was famously quoted as saying: “When a man puts on his Breitling, there is the unmistakable stamp of impeccable taste.” A Norton motorcycle is a similar sign of its owner’s personal flair.
Breitling CEO Georges Kern says that his brand has striking parallels with Norton Motorcycles: “Breitling and Norton are both innovative and entrepreneurial and have powerful legacies. This new watch honors the great partnership between these two aspirational brands.” He smiles and adds, “I think that anyone who puts one on might suddenly imagine ‘Born to be Wild’ playing somewhere in the background.”
Stuart Garner, CEO of Norton, agrees: “Breitling’s new Premier Norton Edition incorporates DNA elements from both brands, offering wristwatch and motorcycle fans the opportunity to express their individuality, and perfectly embodies the nature of our brands.”
A Watch That Reflects Two Great Brands
Breitling and Norton Motorcycles share a strong heritage. Both were founded in the nineteenth century by visionaries who gave their names to their companies and, to a large extent, defined their industries. When James Lansdowne Norton set up his company – a manufacturer of “fittings and parts for the two-wheel trade” – in 1898 and produced his first motorcycles in 1902, Léon Breitling had already been making watches in the Swiss Jura Mountains for more than a decade. And both brands have also been featured in James Bond films – 007 wore a Breitling Top Time in 1965’s Thunderball and a Norton Dominator SS had a supporting role in Spectre (2015).
The Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Norton Edition reflects the cultures and values of these two great brands. Its 42-millimeter stainless-steel case, water-resistant to 10 bar (100 meters) is distinctive: a “Norton” logo is engraved on a plate on the left side of the case, and the transparent caseback features a printed Norton motorcycle and logo.
The elegant black dial with golden numerals and hour and minute hands offers an intriguing contrast to the brown vintage raw-leather strap that will appeal both to watch enthusiasts and serious motorcyclists. The model is also available with a stylish stainless-steel bracelet. The silver subdials – a chronograph minute counter at 3 o’clock and a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock – against the black dial indicate the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 at the heart of this watch, which delivers an impressive power reserve of approximately 70 hours.
The COSC-certified chronometer features a black tachymeter scale on a white inner bezel around the dial, with “TACHYMETER” inscribed in red. The hour and minute hands are coated with Super-LumiNova®, which makes them highly legible on any route a biker might choose, from a city street to a remote back road.
The Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Norton Edition is just the beginning of a special partnership between two extraordinary brands. Some new surprises will be announced throughout the year.
The Ultimate Accessory for Your Premier B01 Chronograph Norton Edition: The Norton Commando 961 Café Racer MKII Breitling Limited Edition Motorcycle
When you slip on your Premier Norton Edition watch, you will be wearing a timepiece that reflects a partnership between two great brands. And you might find yourself longing for a powerful, stylishly iconic motorcycle worthy of the watch. Our friends at Norton have created the perfect solution. The Commando 961 Café Racer MKII Breitling Limited Edition recalls the classic appearance and style of the great old style café racers but offers modern state-of-the-art components and engineering. Its 961 cc engine was developed in-house by Norton and delivers the performance you would expect from one of the world’s great motorcycle brands. This special Breitling Limited Edition is being created in a series limited to 77 motorcycles. It is distinguished by a vintage Breitling “B” engraved on the clutch box, Breitling-designed speedometer and tachometer dials, and a black-on-black vintage “B” stitched into the saddle. This incredible statement-making motorcycle is available for purchase through Norton’s distribution network.
Breitling Premier: Style, Purpose, and Action
In the 1940s, Breitling introduced the first Premier watches, its first collection of truly elegant timepieces, which were defined by their fashionable flair. The new Breitling Premier collection, launched in 2018, combines purpose with style, delivering quality, performance, and timeless design that are worthy of Breitling’s proud legacy.
The original Breitling Premier watches made powerful fashion statements and were perfect accompaniments to the remarkable changes taking place all over the world in the 1940s. The models in the new collection extend and renew that legacy – they reflect the heritage and the historic design codes of a great brand, but they also express an urban flair and a passion for excellence. They reflect a proud history, yet will never go out of style. Further, their elegance, performance, and quality are everything you would expect from Breitling, which now, more than ever, is an authentic brand for individuals of style, purpose, and action.