Site MapBreitling Salutes Car Culture With New Watches
A reminder in watch form of what we had
There are a few classics that come to mind when one thinks back on American sports cars of the past. But for the discerning enthusiast, none call upon as vivid an image of true Americana like the iconic roadsters of the sixties. There’s the Chevy Corvette with its unique long front–end housing, the Shelby Cobra with the pronounced white on blue racing stripes, and of course the Ford Mustang and the iconic galloping horse on grill.
The history and cultural impact of these cars is significant to say the least. So much so that even those who aren’t strictly enthusiasts that attend the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance know what a Mustang is when they see one, and what it means to own a classic 1965 straight-six version. These cars are stand-outs for anyone, which is why Breitling decided to honor them with a series of watches.
The legendary Swiss watchmaker has released three limited-edition watches in honor of these great machines. It’s fitting since Breitling has such a strong connection to the time in which these cars came of age. The time piece manufacturer, in a then nascent practice, which is now a mainstay, had James Bond wear their watch in Thunderball (1965), which was right around the time that these cars were roaring into the Zeitgeist.
The cars represented the indomitable spirit of humanity, able to achieve great things through perseverance and grit. The watches that Breitling has created remind us of that spirit with simple yet evocative design.
“These disruptive chronographs with a motoring twist stand out for their bold dial colors with orange and yellow or red and blue touches and racing-themed watch straps in calfskin leather,” wrote Breitling in the news release notes.
There’s also something about the analog mechanics of these machines that connect them. These watches, despite costing a lot more, will not measure your pulse or how many steps you’ve taken. They will only tell you what time it is with an unmatched precision. Likewise the Shelby Cobra won’t yelp at you when your rear bumper nears the bumper of another car, or tell you how close you are to a CVS. It will simply let you know that you are alive as you zoom down a track with wind whipping at your face.
