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By all accounts, Breitling seems to be experiencing a renaissance moment thanks to a few strong back-to-back years. Inspiration from its historical archives, contemporary trend chasing, strategic brand ambassadors, and strong culture building with storytelling elements have culminated in a change of perception in the budding enthusiast. Not too long ago, the common discourse surrounding Breitling was one of a brand that had lost its way. Now, though, they seem to have successfully flipped the script and reestablished their offerings as genuine contenders in every category of the luxury market. This year, in particular, the enthusiast market has been quick to heap praise upon each new release in stark contrast to previous release cycles. Of those new releases, the new Breitling Top Time B31 stood out to me as one that warranted a deeper discussion and full hands-on review.
Part of a larger marketing push, Breitling took the opportunity to showcase three large pieces of information. First, dreamboat Austin Butler had signed on as the latest brand ambassador, clad in vintage motorcycle and mechanics attire. Second, a new collection of Top Time models would be available soon in a three-hand configuration, styled with a new design language. Third and finally, those Top Time watches would be powered by the new in-house automatic B31 movement. While the origins of that movement are still somewhat debated, it marks a significant push by Breitling to bring its entire movement lineup in-house while bolstering power reserve and keeping a closer eye on after-market servicing in the process. A very smart move by an independent brand, creeping up the sales charts year after year.
The right place at the right time seems to be Breitling’s modus operandi. Classic proportions in a traditional three-hand design, vibrant colors, and a touch of dial texture all scream that someone in a board room has been following watch trends. Add in capable specifications and a bit of a dressed-up appearance so it doesn’t look out of place at the stock exchange while being marketed to an aircraft mechanic, and you’ll have a hit that will continue to do well with subtle color iterations. Launching in three different dial variants, it was meant to take inspiration from vintage car clocks with each color scheme offering an automotive air. Due to its popularity, I still have not managed to handle the white dial encircled by the thin powder blue chapter ring, but can confidently say that the dark green and blue versions offer striking visuals with well-complemented outer minute tracks. For this review, however, I strongly preferred to spend time with the electric indigo blue dial.
Measuring in at 38mm in diameter, the Top Time B31 presents smaller than its on-paper proportions while wearing true to its intended sizes. Perhaps diminished by its polished bezel and white dial confines, the dial presents small but uses its liveliness in color and slight texture to compensate. At 10.6mm thick, the Top Time can easily slide under a cuff when needed, making for an excellent, out-of-the-way everyday wearing watch. Aided by a compact 45.6mm lug to lug, it’s well suited for the masses, looking right at home on my large wrists, though finding its best self on those with smaller to medium-sized wrists. Opting for the bracelet does help it wear a little larger for those who feel it appears a bit too small. For just a $300 upcharge, I highly recommend that route anyway, as it is a very comfortable bracelet, though this watch looks like it was designed for a leather strap. Set between the 20mm lugs on this version is the blue calf leather strap with contrasting white stitching tapering to 18mm before terminating at a steel buckle. Out of the box, it is stiff but breaks in nicely and should age well given its thick nature. Oddly, the rally-style holes on the strap are only punches through the top layer of the leather rather than carrying through the strap as is typical, but it still makes it look a bit sportier without drawing too much attention.
Case architecture appears somewhat simple at first glance but does hide a few subtle details to draw the eye in for a glancing moment. Giving the appearance of modular construction, the central portion of the case is crafted in a way that makes it seem as though the top and bottom portions have been finished in separate wings and fixed together in final assembly. Polishing covers every anterior surface, transitioning to very fine vertical brushing at the false seam before the 90-degree case sides. The gentle slope of the bezel matches that of the lugs, creating a cohesive visual that both diminishes the overall heft of the steel case while letting light elegantly fall away from the dial. At 3 o’clock, the push-pull crown steps away from the case with a structure that will make you second-guess time and time again as to whether you have to unscrew it or just tug at it. Mind you, the watch does still achieve a capable 100 meters of water resistance without having to rely on a screw down crown, though visually it will play a trick on the owner now and then. Flipping the watch over reveals the B31 automatic in-house movement visible through the screw down sapphire caseback. While it is not revolutionary by any means, it is fantastic to see a brand offer 100 meters with a display caseback and a non screw down crown without beefing up the thickness to an uncomfortable dimension.
Returning to the dial side, you will sometimes find your eye rolling over the internal edges of the cambered sapphire crystal equipped with a near-perfect antireflective treatment on both sides. Two fair criticisms some may call out will be the cyclops and the visual distortion on its outer edge. The first of which has been the target of internet vitriol since the Seiko Turtle became an icon (yes, I know it started on the Datejust in the 50s, but we didn’t have the internet then) and, quite frankly, adds a bit of vintage charm and functionality without offending me. The second though sometimes inhibits your ability to easily read the minutes at a certain angle. Obviously, the wearer doesn’t need to read the actual numbers to tell the time; however, I could understand where that slight distortion could be a very slight annoyance.
At its perimeter, the white chapter ring holds minimal markers with Arabic numerals marking every 5 minutes and dashes splitting the difference. Set beneath is the primary dial surface holding the remaining dial details about its vibrant surface. Finished with a fine vertical brushing, the vibrant blue appears much flatter and darker at angles, leaping to life as it rolls towards the light as if electrified by the source. At its perimeter, a white printed seconds track with split-second hashes surrounds the applied polished rectangular indices, each holding its own strip of lume except at three, where the date window reveals the white date disk. The skeletonized baton hands hold their own differentiated portion of lume, while the bright orange painted seconds hand ticks just above. Breitling has stuck with the elegant applied script “B” logo for the Top Time rather than wings while printing the remaining dial text in white. Overall, legibility is clean with excellent contrast. The multiple finishing techniques and varying planes catch light at different times, putting on somewhat of a show with a very elevated appearance. Breilting has packed enough detail and cheerfulness into the presentation to capture the attention of a casual window-shopper peering into a boutique.
As I mentioned earlier, powering the Top Time for the first time is the brand new, in-house Breitling caliber B31 movement. Operating at 4 Hz, or 28,800vph, the B31 achieves a very impressive 78 hours of power reserve while still boasting Chronometer Certification (COSC). With this being a Breitling-manufactured movement, that also means that they will warranty it for 5 years rather than the standard 2-year warranty that they offer for non-in-house movement watches. Decorated with Geneva Stripes and a bit of perlage, it leans a bit more on the elevated industrial side of finishing while offering a decent enough visual to still warrant a view through the exhibition caseback. Some have been quick to call out the visual similarities between the TAG Heuer TH31 and B31 movements, which both appear to be produced by Selitta, though developed by each individual brand. If you break them down, however, you will find that they were most likely built from a similar starting point, though ultimately reached different end goals aimed at their respective places in the market. Overall, the B31 is a solid movement and a welcome addition to the Breitling lineup that we have already started to see creep into the rest of the catalog, like the new Superocean Heritage B31.
A quick glance around will reveal three main competitors. The Tudor Black Bay One 39 at $4,275 on bracelet, the Omega Aqua Terra Shades 38mm at $7,000 on its bracelet, and the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36mm at $6,350 on its bracelet. For comparison, the Breitling Top Time B31 on bracelet retails for $5,900. For a significantly lower price point, you can pick up the Black Bay One, though personally, I find price justification quickly apparent on this one. The design on the Black Bay One is a bit lacking yet somehow imposing with simplified finishing, though it still offers solid construction with the same water resistance, COSC certification with slightly less power reserve, and the dreaded 21mm lug width. Rolex is, well, Rolex, and will offer you COSC+ certification with 8 hours less power reserve, the same water resistance, a smaller case by two millimeters, a much simpler dial, and an admittedly very refined aesthetic for $450 more if you can find one. Only the Aqua Terra hits the same goldilocks dimension of 38mm that the Top Time does, while being much thicker with a lesser power reserve, a higher price point, and in my opinion, a more boring dial design. Sure, it does boast an additional, though never needed, 50 meters of water resistance and METAS certification along with OMEGA’s level of finishing, for justification for the price point. All of this to say, the Top Time B31 places itself very competitively in the middle of the pack, offering some key selling points that may push those considering these other models towards it. I would not be surprised to hear that a customer, while waiting for a pistachio OP purchased the green Top Time or that while walking to the Omga AD, stopped into Breitling and purchased the Blue Dial B31 instead.
The Top Time B31 is a really interesting release at just the right time from Breitling as the brand works to start filling gaps left in its catalog for years and starts to disassociate its name from the sketchy crowd. It has mass market appeal and oozes charm, though does still fall a bit short in a few small areas. I wish that some of the dial’s romance had dripped from its surface onto the case structure just a little bit, as it feels slightly sterile in contrast. Perhaps the juxtaposition makes me love the dial more, but still, I think a bit more could have been done. Then there is the movement. With such large plates dominating the visuals and the B31 being such an important part of the story, I wish Breitling had taken the time to give it its moment with a bit more decoration. But those are nitpicks on an otherwise excellent everyday or dress watch. The Top Time B31 could easily serve as someone’s first high-end luxury watch or that excellent three-hand hander to round out a collection. They have enough characteristics to differentiate themselves in the market and now sit at a very interesting place in terms of price and specifications as well compared to the competition. Breitling
