Rubber B has become well-known as a highly respected crafter of custom rubber watch bands for timepieces from some of the most respected watchmakers in the field, including such brands as Patek Philippe, IWC, and Breitling. It’s the last of these watchmakers that we will be further exploring a little bit in this piece – specifically, the Breitling Premier B01 timepiece.
The Breitling Premier B01 is one of the newer iterations of the company’s Premier line, which has a long history within the company. Because of the recent popularity of this newest iteration of the long-venerated watch series, it makes sense to try and understand why watch collectors are so enthusiastic about this particular timepiece.
We will begin by briefly going over the history of Breitling and this particular watch line, and then move on to examining the watch from a technical standpoint, learning more about the aesthetics of the piece itself, and then finally concluding by sharing our final thoughts on the piece.
A Brief History of Breitling
Breitling was originally founded in the French-speaking part of Switzerland in the late 1800’s by Leon Breitling. Though the company would go on to be successful in Switzerland for the next several decades, they would go on to be internationally prominent in the 1940’s.
This was because Breitling’s claim to fame in the watchmaking world has been as the first company to mass-produce a chronograph, which is an extremely precise kind of watch. Their watches became extremely popular during this time because of the advent of commercial air travel, which was seen as a novel and exciting form of travel at the time.
Because of the growing interest in air travel, commercial air pilots needed watches that were able to keep incredibly precise measurements to ensure that flights took off and landed when they were supposed to. The watch of choice for many pilots became a Breitling chronograph, and the company used this fact as an opportunity to promote their watches around the world.
The Breitling Premier B01 is an offshoot of the Breitling Premier line, which was originally designed by Willy Breitling in the 1940’s. The Premier line is one of the company’s more noticeable and prestigious product lines, so any update to an existing watch, or an outright new release within the line, is sure to generate attention within the horological community.
As we will see below, the Breitling Premier B01 is a very interesting watch in that it combines the vintage spirit of its predecessor watches with the very best in modern watchmaking technology.
What Are The Technical Specifications of the Breitling Premier B01?
One of the most important things to point out when discussing the Breitling Premier B01 from a technical standpoint is its movement. The watch is powered by the Breitling 01 caliber, which is manufactured in-house. This is significant for two reasons – one is that, for a very long time, Breitling did not produce their own movements, instead sourcing them from other companies.
The other is that the Breitling Premier B01 is a chronograph, and there are only a handful of companies in Switzerland that are able to craft watches that are certified chronographs. The standards for having a watch certified as a chronograph are very demanding, and as such, it means the craftspeople at Breitling are amongst the best in the world.
The Breitling Premier B01 has a power reserve of 70 hours and a chronograph that is capable of telling time to 1/4th of a second. It is also water-resistant for up to 330 feet, which is impressive, considering that this is not a dive watch by design. It is also slightly larger than the average men’s watch, as it measures at a case size of 42 mm, which is a millimeter larger than the average.
How Does the Breitling Premier B01 Fare in Terms of its Appearance?
When one looks at this watch, one of the first things that immediately stands out is what a beautiful timepiece this is. The Breitling Premier B01 may be very modern from a technical standpoint, but its design is very much vintage, with all of the elegance implied from a watch line that first appeared in the 1940’s.
Everything about this watch – its strap, the dial, the metal casing – very much hearkens back to a different time period, but that very much works in favor of the piece. In fact, this watch’s dial, which features a white face with two black sub-dials, has become so immediately recognizable that it has garnered a nickname among collectors – the “Panda.”
What Are Our Overall Thoughts on the Breitling Premier B01?
After looking at this watch more closely, it is hard to not be impressed at what an exquisite timepiece Breitling has managed to produce in this instance. Oftentimes, it can feel that a company is trying too hard when attempting to produce a “vintage” watch, but Breitling’s execution on the Breitling Premier B01 is so effective here that they should be commended for it.
Additionally, it is worth noting that the watch retails for $8,500, making it one of the more affordable luxury watches currently available on the market.
Are You in Need of a Custom Rubber Watch Band For Your Breitling Watch? Visit Rubber B Today
Rubber B has a variety of straps in different colors and styles in our product portfolio that are appropriate for both business/formal wear and more casual situations as well.
Every Rubber B custom rubber watch strap is made only from 100% vulcanized rubber, and all of our products are FDA and BVGG compliant as well.
If you would like to receive more information about our complete product catalog, pricing for our watch straps, or our shipping policies, simply visit the Rubber B website to learn more.
Follow us on Instagram
