Breitling is set to make its debut in the sport of Formula 1 this year thanks to an official partnership with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. The move marks a broader trend from the brand, which has been increasing its visibility to new markets through the world of sports, and, at the moment, none is hotter than that of F1. The build up to the 2026 season, which brings with it a highly anticipated new regulation set, has already begun with each team revealing their cars’ new livery. The Aston Martin AMR26 designed by Adrian Newy is set to be introduced on February 9. We now know that Breitling will be a part of that design. And, of course, Breitling is launching a new Navitimer B01 Chronograph in honor of the partnership. 

This may be Breitling’s first formal foray into Formula 1, but the brand’s connections to the sport through history are well documented. “We’ve always been there,” Breitling CEO Georges Kern tells Robb Report. Drivers from the ‘60s and ‘70s, from Jack Brabham to Graham Hill and Jim Clark, were all documented to have worn and used their Breitling watches as timing devices. These personal connections often carry more weight than any formal partnership ever could, but this foundation provides context to the watches the brand makes today. Additionally, there exists a tenuous connection between Breitling and Aston Martin, both were used by James Bond as portrayed by Sean Connery in the 1965 Terence Young film, Thunderball. Not that it really needed it, but it does lend a bit of cool factor here. 

As for the watch, the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team is the first Navitimer to feature a titanium case. The watch also gets a carbon fiber dial with green undertones and a bright green timing seconds hand. A belt-inspired leather strap reinforces the automotive ties with an interior executed in British Racing Green. An open caseback reveals a view of Breitling’s manufacture B01 automatic chronograph movement, which is COSC certified. Just 1,959 examples are planned for production, a number that serves as a nod to the year Aston Martin entered Formula 1. 

As for the partnership, Breitling CEO Georges Kern says it is “a huge investment for the brand,” reinforcing his long-time love of the Aston Martin. And though the exact terms of the deal haven’t been made clear, he adds, “this is just the beginning.”