Established timekeepers like Breitling are quickly adopting additional electronic capabilities, as in this latest connected timepiece created for Bentley.
The Apple Watch may garner the proverbial lion’s share of attention when it comes to smartwatches, but it’s not the only player in the game.
The Breitling for Bentley Supersports B55 is designed to adorn the wrists of those driving the new Continental Supersports – Bentley’s most powerful and fastest model to date, with 700 horsepower on tap propelling the big coupe to 62 in 3.5 seconds en route to a top speed of 211 mph.
To complement Crewe’s latest, Breitling developed a connected watch with its own in-house electronic, thermo-compensated, certified chronometer SuperQuartz movement designed for motorsports. So not only does it have a flyback chronograph, lap timer, and electronic tachymeter, but also a unique Chrono Race function to record split lap times and calculate the average between them; a Chrono Rally setting that can record times from up to 30 stages, time- and date-stamped with deducted penalties; and a Regularity Rally setting especially useful for classic revival rallies.
The timepiece also keeps track of a second time zone, and interfaces with your smartphone to store or share data through a specially designed app. The high-tech device is enveloped in a 46-millimeter titanium case with a carbon-fiber dial and dual backlit LCD displays that light up when either the crown is depressed or the wrist is tilted. And it’s all affixed to the wearer’s wrist with a red-edged black rubber strap. While you may not have to own a Continental Supersports to buy the watch, there’ll only be 500 examples made, and Breitlings don’t exactly sell for Casio money.
The B55 is the latest in a long string of timepieces crafted by Breitling for Bentley, stretching back to 2003 when the Swiss watchmaker crafted the dashboard clock for the Continental GT that launched the British automaker into the modern era. The latest Supersports model is powered by an evolution of the same 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 engine, but with nearly 150 more horsepower at the disposal of your right foot.
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