The Breitling Premier | family history
The Premier is Breitling's dress-chronograph line, revived in 2018 from the brand's 1943 off-duty watch archive. The case is thinner than any Breitling sport reference, the dial enamel option is one of the few in the modern Breitling catalog, and the B01 in-house chronograph caliber underneath carries the same specification as the Navitimer B01. For buyers who want a Breitling without the instrument-watch bulk, the Premier is the correct family.
Breitling’s dress-chronograph revival, drawn from the 1943 Premier line, the brand’s chronograph designed to be worn off-duty. The modern B01 generation pairs the in-house chronograph caliber with a sub-14mm case and curved-lug profile.
1943 · Original Premier line
Breitling launched the Premier as an off-duty dress watch for professional pilots who wanted to wear the brand away from the cockpit. The thinner case, curved lugs, and refined dial vocabulary distinguished it from the instrument watches the brand supplied for professional aviation use.
No references from this era in the catalog yet.
2018-present · Modern revival generation
The 2018 revival carries the B01 in-house chronograph caliber in a 42mm case under 14mm thick. The enamel dial variant is the most technically distinctive reference in the family. The Premier B01 Chronograph 42 with blue dial on leather is the most-collected reference from current production.
No references from this era in the catalog yet.
How to read this family
Two honest questions for any Premier buyer:
- Premier or Navitimer for a Breitling chronograph? The Navitimer has the slide-rule bezel and the instrument-watch heritage. The Premier is thinner, dressier, and more appropriate across formal contexts. Both carry the B01. The choice is wear environment and aesthetic preference, not movement quality.
- Standard lacquer or enamel dial? The enamel dial is a genuinely different object: deeper color, micro-texture, fire-hardened. It commands a premium and is harder to find. If you care about dial craft, the enamel is worth seeking out. If the dial is background to the movement and case, the standard lacquer is fine.
Related families: Navitimer · Navitimer 8
References in this family
Which ref to buy
Premier is Breitling's dress and dress-sport line -- slim profiles, elegant dials, and a step back from the instrument-watch bombast. The family draws on pre-1970s Breitling dress chronograph history. It attracts buyers who appreciate Breitling heritage but find the Navitimer and Avenger too aggressive for daily wear.
- 1Open
Premier B01 Chronograph 42 -- the serious option with the full in-house movement.
- The case for it:
- Cal. B01 in a slim, elegant 42mm dress case is a rare combination. The three-register chronograph layout is cleaner than the Navitimer. Breitling's best movement in its most wearable format -- strong value for a manufacture chronograph at this price.
- Consider instead if:
- Longines and Tissot offer comparable chronograph movements in dress cases at notably lower prices. The Breitling name premium is real here.
- 2Open
Premier Heritage 40 -- the smaller, vintage-inspired entry with a more modest movement.
- The case for it:
- The 40mm case and aged-look dial are excellent for buyers who want a dressy chronograph without calling attention to it. Proportions suit smaller wrists well.
- Consider instead if:
- The Heritage 40 does not use Cal. B01 -- it runs on a non-manufacture ebauche. For the same money, the Premier B01 is the stronger buy unless you specifically want the 40mm size.
Rankings last reviewed 2026-06-07. Editorial perspective only. Not financial advice.