Sameera Gamage 
Breitling’s latest Top Time releases pay tribute to cycling legends Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi, blending heritage with the brand’s signature style. I take these timepieces hands-on for review to see if they live up to their promise, both on the wrist and paper.
What We Love:
- These new watches offer a refreshing new take on a collection currently dominated by motorsports.
- Timepieces are eye-catching while staying true to Top Time design and colours that represent the respective cycling legends.
- The mechanical performance matches the vibrant design, offering a well-rounded package for those who want a fun and reliable timepiece on their wrist.
What We Don’t:
- The case will wear slightly larger on smaller wrists, especially with its lug-to-lug presence.
- As with all Top Time Chronograph timepeices, lack of date window might be a drawback for those that prefer the added practicality.
- Personal choice, but would have loved to see a yellow dial with blue accents for Gino Barali model, offering another new look to the Top Time collection alongside the Fausto Coppi model.
Overall Rating: 8.6/10
- Value for Money: 8.5/10
- Wearability: 8.5/10
- Design: 8.5/10
- Build Quality: 9/10
Breitling has been expanding their Top Time collection as of late, bringing in the brand new time and date B31 models alongside the newly redesigned chronograph model with its new aesthetics cushion-shaped case. The Swiss watchmaker has also introduced two new models in the existing chronograph design, this time dedicated to two cycling greats that formed an epic rivalry on the track: Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali.
Breitling’s Top Time collection was launched in the 1960s and was originally created for “young and active professionals” who were passionate about speed, style, and sports. Over the last six decades, the Top Time timepieces have become something of a canvas for Breitling to create bold designs and cultural storytelling, celebrating a wide variety of niches and influences from classic cars and motorcycles to cinematic icons like James Bond.
All new Breitling Top Time B01 timepieces, dedicated to cyclists Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali
With the Top Time’s vintage aesthetic combined with the performance-driving movement, this is a collection that is certainly playful with the bold and beautiful colours, making it stand out in Breitling’s portfolio of chronographs. The name “Top Time” was given to the collection as a way of appealing to the younger and sportier demographic that embraced speed, pop culture and the fast-paced lifestyle of the 50s and 60s. Willy Breitling stated, famously, that during pre-production of the Top Time models, he wanted to create “an ultra-modern chronograph tailored to the needs of young and active professionals”, a timepiece that wasn’t just about precision but also about personality and flair.
The modern Top Time timepieces continue to evolve with limited edition releases, newly designed cases, and even time-only models. These time-only models take a different approach from the original Top Time chronograph models but still offer the same flair, style, and performance. The modern releases pay tribute to a lifestyle or legacy that shaped a particular era, reflecting Breitling’s deep connection to motorsport, aviation, and now, cycling. These timepieces aren’t just instruments of precision; they’re wearable stories, each dial echoing a tale of passion, grit, and timeless cool.
The latest limited-edition Top Time releases are stepping into the world of cycling to pay tribute to a timeless rivalry between two incredible individuals: Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali. I say individuals because they are more than cyclists. Off the track, Fausto Coppi helped shape the world of cycling to what it is today with his pioneering approach to nutrition and training, while Gino’s efforts during the Second World War made him a hero.
While Breitling has previously celebrated automotive legends like the Ford Mustang and Triumph motorcycles that can be found in the current Top Time lineup, the introduction of figures from professional cycling marks a significant and fresh chapter. The new Top Time B01 Fausto Coppi and Top Time B01 Gino Bartali timepieces embody the same adrenaline and determination found in racing, only this time, it’s on two wheels rather than four!
Fausto Coppi – The Champion of Champions
Fausto Coppe, also known as Il Campionissimo or “The Champion of Champions,” is widely seen as one of the greatest cyclists in the history of the sport. He utterly dominated the sport in the 1940s and the 1950s, where he won the Giro d’Italia five times (1940, 1947, 1949, 1952, and 1953), as well as winning the Tour de France twice (1949 and 1952).
His racing style was ruthless yet elegant, and he broke away from the pack with incredible maneuvers that left spectators in awe. Fausto Coppu, alongside his many victories and wins in classics like Milan–San Remo and Paris–Roubaix, also secured the World Championship title in 1953. As I mentioned earlier, he was revered not just for his domination on the track, but also for his pioneering approach to nutrition and training, which helped to bring the sport to its high-performance level today.
Gino Bartali – The Timeless Hero
Gino Bartali, known as L’Intramontabile (“The Timeless One”), on the other hand, was a cycling legend, a symbol of resilience, morality and national pride. With his incredible performances, he was able to secure three Giro d’Italia wins (1936, 1937, and 1946) and two Tour de France titles (1938 and 1948). He was well known for his endurance and climbing grit, which led to him dominating the mountains, where others faltered.
While his track performance is written in stone, it was his efforts during World War II that made Gino Bartali an unsung hero. The legendary cyclist, risking his life, would use his fame as cover to help save hundreds of Jewish lives. As a devout Catholic, Bartali worked with the Assisi Network, a secret organization aiding persecuted Jews. Under the disguise of “training ride”, Gino Bartali carried forged identity papers and documents hidden in the frame and handlebars of his bicycle, transporting them between cities like Florence, Assisi and Lucca. Gino Bartali kept his actions secret even after the war, famously stating, “Good is something you do, not something you talk about.”
Initial Thoughts – Top Time Fausto Coppe & Gino Bartali
When I first received these Top Time models for review, I was fascinated by the colourful allure of the timepieces. Each of the two models has its own distinctive colour palette, giving the watches the bold and lively look that Top Time models are known for. What I also noticed were the subtle details on the dial, which are more prominent from one dial to another.
I’ll admit, when I first received these timepieces, I wasn’t well-versed in the world of cycling, so the legendary names these watches paid tribute to didn’t immediately resonate with me. However, after reading about these two fierce competitors, I began to appreciate the timepieces more, especially in the case of Gino Bartali, a world-class athlete who is also a man of immense moral strength and compassion.
Case Design – Top Time B01
These new Bretiling Top Time B01 models continue the traditional styling of vintage-inspired design. It retains the collection’s classic design that models like the Mustang and Triumph also featured, however, with small aesthetic tweaks to make these new models stand out. Both the Top Time Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali editions feature a 41mm stainless steel case, which stays true to the original Top Time proportions introduced in the 1960s.
The 41mm x 13.3mm case size strikes a great balance between wearability and wrist presence. The case is large enough to make itself known on the wrist, however, still compact enough to remain elegant and wearable for a wide variety of wrist sizes. The timepiece’s retro look that defined mid-century chronographs comes in the form of the polished chronograph pushers, the polished bezel and the short lugs. This gives the timepiece clean lines and an elegant yet sporty look.
The various finishes on the case also add to the luxury appeal of this timepiece. Featuring polished surfaces on the bezel, lugs and chronograph pushers, this is nicely contrasted with a subtle horizontal brushed finish on the case middle. These different finishes allow the watch to play with light beautifully, giving the timepiece a crisp, elegant look on the outside while being bold and sporty on the dial.
One subtle aesthetic detail that you most likely won’t pick up from the press photos is the finishing on the lugs. While on the official photos the lugs look like they have a clean polished finish, its actually a mixture of subtle brushed and polished finishing. It’s also done in the shape of an “E”, which you can see in the above photos. While this does cater to the overall sporty look of the timepiece, I’m on the fence with this design choice. I personally think the models would have been better left as a clean polished surface, as this “detail” doesn’t really match the rest of the cases elegant design.
Dial Design – Top Time B01 Fausto Coppi
I just want to start off by saying that Breitling has really delivered with the colour choices for these latest Top Time B01 models. This Fausto Coppi model uses turquoise as the central colour. It wasn’t just a random choice, either. The colours of the Fausto Coppi model were chosen based on the colour ‘celeste’, which is a version of turquoise used by the famous Italian bicycle brand and cycling team, Bianchi. Fausto Coppi used Bianchi bikes for his cycling, with the framework of the bicycle being the celeste colour.
The choice of yellow and orange details on the dial, such as the orange lightning bolt chronograph hand and the orange and yellow accents on the tachymeter scale, are all references to Fausto Coppi’s Bianchi bike. What they do on this timepiece, however, is make the dial even more lively. The white dial, in combination with the turquoise tachymeter scale and chronograph counters, gives this timepiece a fun summer feeling while also making it a perfect choice for outdoor events.
On the tachymeter scale, the words “Il Campionissimo” are written, translating to “The Champion of Champions,” referencing Fausto Coppi’s incredible performance on the track. Just above the 6 o’clock hour indices is also Fausto Coppi’s signature. A subtle detail that also sets this set of Top Time models apart from its modern predecessors, like the Ford and Truimph models, is that instead of one vertical line running through the centre, we now have two thin vertical lines running through the chronograph counters. It’s almost like the dial depicts the two cyclists racing each other side by side on these vertical lines.
Dial Design – Top Time B01 Gino Bartali
The dial of the Top Time B01 Gino Bartali follows the same design as the Fausto Coppi, however, the colours have been changed to reflect the Bartali-Ursus team. The Bartali-Ursus team of 1952 consisted of 9 cyclists that wore a yellow uniform with blue stripes and team name.
While I think the blue dial with yellow accents certainly does “pop” and stand out nicely, I think Breitling missed a great opportunity here to release a yellow dial Top Time model that also more closely resembles the Bartali-Ursus team outfit. The colour blue has appeared throughout several Top Time models already, while the yellow has been non-existent. This would have also complemented the turquoise dial of Fausto Coppi well, adding another fun “summer” piece alongside it.
The blue dial, however, has been executed well, as it isn’t quite the same blue found on the Top Time B01 Shelby Cobra model. It does use the same white tachymeter scale as the Shely Cobra, though, which, in this case, offers a starker contrast against the deeper shade of blue. The orange and yellow details certainly stand out against the deep blue. Orange has been used for the lightning bolt chronograph hand, yellow for Gino Bartali’s signature, while both orange and yellow have been used on the tachymeter scale. I also have to say that the two vertical stripes that we see on these Top Time models are a lot more prominent on the blue dial, especially under light.
Movement – Breitling 01
The engine powering the new Top Time B01 Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali editions is the Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01. This is an in-house chronograph movement that showcases the brand’s push toward vertical integration and technical excellence. The Bretiling 01 movement (which refers to the B01 in the timepiece name!) was first introduced in 2009, with the movement featuring a column wheel and vertical clutch that delivers a crisp chronogprah engagement from the pushers. Fun fact for those who may not know: Tudor also developed their MT5813 movement in partnership with Breitling, using the Calibre 01 as the base model. The Calibre 01 movement has an impressive 70-hour power reserve while operating at a high-frequency of 4Hz (28,800 VpH), which aids the movement in its COSC-certified chronometer accuracy.
The sapphire open caseback gives a view of the Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01 movement, showcasing not only the various finishes on the movement but also custom touches that are specific to these two timepieces. The skeletonised rotor, which features a prominent Breitling logo, gives way to the movement decoration, such as the Côtes de Genève on the bridges. On the actual case back, Breitling has inscribed the words “FAUSTO COPPI TRIBUTE or GINO BARTALI TRIBUTE”, along with the words “ONE OF 750”, a reference to the 750 limited edition models for each watch.
How Do They Wear?
Despite the timepeices having a lug-to-lug distance of 50.36mm, the timepieces still wear surprisingly well. This is partly thanks to the shorter, angled lug design, allowing the watch to fit snug on the wrist. On my slim 16.5mm wrists, the watch was borderline in terms of fit, with the lugs sitting on the edge of my wrists. If one were to have a smaller wrist size, this watch in my opinion would be too big. The proportions of the case were just right for me; any bigger, and it would look too big on the wrist. The polished finishes, such as the bezel, lugs, and chronograph pushers, shine beautifully under light, adding elegance and luxury to this otherwise sporty timepiece.
This sporty element is where this timepiece truly shines. The dials of the watches have been executed brilliantly. Choosing the Top Time model as the base for these timepieces inspired by these legendary cyclists was the perfect choice as it allows Breitling room to be playful and creative while staying true to Top Time’s character. When I was first given these timepeices, the turquoise immediately stood out. It’s a fun timepiece with the colours reflecting Fausto Coppi’s Bianchi bicycle perfectly. While it’s not as versatile as the blue, this watch was made to grab attention as also being a great casual or everyday watch. The Gino Bartali dial reflects his team’s Bartali colours, which produces a more contrasting, vivid look.
Both of these Top Time models come paried with racing-style perforated leather straps, made to be breathable, lightweight and a perfect nod to the world of vintage motorsport and cycling gloves. Leather straps, as we know, provide a more comfortable fit for all-around daily wear, especially in the hot Australian climate. Breitling also offers these models on a steel mesh bracelet. Now, personally, I love Breitling’s mesh bracelet design, and when paired with these timepeices looks fantastic. Not only does the bracelet enhance the look and appeal of these timepiece, it also increases the versatility in terms of wearability.
Final Thoughts
Breitling continues to evolve its Top Time B01 timepieces with bold new looks, showing us that the brand isn’t afraid to blend heritage with fresh storytelling. These latest editions pay tribute to cycling titans Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali, carrying forward the collection’s spirit of speed and sport and, in the case of Gino Bartali, introducing an emotional and historical narrative to the collection. The Top Time collection serves as the perfect base for the stories of these two legendary cyclists to be told.
As someone not initially immersed in cycling lore, I came away from this review with a newfound respect for the depth these timepieces offer. They’re more than eye-catching chronographs; they’re deeply personal stories encased in steel, powered by one of Breitling’s finest in-house movements. Personally it’s a hard choice choosing between the Fausto Coppi or Gino Bartali editions. While one offers a fresh new look that perfectly sums up the Top Time collection with its stunning turquoise colour, the other, more subdued model still offers deep contrast, however, with a storied background that transcendes cycling, showing us what an amazing human Gino Bartali truly was. Whether you’re a cycling enthusiast or a collector who appreciates character and craftsmanship, these new Top Time B01 models are some of the most meaningful and colourful expressions of Breitling’s storytelling to date.
Reference: Breitling Top Time B01
- Fausto Coppi – AB01768A1A1X1
- Gino Bartali – AB01767A1C1X1
Specifications
- Case Size: 41mm
- Case Thickness: 13.33mm
- Case Lug-To-Lug: 50.3mm
- Case Material: Stainles steel with satin-brushed horizontal and polished surface finishing
- Dial: White dial with turquoise and yellow/orange tachymeter scale and turquoise counters for Fausto Coppi timepiece. Deep blue dial with white and yellow/orange tachymeter scale with white counters for Gino Bartali timepiece.
- Movement: Breitling in-house Manufacture Calibre 01
- Power Reserve: Approx. 70 hours. (28,800 VpH/4Hz Frequency)
- Water Resistance: 100m (10 bar)
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment.
- Strap/Bracelet: Blue or turquoise calfskin leather strap with stainless steel folding clasp. Stainless steel mesh bracelet on offer as well.
