Breitling and Aston Martin Mark Their F1 Partnership With a Titanium Navitimer

Swiss watchmaker Breitling is officially stepping onto the Formula 1 grid for the first time, announcing a landmark partnership with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. To mark the moment, the brand has unveiled a striking new timepiece: the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team edition.

The collaboration places Breitling firmly within the world of Formula 1 at a pivotal time for the sport. Anticipation is already building ahead of the 2026 season, which will usher in a new set of technical regulations and fresh visual identities across the grid. Aston Martin’s new challenger, the AMR26, designed under the leadership of legendary engineer Adrian Newey, is set to be unveiled on February 9, with Breitling confirmed as part of the team’s evolving visual and commercial identity.

While this marks Breitling’s first official partnership within Formula 1, the brand’s relationship with motorsport runs far deeper than a logo on a car. “We’ve always been there,” Breitling CEO Georges Kern has said, pointing to a rich history that predates modern sponsorships. Racing legends including Jack Brabham, Graham Hill and Jim Clark were all known to wear Breitling watches in the 1960s and ’70s, using them as functional timing instruments long before luxury watch partnerships became commonplace.

There is also a cultural crossover between the two brands. Both Breitling and Aston Martin share a connection to James Bond, having appeared on the wrist and in the garage of Sean Connery’s 007 in the 1965 film Thunderball, a detail that subtly reinforces the shared codes of performance, design and enduring cool.

At the centre of the announcement is the watch itself. The Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team edition is the first Navitimer ever produced in titanium, lending the iconic pilot’s watch a lighter, more contemporary feel. The carbon fibre dial features deep green undertones, complemented by a vivid green central seconds hand that nods unmistakably to Aston Martin’s racing heritage. The leather strap, inspired by classic automotive belts, is lined in British Racing Green, reinforcing the motorsport connection.

Turn the watch over, and an open caseback reveals Breitling’s in-house B01 automatic chronograph movement, visible in full and COSC-certified for precision. Production is limited to just 1,959 piece, a considered reference to the year Aston Martin first entered Formula 1.

For Breitling, the partnership represents a significant strategic investment and a statement of intent. “This is just the beginning,” Kern has said, signalling a long-term commitment to Formula 1 and to Aston Martin’s vision on and off the track.

As the worlds of luxury watchmaking and elite motorsport continue to converge, Breitling’s arrival in Formula 1 feels less like a late entry and more like a natural evolution—one rooted in history, precision and performance, and now firmly focused on the future.