Aston Martin has announced a new global, multi-year partnership with Breitling, naming the Swiss watchmaker as its Official Watch Partner in a collaboration that brings together two marques shaped by speed, precision and enduring design. The alliance also confirms Breitling as Official Watch Partner of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, extending the relationship into the pinnacle of international motorsport.
Revealed on 5 February 2026 in Gaydon, the partnership reconnects two brands whose stories have run in parallel for more than a century. Both Aston Martin and Breitling were founded on a fascination with performance and an uncompromising attention to detail, values that continue to define their respective worlds of ultra-luxury automotive engineering and high-end watchmaking.
At its core, the collaboration is set to span design, engineering and speed. This shared philosophy will culminate in the launch of the first Aston Martin timepiece created under the partnership, scheduled for announcement in the third quarter of 2026. The watch will represent the meeting point between Aston Martin’s sculptural approach to performance vehicles and Breitling’s legacy of functional, purpose-driven chronographs.
The historical parallels between the two brands reach back to the earliest days of motoring. In 1907, Léon Breitling introduced the Vitesse, the first chronograph capable of measuring speeds up to 250 miles or kilometres per hour. Its accuracy was such that it was adopted by Swiss police to issue the world’s first speeding tickets, underscoring Breitling’s early association with performance measurement. Around the same time in England, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford were proving the potential of their hand-built sports car on a steep, chalky climb known as Aston Hill. Victory in that race gave the marque its enduring name and set the tone for a brand built on competitive spirit and engineering ambition.
“Aston Martin and Breitling have crossed paths at key moments in design and culture,” says Adrian Hallmark, CEO of Aston Martin. “The partnership is a perfect showcase of excellence, design mastery and performance, something that is integral to everything that Aston Martin puts its name to.”
By the 1960s, both brands had become global symbols of modernity and style. Breitling, under the leadership of Willy Breitling, redefined postwar watchmaking with the Top Time chronograph, a bold expression aimed at a new generation of speed and style enthusiasts. Its appearance on Sean Connery’s wrist in Thunderball (1965) as the first Q-modified gadget watch in the James Bond franchise cemented its cultural status. Aston Martin’s DB5 achieved a similar feat on screen, debuting in Goldfinger (1964) and returning in Thunderball, where it became inseparable from the Bond mythos. Together, watch and car embodied an era where sophistication, innovation and performance converged.
“Aston Martin builds cars that are as much about presence as performance,” says Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling. “We share that same heritage of iconic design: every line, finish and proportion has purpose. Nothing is left to chance.”
The new partnership is not only a celebration of shared history but also a forward-looking collaboration aligned with contemporary performance and innovation. As Official Watch Partner of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, Breitling reinforces its return to racing while aligning itself with a team competing at the highest level of global motorsport. Formula One provides a natural platform for the partnership, where precision timing, engineering excellence and split-second performance are fundamental.
The collaboration launches with the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Formula One Team, a timepiece that signals the start of a series of exclusive releases planned throughout the partnership’s multi-year duration. Designed to resonate with enthusiasts of both brands, these future editions are expected to draw inspiration from Aston Martin’s design language and Breitling’s technical expertise.
As Aston Martin and Breitling look ahead, the partnership represents more than a branding exercise. It is a union grounded in shared values, historic resonance and a mutual belief that true luxury is defined by purpose, craftsmanship and performance. With the first jointly created Aston Martin timepiece set for 2026, the collaboration promises to deliver products that speak to collectors, motorsport fans and connoisseurs of design alike.
