The latest Breitling Top Time chronograph is a tribute to cycling legend Eddy Merckx. Few athletes have left a mark on their sport quite like Édouard Louis Joseph Merckx. Now 81, the Belgian champ is widely regarded as the greatest professional rider ever. Merckx’s record of 525 career wins is still unmatched. His victories include 11 Grand Tours (5 Tours de France, 5 Giros d’Italia, and a Vuelta a España), 3 World Championships, and multiple victories on the track.
Eddy Merckx is one of only three riders to have won all five ‘Monuments’ (Milan–San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and the Giro di Lombardia). Also, he’s the only one to have won them all at least twice. Active at the peak of cycling from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s, Merckx opened a bicycle factory near Brussels after retiring in 1978.
In a nod to the Tour de France, the Top Time B01 Eddy Merckx features a striking yellow dial with Merckx’s signature at 6 o’clock. Merckx’s name appears again as text on the tachymeter scale. Contrasting subdials in the Top Time’s signature squircle shape echo the visual language of race timing. The 41 mm stainless-steel watch is powered by Breitling’s Manufacture Caliber 01, offering a 70-hour power reserve. Buyers can chose between a perforated black leather strap ($8,050.00) or a stainless-steel mesh bracelet ($8,450.00) with retro vibes. Limited to 525 pieces, this special edition pays tribute to Merckx’s remarkable 525 victories.
Breitling Top Time B01 Eddy Merckx – breitling.com
