In the United States, the Super Bowl is truly a monumental event, and with more than 100 million people tuning in to watch the show each year, the NFL Super Bowl might as well be considered a true American holiday. With that in mind, when you look at the various Super Bowl-inspired watches that have existed throughout history, you will notice that the industry’s premier luxury manufacturers are notably absent from the conversation. However, Breitling has a longstanding relationship with former NFL quarterback and CBS football analyst Boomer Esiason, and this multi-decade partnership has opened the doors to a proper Swiss luxury brand creating an official Super Bowl-themed watch. Produced as an exclusive limited edition of just 58 examples as a reference to this year’s edition of the Super Bowl, the Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition is crafted entirely from solid red gold, and it represents the most premium and luxurious Super Bowl watch that has ever been put forward.

As mentioned in our original news coverage about its launch, the new Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition is a full 18k red gold version of the current-production 42mm Chronomat B01, and it is fitted with a dial that embraces the same color profile as the 44mm limited-edition model from 2023, which was produced exclusively for the United States. Featuring a dark blue surface with a trio of black chronograph registers punctuated by bright red and white accents, this same dial colorway can be found on certain other Breitling models, although it is especially appropriate for the two most recent limited editions that have incorporated it into their designs, as the color profile is reminiscent of both the American flag and the NFL logo. Additionally, unlike the larger 44mm versions of the Chronomat that have black ceramic bezels and black accents on their crowns and chronograph pushers, the Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition features these same components crafted entirely from 18k red gold to match its case, and this creates a noticeably more refined and luxurious aesthetic that visually separates it from the 44mm U.S. market-exclusive limited edition that was announced last year.

Breitling created a total of just 58 examples of the Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition, and the brand already had plans for three of the watches long before ever announcing them to the public. Two of the examples will be auctioned for charity with 100% of the proceeds from the sales benefiting the Boomer Esiason Foundation and its fight against cystic fibrosis. The first of the auction pieces will be sold directly by the Boomer Esiason Foundation itself, while the other will be part of a special fundraiser hosted on NFL Auction that will take place later this month in February 2024. Additionally, as a token of their multi-decade partnership, Breitling gifted example number 7 of 58 to Boomer Esiason (a reference to the jersey number he wore while playing in the NFL), and the brand recently presented him with the watch at a Super Bowl pre-show event in Las Vegas, Nevada. Since Boomer Esiason is one of CBS’s football analysts, those who plan on watching this year’s Super Bowl will be able to spot this exact watch on his wrist while he comments on this year’s big game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.

In terms of its dimensions and construction, the Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition is largely identical to its standard-production siblings, and the watch measures 42mm in diameter by 15.1mm thick, with 22mm lugs and an overall lug-to-lug profile of 50.5mm. A domed sapphire crystal with blue anti-reflective treatment sits above the dial, and it gets surrounded by a full-rose gold unidirectional rotating timing bezel, which features a luminous dot for the zero-marker, along with the Chronomat collection’s signature rider tabs sticking up at its cardinal points. On the 3 o’clock side of the case is a fluted winding crown flanked by a set of oval-shaped pushers, and just like the rest of the 42mm Chronomat models, the crown on the Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition screws down to the middle case with a double gasket system in order to help ensure an ample 200 meters of water resistance. Similar to the standard-production models, the reverse side of the watch is fitted with a screw-down display caseback, although there is a large graphic of the Super Bowl LVIII logo printed in full color on the underside surface of the flat sapphire crystal display window.

Generally speaking, I’m not really a fan of display casebacks that have logos or graphics printed on them, although I recognize that it is often the most straightforward way of navigating the complex world of co-branding and licensing agreements. Whenever a brand just prints its own logo on the underside surface of the display window, I almost always feel that it could have been omitted entirely, as a custom rotor or nicely engraved caseback is a much more elegant way of adorning the reverse side of a watch. On Breitling’s standard-catalog models, the brand simply opts for a traditional clear display window to offer an unobstructed view of the internal movement, and this is ultimately my preferred style of caseback for most high-end timepieces. However, given that the Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition is an official product that has been blessed by the NFL, having the actual Super Bowl LVIII logo on the watch is a rather important detail, and this means the red, gray, and purple emblem was going to need to appear somewhere on this limited-edition timepiece. Personally, I feel that putting the logo on the caseback is a far more tasteful implementation versus having it printed on the dial, as the later method can often create a “gift shop memorabilia” vibe, even when the size of the logo is modest and its placement is carefully considered.

Powering the Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition is the brand’s in-house Caliber B01 automatic chronograph movement, which is a COSC-certified chronometer that operates with a column wheel and a vertical clutch while running at a rate of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of 70-hours. Although the graphic on the display window of the caseback partially hides it from view, the version of the Cal. B01 fitted to this Super Bowl-themed model is one of the more decorated executions of this movement, and it features Geneva stripes on its bridges with a gold-finished rotor. Along with offering the functionality of a 12-hour chronograph, the Breitling Cal. B01 movement also includes a date display that appears within the sub-dial at 6 o’clock, and just like other models from the collection, the Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition features a tachymeter scale printed along its inner chapter ring, which can be used in conjunction with the centrally-mounted chronograph seconds hand. Given that other Breitling collections such as the Superocean and Navitimer are dedicated to specific worlds like diving and aviation, the Chronomat makes an appropriate choice for this Super Bowl-themed model, as the collection currently occupies the role of Breitling’s multi-purpose sports watch.

Between the inherently chunky design of the Chronomat’s case and its generous use of 18k rose gold, the Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition offers a rather hefty presence on the wrist, and just the head of the watch weighs approximately 140 grams all by itself, before you even factor in any type of strap or bracelet. Buyers of the Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition have the option of getting it on either a black rubber strap with a rose gold deployant buckle, or a full 18k red gold version of the Chronomat’s signature Rouleaux bracelet. Unlike the standard-production 42mm Chronomat watches, the Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition comes with the textured style of rubber strap, which mirrors the appearance of the Rouleaux bracelet links and can typically only be found on the 44mm Chronomat models. Additionally, while the rubber strap is certainly the lighter option, the solid gold Rouleaux bracelet is undeniably quite special on the wrist, and it offers a surprisingly thin and elegant design, as it tapers from 22mm at the lugs down to 20mm where it connects to its signed butterfly-style folding clasp.

One of the things that I didn’t fully realize until talking to some of the folks from Breitling is that this limited-edition Super Bowl LVIII watch was really only made possible by Boomer Esiason and his long-standing relationships with both Breitling and the NFL. A big part of the reason why there haven’t been other major luxury watches dedicated to the Super Bowl is that the NFL is incredibly selective about its partnerships, and this is especially true of anything relating to its flagship Super Bowl event. The fact that Boomer Esiason has a multi-decade relationship with Breitling and specifically wanted to do this project with the famous Swiss company went a long way toward getting it green-lighted with the NFL. Additionally, since Breitling USA President Thierry Prissert is a big fan of American football himself, the project was naturally a quick approval over on the Breitling side of things, with the Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition watch serving as an ideal way for the brand commemorate Super Bowl LVIII and celebrate its countless relationships with both past and present NFL players.

The Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition is accompanied by an official retail price of $23,500 USD when purchased on the rubber strap or $42,500 USD should buyers opt for the version that is fitted with the matching solid gold bracelet. Additionally, beyond the two examples that will be reserved for charity auctions, 10% of the proceeds from every sale will be donated to the Boomer Esiason Foundation to further its fight against cystic fibrosis. While speaking with some of the folks at Breitling during its Las Vegas pre-show event, I learned that there has been an incredibly strong reception to the Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition, as it appeals to both watch enthusiasts and football memorabilia collectors. While certain people may look at a five-figure Super Bowl timepiece and scratch their heads, the world of sports memorabilia collecting is far larger than that of watches, and the concept of owning a Super Bowl-themed watch of this premium caliber is incredibly attractive to high-end collectors. Additionally, if I were a member of the winning team for Super Bowl LVIII, the very first thing I would buy to celebrate the occasion would be the Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition, and you better believe I would be picking up the version with the matching solid gold Rouleaux bracelet. For more information on the Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII Edition watch, please visit the brand’s website.