The Chronomat name has been a part of the Breitling lexicon since the 1940s and it has come to represent different watch styles over the last eight decades. Initially, they were slide rule-equipped watches for engineer types, then automatic chronographs for pilots. Today’s Chronomat is the most versatile yet, positioned as Breitling’s “all-purpose timepiece” and available in a vast assortment of metals, sizes, and functions. Breitling has dutifully expanded the lineup since the Chronomat’s redesign in 2020 with pieces ranging from petite time and date models that run on quartz movements to automatic supersized chronographs packed with calendar indicators, all while retaining signature details such as bezel rider tabs, onion-style crowns, and more often than not, rouleaux bracelets. An invitation to explore the collection has now been extended to the fashion-forward crowd with the release of the new Breitling Chronomat Automatic 36 Victoria Beckham watches, available in six variants and produced in limited quantities.
Victoria Beckham’s public persona has of course evolved over the years too, first rising to prominence as a member of the Spice Girls; “Posh Spice” then morphed into “Posh and Becks” alongside her now-husband David Beckham as they became one of the most photographed couples in the world. Today, Victoria Beckham is squarely in her businesswoman era, having leveraged the Beckham brand and her personal style into eponymous beauty and fashion houses, as well as collaborations with other companies such as Breitling.
The new Victoria Beckham Chronomat watches are designed largely the same as the already-existing Chronomat 36 models, which is to say they have 36mm cases that are 10.01mm thick, 43.3mm lug-to-lug, and water resistant to 100 meters. Dial layouts are also similar with date windows at 6 o’clock, applied baton indexes with Super-LumiNova, and a trio of hands at the center including luminous hour and minute hands. Furthermore, beneath the solid, screw-down caseback is the COSC-certified Breitling Caliber 10 automatic movement that beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) and supplies around 42 hours of power reserve.
However, there are a few touches that are unique to the Breitling x Victorica Beckham capsule collection. For instance, half of the six-piece line is fashioned from yellow gold, a material that hadn’t been offered in the redesigned Chronomat collection until now. Judging by the pictures, the Chronomat looks fabulous in yellow gold (especially the bracelets), and the yellow gold Victoria Beckham Breitling watches are limited to 100 pieces each. The other three are made from stainless steel and are limited to 400 pieces in each dial colorway.
The dial colors are taken from Victoria Beckham’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection and include peppermint, midnight blue, dove gray, and sand. If we zoom in on the dials, we see a couple more nods to the collaboration. First, there’s the inscription “One of 100” or “One of 400” depending on the metal. Then, there’s also the “VB” counterweight on the seconds hand, which replaces the customary Breitling’s “B” logo.
The caseback and butterfly clasp on the rouleaux bracelet are also marked with Victoria Beckham logos. The rouleaux bracelet has been a staple of the new-generation Chronomat collection since 2020, and the arrangement of long, cylindrical links that look like mini bullets gives the watches plenty of personality. The polished pieces that run through the otherwise brushed surface are a lovely touch.
I’m already a fan of the Chronomat 36; they are, as promised, versatile, comfortable, and stylish. I really like the style of the new yellow gold and peppermint dial version; it actually reminds me of the vintage Day-Date “Stella” dial Victoria Beckham was often spotted wearing about a decade ago. Could I do without all the extra VB branding on the watch? Sure, but that’s typically not how collaborations work. It goes without saying that this collaboration will not speak to a large portion of the watch enthusiast community, but then again, it’s not meant to; it’s a way to get Victoria Beckham fans (whether label, person, or both) to consider adding a luxury watch to their wardrobes. If the partnership helps grow the community or at the least, attract more interest in watches, then it’s V for victory.
The stainless steel versions (ref. A103801A1C1A1, ref. A103801A1G1A1, and ref. A103801A1L1A1) are priced at $5,950 USD and limited to 400 examples each while the gold versions (ref. K103801A1C1K1, ref. K103801A1L1K1, and ref. K103801A1A1K1) are priced at $29,500 USD and limited to 100 pieces each. The gold pieces are accompanied by a co-branded travel pouch. Side note, Victoria Beckham makes a line of leather purses decorated with watch bracelet-style chains; not making the Breitling x Victoria Beckham pouches with rouleaux bracelet-inspired decoration seems like a missed opportunity to me! For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
