Dressed up James Dean-style in a white tee, leather jacket and battered denim, Austin Butler looks cool as hell in his latest on-set photoshoot. But the Oscar-nominated star of Elvis, The Bikeriders and Dune 2 isn’t being pictured behind the scenes of his latest movie, the images have instead been released to mark Butler’s debut as an official brand ambassador for Breitling.
“Breitling, for me, is about adventure and pushing the limits of what’s possible,” says Butler, who joins fellow actor Charlize Theron, footballer Erling Haaland and explorer Bertrand Piccard as a spokesmodel for the brand. “The Top Time speaks to the way I’ve always wanted to live my life: free and ready to rock’n’roll. It’s a thrill to be a part of the squad.”
Renowned for its rugged aviation-inspired timepieces, Breitling is heading in a slightly different direction with Butler’s watch of choice, the Top Time B31. Dating from 1964, the Swiss watchmaker’s original Top Time was intended as a sleeker, fresher take on a classic chronograph watch, designed to attract a younger and more style-conscious collector. The timepiece even made an appearance on James Bond’s wrist in 1965’s Thunderball – the first watch ever to be modified by Q, who added a Geiger counter to detect radiation and help Bond locate a cache of explosives stolen by the infamous Spectre organisation.
Sneakily debuted by Butler at the Saint Laurent Paris fashion show in March, the new time-only Top Time B31 retains the sleek good looks and super-wearable size (38mm) of its mid-century forebear – a clever shift away from the oversized timepieces which have previously dominated the market. Additionally, the new model boasts a slimmer, more comfortable profile, plus Breitling’s in-house Caliber 31 three-hand movement, a magnified (read: super crisp and legible) date aperture and signature bright orange seconds hand. It now also comes in three colour ways, each with a contrasting dial colour – white on blue, black on green and sky blue on white.
Like this? Check out Leonard DiCaprio’s debut as a new ambassador for Rolex.
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