Austin Butler turned up at the Saint Lauren Show in Paris Fashion Week wearing what appears to be an unreleased watch. This is now a tried-and-true strategy in the watch biz: Daniel Craig has leaked several Omega watches before their official releases. However, Butler got his hands on a Breitling that doesn’t seem to exist anywhere but his wrist.
Even with a pose this conducive to watch spotting, you might not have clocked the piece on Butler’s left wrist. Without zooming into the image, it could be anything—maybe a Rolex Datejust or an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra. But take a closer look, and you’ll realize that the Breitling name is clear on the dial, but it’s not one of the brand’s existing pieces. Thus, some snooping and a healthy dose of conjecture are necessary.
After begging my aging 2015 MacBook Pro to please enhance said image just a bit more, I was able to clock a few clues: The watch is relatively small-looking—sub-40mm, to my eye—with a matching, brushed stainless steel bracelet featuring polished center links. There are no crown guards, and what appears to be a smooth bezel balanced atop a brushed steel case. The dial, a dark shade of blue or green with applied baton indices, an outer white minute track, and date window at 3 o’clock, features a lumed sword handset with what looks like a bright orange seconds hand.
Of course, Butler’s a Breitling guy, so there’s that. But when perusing through the brand’s catalog, a watch with a similar case profile and features didn’t make itself apparent. The SuperOcean three-handers all have crown guards; the Top Times are all chronographs inspired by vintage models; the SuperOcean references all have rotating bezels. My best guess is that this is an entirely new model within one of the brand’s nine collections, but what/which, I haven’t the foggiest. There’s no doubt that the brand could use a few more simple, time-and-date pieces in its lineup. While its focus has long been on chronographs, there are plenty of Breitling lovers who’d no doubt like a straightforward watch in their arsenals.
There’s also a precedent for Breitling three-handers. Back in the mid-20th century, the brand turned out all manner of elegant, time-only watches that one could wear to the office, out to a meal, or to a business engagement. There’s no doubt that this new piece—which is even more versatile given its steel bracelet—is a good-looking watch. Butler’s rocking it with a navy double-breasted YSL tux and looks like a million bucks. In any case, we’re excited to see where this new horological development leads—and what’s powering it. Is it the Caliber 10, Breitling’s take on the ETA 2892 or Sellita equivalent…or is it something more bespoke?
And more broadly: Is this the industry’s official new mode of breaking horological news? With so few weeks left until Watches & Wonders, the industry’s biggest tradeshow, we’ll have to keep an even closer eye on the likes of Leonardo Dicaprio, Craig, and Butler.
