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Victoria Beckham lends her eye for design to a new Breitling Chronomat 36 collection

Victoria Beckham lends her eye for design to a new Breitling Chronomat 36 collection

Zach Blass
  • Victoria Beckham has collaborated with Breitling to bring her refined touch to a limited Chronomat 36 collection.
  • The dial colourways are inspired by Beckham’s own Spring/Summer 2024 palette, including peppermint, midnight blue, dove gray, and sand.
  • Three steel models limited to 400 pcs. each, three yellow gold models limited to 100 pcs. each (1,500 total watches).

06 Breitling Chronomat Automatic 36 Victoria Beckham Ref A103801A1L1A1 RGB

David Beckham has long been a part of the Tudor family, but he has only served as an ambassador of the brand – he has never collaborated with the brand to create a collection. So, perhaps Victoria Beckham has just thrown down the gauntlet and one-upped her husband with a new Chronomat 36 Victoria Beckham Collection launched with Breitling. Male watch snobs may scoff at the idea of Posh Spice bringing any value to a Chronomat 36 design, but looking at the six new configurations it is abundantly clear these watches can be worn by anyone.

15 Breitling Chronomat Automatic 36 Victoria Beckham Ref K103801A1C1K1 RGB

Cards on the table, very little about the design of the watch has changed in this new collection. Its dimensions remain 36mm in diameter, 10.01mm thick, and 43.3mm lug-to-lug – dimensions my smaller wrist and preference for vintage sizing absolutely adore. The case utilises a case-matching metal and uni-directional timing bezel and push crown, and it has a 100-metre depth rating. The distinct Breitling-iconic Rouleaux bracelet remains in use, and even the same COSC-certified automatic Breitling 10 calibre with 42 hours of power reserve. Even the shape of the applied hour indices and the hours and minutes hand remains the same.

01 Breitling Chronomat 36 Victoria Beckham Collection RGB

So, what has changed? Essentially Victoria Beckham has injected a new sense of colour into the collection with dial hues inspired by her own Spring/Summer 2024 palette. Three stainless steel models, limited to 400 pieces each, are available, one with a midnight blue dial, the second with a bolder peppermint dial, and the last subdued yet sparkly due to its dove gray dial with lab-grown diamond hour markers. For the 18k yellow gold models you once again have midnight blue and peppermint dials, but there is also a sand-coloured dial exclusive to the precious metal. Colours like the midnight blue may not seem novel, as the core collection does utilise at the very least a similar tone. But, these dials do not have a sunburst effect like the other standard models do. Other distinctions to the dial include a VB counterweight to the central seconds hand, in place of the Breitling ‘B’ logo, and the second hand no longer has a luminous arrow tip – instead stick-tipped for added elegance. And, in place of the ‘Chronomat’ text typically found beneath the ‘Chronometer’ text at the 6′ position you instead have ‘One of 100’ for the gold models and ‘One of 400’ for the steel models. The last little remix is the Victoria Beckham text on the solid caseback as well.

24 Breitling Chronomat Automatic 36 Victoria Beckham caseback 18 k yellow gold RGB

Ultimately, at least from my uneducated eyes unattuned to Beckham’s fashion work, the collection is largely a tame remix or rebranding of the Chronomat 36 on the surface. Irrefutably, however, Victoria Beckham’s name and iconography being added to the model is a huge and powerful instigator of interest for those in and outside of the watch hobby niche – a great olive branch to introduce those less aware to the world of Breitling. With the Beckham name, however, comes a US$500 premium when comparing the standard base Chronomat 36 steel models to those within this Beckham Collection. It’s a handsome selection that largely does not try to fix what is not broken, with subtle refinements like a matte finish in place of a sunburst finish for the dials that give the collection a new skin. And the Victoria Beckham seal of approval will certainly resonate with 1,500 people in the marketplace. A win in my book, but should Victoria Beckham team up with Breitling again I think it would be cool to see her try to impart even more of her aesthetic into the watch.

Breitling Chronomat 36 Victoria Beckham Collection pricing and availability

03 Breitling Chronomat Automatic 36 Victoria Beckham Ref A103801A1C1A1 RGB

The Breitling Chronomat 36 Victoria Beckham collection is available now for purchase, limited to 400 pcs. per steel configuration and 100 pcs. per 18K yellow gold configuration. Price: US$5,600 (Stainless steel), US$5,950 (Stainless steel w/ lab-grown diamonds), US$29,500 (18K yellow gold)

Brand Breitling
Model Chronomat 36 Victoria Beckham Collection
Case Dimensions 36mm (D) x 10.01mm (T) x 43.3mm (LTL)
Case Material Stainless steel or 18K yellow gold
Water Resistance 100m
Crystal Sapphire crystal
Dial Stainless steel: Midnight blue, peppermint, or dove gray with lab-grown diamond hour markers
18k yellow gold: Midnight blue, peppermint, or sand
Strap Case-matching Rouleaux bracelet with butterfly clasp
Movement Breitling Calibre 10 (automatic)
Power Reserve 42 hours
Functions Hours, minutes, seconds, date, COSC-certified
Availability Now, limited to 400 pcs. per steel configuration and 100 pcs. per gold configuration
Price Stainless steel: US$5,600
Stainless steel w/ lab-grown diamonds: US$5,950
18K yellow gold: US$29,500