Down to the second the Australian Grand Prix marked an inauspicious start to the season for the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. Following a difficult pre-season, serious engine trouble, and a start deep in the field, drivers Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso completed 41 and 21 consecutive laps, respectively, before retiring their cars from the race. The drivers’ frustration at starting the 2026 season on the back foot can only be imagined, but it wasn’t all bad news.
The Australian Grand Prix marked the start of a new multi-year partnership between Swiss watchmaker Breitling and the Aston Martin Formula One Team. More importantly for watch enthusiasts, it marked the debut of the Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team watch.
With racing green and lime accents, and an Aston Martin F1 logo on its tungsten rotor, the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team is among the most eye-catching variants of Breitling’s signature chronograph in recent years. Its biggest distinction, however — and one that will appeal to watch collectors and motorsports fans alike — is that it is the first-ever Navitimer with a titanium case. Limited to 1,959 pieces — an homage to the year of Aston Martin’s F1 debut — it evokes the look and feel of a Formula One car in details like a carbon-fibre dial inspired by F1 cockpit materials and a textured leather strap inspired by a six-point racing harness.
The kinship between Breitling and Aston Martin extends beyond the paddock. “Aston Martin builds cars that are as much about presence as performance,” says Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling. “We share that same heritage of iconic design: every line, finish, and proportion has purpose. Nothing is left to chance.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, who was instrumental in getting the Aston Martin F1 team back onto the track. “Our pursuit of a World Championship demands partners who match our ambition,” says Stroll, who serves as the Executive Chairman of Aston Martin and the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. “Beyond a shared heritage, we are united by values that drive everything we do. The precision, craftsmanship, and engineering excellence we pursue at Aston Martin Aramco are lived and breathed by Breitling.”
Aston Martin and Breitling share a history dating back to the earliest days of motorsport, when Leon Breitling introduced the 1907 Vitesse chronograph, a timer capable of measuring speeds up to 250 km/h. Aston Martin, meanwhile, was founded in 1913, and when it made its F1 debut in 1959, drivers Graham Hill and Jim Clark wore Breitling Navitimers. A few years later, both brands would make memorable cameos in 20th-century pop culture with 1965’s Thunderball. While the Aston Martin DB5 — complete with ejector seat and revolving number plates — gets more screen time, keen-eyed observers will also note Agent 007’s Breitling Top Time with its built-in Geiger counter.
In the decades since its creation in 1952, the Breitling Navitimer has become the brand’s signature timepiece. Immediately identifiable thanks to its serrated bezel fitted with a slide rule, it was developed as a cockpit instrument in collaboration with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). The built-in slide rule, which could be used to calculate average speed, distance travelled, fuel consumption, rate of climb or descent, and conversion of miles to kilometres or nautical miles, helped the Navitimer quickly earn a reputation as a leading pilot’s watch.
Now, nearly three-quarters of a century since its introduction, the Navitimer’s utility as a precision navigational tool has given way to its role as a sporty accessory. In 2026, fans of the Navitimer’s distinctive look and high-flying heritage can choose from more than 50 variants, including full gold versions and a growing collection of perpetual calendars.
As the first titanium model, the new Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team marks a major milestone for Breitling during a pivotal time for Formula One. With chassis and power unit rules changing simultaneously for the first time in F1 history, 2026 may be a definitive season for the sport — and for Aston Martin. As the first season in which Aston Martin Aramco will have a full-fledged factory team behind its new Honda-powered AMR26, they’ll be better equipped to win than ever. The Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team may not directly help the team achieve this goal, but having one of the nicest-looking watches on the grid surely counts for something.
