Breitling makes a coup with a partnership with the greatest cyclist of all time – Eddy Merckx. Here is the news on the Tip Time B01 Eddy Merckx.
Press Release information with commentary in italics.
New: Breitling Top Time B01 Eddy Merckx
The Breitling Top Time B01 Eddy Merckx retails at USD 8,050 in leather strap and USD 8,450 in steel bracelet. Limited Edition of 525 pieces.
Commentary
In the world of cycling, there is no greater benchmark as Eddy Merckx. He is widely regarded as the greatest and most successful cyclist of all time, established several world cycling records, some of which remain unbroken to this day. And he did this in all the major disciplines. His palmarès is read like a list of cycling competitions.
Nicknamed “The Cannibal”, his career spanned decades, with his professional debut in 1965 by winning his first of seven Milan-San Remo monuments. He went on to win 5 Tour de France, 5 Giro d’Italia and 1 Vuelta Espana, three multi-day races which are the peak of the sport. He also one only three cyclists in history to have won all five of cycling’s prestigious Monuments (Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and Giro di Lombardia). His lifetime victories total 525, which is the limitation number of this novelty.
The watch chosen to share his name is the Top Time B01. This is Breitling’s classical collection, and this novelty is considered a line extension. The novelty is the yellow dial (a nod at the leader’s yellow jersey in the Tour de France) with a white rehaut, and white counters. On the rehaut in red print, the characters “EDDY MERCKX” appears before the tachymeter numbers in black. If we had a nit to pick, we would have done the tachymeter in speeds typical of a bicycle race, instead of starting at the typical tachymeter which begins tracking at 400 kph.
Eddy’s signature appears above the 6 o’clock hour marker and becomes the visual balance to the Breitling logo below the 12 o’clock. The case is 40mm, and constructed in stainless steel, and the watch is available in a calf strap or a Milanese style bracelet. Visually, the watch looks amazingly beautiful, and I am partial to it with a the bracelet.
The movement is the Breitling B01 caliber, which is manufactured in-house and comes with COSC certification.
Pricing wise, the Top Time B01 Eddy Merckx is proposed at the same USD 8k point as the other racing B01s viz Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi (both also cycling legends), and the B01 Racing. And a small premium over the regular B01 chronographs which are listed at USD 7.65k.
On a side note but cycling related, we also heard from Georges Kern that Breitling has signed Paul Seixas as brand ambassador. A young Frenchman (only 19 years old in 2026!) who is emerging and is slated to be standing shoulders to shoulders with these giants of the sport. His recent performance in 2026 Strade Bianche on 7 March was noteworthy. In that race, Seixas was the only rider to attempt to follow Tadej Pogačar’s attack 79 km from the finish; he was eventually dropped, but this is an amazing showing for the young man from Lyon. After Merckx, who currently is still the GOAT, the cycling world now have Tadej Pogačar, a generational talent who have been dominating the sport for the last 6 years. Many see Seixas as the next the next in line. Though time till tell. This year, the Tour de France, which starts tomorrow (!), will see Tadej defending his title. Paul Seixas will also debut in this major race as co-lead for the General Classification (GC) in his team – Decathlon CMA CGM Team and will make history as the youngest competitor for this race in 89 years.
Release details
While many athletes define their era, few establish a benchmark that remains untouched decades later. Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx did both. Now, Breitling introduces the Top Time B01 Eddy Merckx, a limited-edition chronograph paying tribute to cycling’s greatest rider of all time.
Building on the Top Time Coppi and Top Time Bartali editions, launched last year and inspired by one of cycling’s most iconic rivalries, the Eddy Merckx edition continues Breitling’s tribute to the sport and its defining figures.
From the late 1960s through the mid-1970s, Merckx dominated professional cycling with an intensity never seen before and never matched since. His record remains the benchmark: 525 victories, including 11 Grand Tours, 19 Monument classics, and three World Championships.
He conquered every terrain, every format, every rival. With five Tour de France titles and a record 96 days in yellow, his legacy is built on numbers that still stand untouched.
Breitling’s connection to cycling reaches back to the late 19th century, when the brand created cycling-oriented stopwatches for a sport defined by speed, precision, and endurance. In the 1930s, Breitling developed a timing apparatus which was used for official timekeeping for cycling races. Decades later, that legacy continues with the Top Time B01 Eddy Merckx, a watch that combines the energy, ambition, and visual codes of cycling’s golden era.
Breitling CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué says, “Eddy Merckx is the greatest cyclist of all time. His record speaks for itself. These watches capture that drive, that constant push to go further, faster, and push limits.”
BUILT ON NUMBERS
The Top Time was introduced in the transformative 1960s as Willy Breitling’s bold and unconventional line of racing chronographs, designed to capture the era’s spirit of speed, style and freedom. Its graphic dials and dynamic proportions made it a natural fit for a new generation, on and off the track. Today, that same energy returns in a tribute to the cyclist who re-defined the limits of performance.
Georges Kern, House of Brands CEO says, “Few athletes have defined their sport the way Eddy Merckx did. His relentless drive, ambition, and competitive spirit perfectly reflect the character of the Top Time collection.”
The Top Time B01 Eddy Merckx features a striking dial in yellow. Contrasting subdials in the collection’s signature “squircle” shape bring clarity and edge, echoing the visual language of race timing and performance.
DETAILS OF A LEGEND
Look closer, and the details tell the story: Merckx’s signature at 6 o’clock, and the caseback engraving “One of 525,” marking his unmatched total number of victories. On the open caseback, the inscription “Eddy Merck x Tribute” frames the movement, linking the watch directly to its namesake.
The 41 mm chronograph is powered by Breitling’s Manufacture Caliber 01, offering COSC-certified precision and an approximate 70-hour power reserve. The tachymeter scale reinforces its racing DNA, while the mushroom pushers ensure smooth control of the chronograph functions.
Each watch comes with the choice of a black perforated leather strap with white stitching or a stainless-steel mesh bracelet, completing the modern-retro aesthetic.
Unmatched in his time, still leading the pack today, the Top Time B01 Eddy Merckx turns numbers into legacy, and legacy into style.
Breitling Top Time B01 Eddy Merckx Specifications
Reference AB01762C1I1X1, AB01762C1I1A1
MOVEMENT Caliber: Breitling 01 (Manufacture) * Self-winding mechanical * Power reserve: Approx. 70 hrs * Chronograph: 1/4 second, 30 minutes * Vibration: 28,800 v.p.h * Jewel 34 jewels
CASE Case material: Stainless steel * Water resistance 10 bars (100 m/330 ft) * Crystal: Sapphire * Diameter: 41 mm * Thickness: 13.3 mm * Lug width (in-between lug): 20 mm
DIAL Yellow dial with silver chronograph counters * Super-LumiNova® luminescent hour and minute hands
STRAP Black racing-themed calfskin leather strap (20/18 mm) with folding clasp or stainless-steel mesh bracelet with butterfly clasp
