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 Merckx 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
Founded in 1884, Breitling is a leading Swiss watchmaker. The innovative company invented the modern chronograph and pioneered the navigational tool watch. Today, it continues to break new ground as a casual, approachable, and sustainable luxury brand, with more than 280 industrial loft-inspired retail locations around the world. Breitling’s collections center around air, land, and sea pursuits, all captured in the brand’s unmistakable modern-retro style. The exceptional quality of every watch movement is confirmed by its status as a COSC-certified chronometer, and the brand remains one of only a handful of independent watchmakers to produce its own manufacture calibers. Today, Breitling is on a mission to do better by creating beautiful products and experiences with better materials, better manufacturing, better packaging, and end-to-end traceability. Combining classic watchmaking with the latest and most sustainable innovations, Breitling is both a company with history and one that is ahead of its time.
FACTS ABOUT THE WATCH:
TOP TIME B01 EDDY MERCKX
Reference: AB01762C1I1X1, AB01762C1I1A1
Caliber: Breitling Manufacture Caliber B01
Diameter: 30 millimeters
Depth: 7.2 millimeters
Winder: self-winding mechanical, bidirectional with ball bearing
Power reserve: approximately 70 hours
Number of components: 284
Balance frequency: 28,800 a/h or 4 hertz
Chronograph: column-wheel, vertical clutch, 1/4th second and 30-minute
Display: hour, minute, second
Certification: COSC-certified
CASE
Material: stainless steel
Diameter: 41 millimeters
Thickness: 13.30 millimeters
Height (upper lug tip to lower lug tip): 50.4 millimeters
Water resistance: up to 10 bar (100 meters)
Glass: cambered sapphire, glare-proofed on both side
Caseback: screwed steel, sapphire crystal
Crown: non screw-locked, two gaskets
Bezel: fixed