Since 2012, Wheels and Waves, the world’s leading motorcycle, surfing, and skateboarding festival, has attracted visitors from all over the world – who are drawn to the festival’s dynamic yet cool atmosphere – to the popular resort town of Biarritz. Each June, thousands of visitors attend world-class surfing, motorcycle racing, and skateboarding. This year, as Official Timekeeper, Breitling was on hand throughout the festival, which proved once again to be a platform that authentically embodies the Swiss watch manufacture’s land and sea brand worlds. The third world, air, was represented on Friday night as the Breitling Jet Team flew through the skies above Biarritz.
“We’ve completely enjoyed working with Breitling and are thrilled by the support we’ve had from Georges Kern and his Squads. They share our passions and our commitment to engaging with our community. Breitling lives up to its reputation as a cool, inclusive brand, and the Squad brought those values to this year’s Wheels and Waves,” said Jérôme Allé about Breitling’s active role at the festival. “At Wheels and Waves, we highlighted the passions we share with the festival: a cool, laid-back surfing lifestyle and sporty, elegant motorbikes. It also gave us a chance to introduce ourselves to people who, like us, are driven by action, purpose, and style – and we launched a watch that celebrates the festival that expresses those values,” Breitling CEO Georges Kern said.
Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Wheels and Waves Limited Edition
Launched on Thursday, June 13, the Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Wheels and Waves Limited Edition is available in both an 18 k red gold version, limited to 100 pieces, and a stainless-steel version issued in a series of 500 pieces. The cases in both metals feature an engraved plate with a Breitling SPECIAL inscription on the left side. “With this chronograph, we have created a very special version of our Premier, which is Breitling’s most elegant watch family. At the same time, they reflect the things we love about Wheels and Waves: the energy, the lifestyle, and, as I’ve said before, the coolness,” pointed out Breitling CEO Georges Kern.
Featuring golden hour markers, hour and minute hands, and a red central seconds hand, the anthracite dial of these watches has a black tachymeter scale on a white inner bezel, with a red tachymeter inscription. These COSC-certified chronometers have contrasting black subdials (a chronograph minute counter at 3 o’clock and a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock) – a mark that they are powered by Breitling’s flagship Manufacture Caliber 01. Visible through a transparent caseback, the in-house mechanical movement offers a power reserve of about 70 hours. The caseback for the 18 k red gold version is engraved with a “ONE OF 100” inscription; the stainless-steel model is engraved “ONE OF 500”.
The red gold and the stainless-steel versions are accompanied by a brown nubuck leather strap.
Breitling and sport
The Wheels and Waves festival, with its focus on surfing and motorcycling, represents an ideal opportunity for Breitling to showcase its close links to two sports: motorcycling and surfing. Breitling already enjoys a partnership with Norton Motorcycles, the world’s oldest motorcycle brand, and it has a long and strong association with motor sports, including a link to Bentley - which is the world’s longest-standing partnership between a watch brand and an automobile manufacturer. Breitling will also be Official Timekeeper at the 2019 World Surf League’s Freshwater Pro in Lemoore, California.
Some special guests were on hand to help Breitling celebrate Wheels and Waves. The brand was joined by celebrated French actor, director, screenwriter, and motorcycle enthusiast Guillaume Canet, Swiss top model Ronja Furrer, and WSL surfer Jérémy Florès, who is a member of Breitling’s French Squad.
On Thursday evening, a graffiti wall, with a Wheels and Waves-themed painting by artist Tristan Barroso, was unveiled at the Artride event. Georges Kern welcomed his guests and introduced the Premier Wheels and Waves Limited Edition watch. On Friday, there was a Breitling Surfers Squad lesson with Jérémy Florès, who shared tips with participants of all levels.
Some of Breitling’s guests were involved not only with the surfing tutorial, but also in the Deus Swank Rally Enduro Race on Friday, along with Breitling CEO Georges Kern and Guillaume Canet. A dedicated Breitling ride was followed by the main race, whose winner was presented with a Breitling watch. Meanwhile, the Breitling Surfers Squad, which consists of world stars Kelly Slater, Stephanie Gilmore, and Sally Fitzgibbons, has elevated Breitling’s profile on the surfing scene.
