Old Soul New Sparkle with Breitling’s Lady Premier

Breitling’s latest launch, the Lady Premier, revisits a chapter of the brand’s history defined by refinement and quiet confidence. The collection draws on the Premier Fantaisies watches of the 1940s, reinterpreting their grace for a modern audience.

What emerges is a series that feels as sculptural as it is wearable; fluid lines, soft colour gradients, and the unmistakable shimmer of diamonds arranged with restraint rather than excess.

The story of Breitling’s women’s watches stretches back to a time when few brands paid them serious attention. Decades before the wristwatch became standard for men, women were already leading the shift from pocket watches to wrist-worn design.

Willy Breitling recognised that change. In the 1940s, he launched the Premier line to bridge precision and style, and among its early creations were chronographs made specifically for women; a rarity at the time.

His wife, Beatrice Breitling, became a quiet influence in the brand’s direction, her instinct for elegance woven into its aesthetic language. The new Lady Premier honours that shared legacy, balancing technical mastery with the sensual ease that defined the era.

Designed under the creative direction of Pablo Widmer, Head of Product Design at Breitling, the collection takes inspiration from archival silhouettes yet introduces a distinctly modern rhythm.

The cases are fluid and compact, flowing seamlessly into gradient alligator straps in shades of Aubergine, Sage, Dove Grey, and Chocolate. The dials shimmer with a silk-like lustre, a subtle interplay of texture and light that recalls couture fabrics rather than machinery.

The Lady Premier Automatic 36 houses the COSC-certified Calibre 10, an automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve, while the Lady Premier SuperQuartz™ 32 pairs its mother-of-pearl and Ink Blue dials with a newly tapered Chevron bracelet.

In both versions, the detailing feels considered: diamonds set in soft arcs, numerals pared back to essentials, hands shaped with the precision of fine jewellery.

Breitling’s commitment to responsible craftsmanship gives the Lady Premier an added dimension. The watches are created with responsibly sourced gold and traceable lab-grown diamonds, reinforcing the brand’s wider sustainability ethos.

This is not greenwashing dressed in glamour, but a genuine effort to align heritage craftsmanship with present-day values.

The result is a watch that feels contemporary in every sense; luxurious, certainly, but conscious and grounded in purpose.

She is expressive without affectation; elegant without performance. The watch sits on her wrist as naturally as confidence itself.

The accompanying campaign reflects that spirit. Photographed against an urban backdrop, models Meghan Roche and Shahed Elnakhlawy, alongside surfer Mason Barnes, embody the quiet assurance that defines the Lady Premier wearer.

Founded in 1884, Breitling remains one of the few independent Swiss watchmakers still producing its own manufacture calibres.

Its design language blends vintage charm with modern clarity; a conversation between past and present that few brands manage so fluently.

The Lady Premier captures that balance. It is not nostalgic, nor overtly futuristic. Instead, it sits effortlessly in the now, a reflection of the women who inspired it and those who will wear it.