This week Breitling launched their all-new Premier collection at a special event held in London, or should I say relaunched as the Premier first came out in the 1940s.

Based on historical timepieces from the brand’s archive, the new collection consists of a wide assortment including three hand watches, chronographs with outsourced movements, and chronographs with in-house manufactured movements. Today, we’ll cover the latter, which consist of three dial variations: silver, blue, and British Green racing dials.

While the original 1940s Premier timepieces came in 36 mm to 38 mm cases, the 2018 Premier B01 Chronograph 42 comes in a modern 42 mm diameter case, which is 13.65 mm thick. On top, sitting well above the thin fixed bezel, is a box-type sapphire crystal reminiscent of what would be on a 1940s Premier watch.

The dial also features the familiar dual register layout of the past, although the new collection features black counters, which provide a sporty yet elegant contrast against the green, blue or silver dial.

You can view the caliber B01 through the screwed steel and sapphire caseback. Flat-pushers and thin baton-shaped hands are true to the original aesthetic, while the long applied baton-shaped indices and deeper crown (a push-in crown with two gaskets and an embossed Breitling “B”) are contemporary.

Driving the Breitling Premier B01, as the name suggests is the brand’s in-house 4Hz automatic integrated chronograph (caliber B01) which has a power reserve of 70-hours and is COSC-certified. Its premium vertical clutch actuated column-wheel configuration prevents jumping of the central chronograph second hand and amplitude loss while operating the chronograph compared to a chronograph with a horizontally actuated clutch.

Retail prices start at $7,950 for the steel version with a suede strap and go up to $8,800 for the Bentley version on a steel bracelet. Learn more at Breitling.