Breitling and IRONMAN have signed a long-term partnership and teamed up to co-design the Endurance Pro IRONMAN watches, a special series of Breitling’s ultimate athleisure watch. The result is a set of perfectly lightweight and lighthearted luxury sports watches combining high precision, innovative technology, and vibrant, colorful design. The launch features two exciting new watches: a red version available globally at all Breitling boutiques and retailers and at www.breitling.com for sports and timekeeping enthusiasts, and a black and gold piece exclusively available for IRONMAN® race finishers. Additional models reserved for the IRONMAN community are planned for the coming months.
In 2019, Breitling and IRONMAN had already launched the highly successful Breitling Superocean IRONMAN Limited Edition. This new partnership kicks off a long-term collaboration with Breitling becoming the new Official Luxury Watch of IRONMAN.
To celebrate the partnership and offer a first look at the watches, a special event was held at the Breitling Boutique in Beverly Hills last night, co-hosted by Breitling USA President Thierry Prissert and President and CEO of The IRONMAN Group Andrew Messick. In attendance as special guests were IRONMAN Hall of Famer and 1997 IRONMAN World Champion, Heather Fuhr; IRONMAN Ambassador and the first person with Down Syndrome to finish an IRONMAN, Chris Nikic; IRONMAN Hall of Famer and the Voice of IRONMAN, Mike Reilly; and professional IRONMAN triathlete Ben Hoffman, who was also on hand to celebrate the new watches, as well as his recent partnership with Breitling as a local ambassador in the US. Since turning professional in 2007, Hoffman has won numerous IRONMAN, IRONMAN 70.3 and National Championship victories.
“IRONMAN truly reflects our core values of performance and endurance. We’ve designed this to be an ideal watch for elite athletes as well as a casual, everyday sports chronograph for active people who want that winning combination of performance and luxury,” said Breitling CEO Georges Kern.
This eye-catching watch perfectly captures the energetic and versatile spirit of the iconic IRONMAN Triathlon Series, finds Kern along with Andrew Messick, President and CEO of The IRONMAN Group.
“We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with such an exceptional and well-respected watchmaker. After the success of our collaboration in 2019, we are pleased to partner with Breitling in creating this new watch which embodies the strength and tenacity of IRONMAN triathletes,” says Messick.
#SquadOnAMission
All three members of Breitling’s Triathlon Squad have distinguished themselves in IRONMAN triathlon events around the world. German triathlete Jan Frodeno is not only a 2008 Olympic gold medalist, but also a three-time IRONMAN World Champion and a two-time IRONMAN 70.3® World Champion. In 2019, Frodeno recorded a best overall course time at the IRONMAN World Championship®, winning in 7:51:13.
Daniela Ryf, a native of Breitling’s home country of Switzerland, is a five-time IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion and four-time IRONMAN World Champion.
The third squad member is Chris “Macca” McCormack from Australia, who has claimed two IRONMAN World Championship titles – in 2007 and again in 2010. He also won the 2012 ITU Long Distance World Championships.
All three represent the best in IRONMAN triathlon racing, which brings together three disciplines into the world’s most challenging single-day races, consisting of 2.4 miles (3.8 km) of swimming, 112 miles (180 km) of cycling, and 26.2 miles (42.2 km) of running.
Ultimate Athleisure
The new Endurance Pro IRONMAN collection serves athletes as well as luxury clients looking for the ultimate athleisure timepiece.
Its 44 mm watch case is made out of Breitlight®, which is 3.3 times lighter than titanium and 5.8 times lighter than steel, but significantly harder. This exclusive high-tech material boasts exceptional resistance to scratches, traction, and corrosion. It also stands out for its anti-magnetic and anti-allergic properties, as well as its thermal stability, which gives it a warmer feel than metal.
It’s powered by the Breitling Caliber 82, a COSC-certified thermocompensated SuperQuartz™ movement that is ten times more precise than regular quartz and offers a battery life of approximately three to four years.
The bidirectional rotating bezel has engraved compass points, and the tactile molded crown provides excellent grip and maneuverability. The hour and minute hands are coated with Super-LumiNova®, making them legible even in limited lighting conditions. Along with a small-second subdial, there are 1/10th second and 30-minute chronograph counters that have also been designed for easy reading. The watch is water-resistant to 10 bar/100 meters/330 feet.
At present there are two versions available: Endurance Pro IRONMAN and Endurance Pro IRONMAN Finisher. The former comes with a red dial featuring a black inner bezel with a pulsometer scale. The watch is presented on a red rubber strap with a Breitlight® double tang-type buckle. It features a unique IRONMAN inscription instead of the Breitling inscription. The latter – black accented with gold – is targeted at athletes who’ve completed an IRONMAN event. This version will be available exclusively through IRONMAN channels, and its caseback features a special IRONMAN Finisher Series engraving.
The original Endurance Pro was inspired by the Breitling Sprint, a colorful and impressively lightweight watch from the 1970s. Its pulsometer made it ideal for athletes who wanted to monitor their heart rates.
Watch this space for news of further watches that will complete the Endurance Pro IRONMAN collection.
For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Media-related inquires may be directed to press@ironman.com.
