MOMENTS OF FREEDOM WITH AUSTIN BUTLER
Austin Butler’s Hollywood ascent is the result of a lifetime dedicated to honing his craft. He’s received an Oscar nomination for his lead role in Elvis and starred in several other films including Dune 2, The Bikeriders, and the acclaimed series Masters of the Air. It’s a career that’s been defined by freedom—choosing his roles, crafting his characters, and collaborating with Hollywood’s biggest names. Breitling caught up with Austin for one of his own moments of freedom—on set between takes. Here’s what he had to say about the watches he wears.
Austin Butler
ACTOR
Lately, Austin has been so busy with projects, film festivals, and awards that time is what he values most. When Breitling meets Austin at his on-set trailer, he says he’s learned over the years to take the time to enjoy those moments of freedom between takes. “Watching James Dean growing up—he just had this animalistic energy,” Austin says. “It drove me to want to act. There were years where I was just trying to make it work.”
Top Time for the Free Spirited
Top Time was never just about keeping time but expanding it—exploring the world in your way, at your own pace. It was introduced in the transformative 1960s, an era Austin has helped bring alive on screen through his roles in Elvis and The Bikeriders for a new generation. Top Time—then as now—symbolizes self-expression and individuality, offering a break from traditional watch design. Today, the Top Time’s vibrant energy returns in a series of bold, modern formats that carry forward its unconventional spirit. For Austin, they evoke an era of towering legends. “Watching James Dean growing up—he just had this animalistic energy,” he says. “That’s what drove me to want to act.”
The Iconic Navitimer
In Masters of the Air, Austin starred as a World War II era pilot in Europe. To prepare the cast, the producers brought in several air-force veterans who had flown on those historic missions. Austin says, “Sometimes there are these challenges where you really focus to achieve a certain emotion or emotional range in this short amount of time that you have to deliver. The journey to get there is its own story.” The legendary Navitimer—the original tool-watch for pilots during the jet age—is the perfect companion for that journey. Iconic in every sense, it’s for those who pilot their life, the very definition of topflight.
The Impactful Chronomat
Whether Austin is on on-set, relaxing, attending a press call, or strolling through JFK Airport on the way to his next project, the Chronomat makes a seriously confident style statement. Originally built for fighter-jet pilots in the 1980s, it’s now an all-purpose sports watch—as robust as those who wear it. Its presence signals possibility and keeps rolling, right on time and always electric—just how Austin likes to be—on screen and off. “There’s freedom when the mind can focus on what it wants and where it needs to go,” he says. “It’s when I feel most free. Part of confidence is success, but it also comes from within.”
The Exclusive Caliber B31
A return to the fundamentals of watchmaking, exclusive time-only Caliber B31 delivers precision and reliability in a sleek, modern form. Only 4.8 mm thick, the movement continues the tradition of in-house innovation established with the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01, the benchmark for chronograph movements. With the Top Time’s open caseback, there’s a view on the intricate B31 mechanism at work, along with the decorative touches that went into it, including techniques of perlage and Geneva stripes—blending beauty and mechanics.
On set with Austin
We sat down with Austin to talk watches, wheels, and the freedom to choose his path. From his earliest roles to his latest performances, it’s a career shaped by instinct, curiosity—and the occasional fast motorcycle. Catch the full conversation in the latest issue of The Chronicle.