Austin Butler and Breitling: Timeless cool meets modern legacy

There are few things as effortlessly cool as motorcycles, leather jackets, and a perfectly crafted timepiece. And when it comes to cool, Austin Butler has it in spades. Fresh off the success of Dune: Part Two and Elvis, his name has become synonymous with effortless style and charisma. Now, as the face of Breitling’s Top Time B31 campaign, Butler cements his status as a modern icon of sophistication and adventure.

In an intimate roundtable conversation, Butler opened up about his latest collaboration with Breitling, the philosophy behind his personal style, and how the spirit of craftsmanship informs his artistic approach.

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Austin Butler wears the Breitling Top Time B31, a perfect fusion of vintage racing heritage and modern craftsmanship

For Butler, the collaboration is rooted in a deeply personal aesthetic. “I use the word modern retro,” he explains, citing icons like Paul Newman and Marlon Brando. “There’s a timelessness to their style—the way a T-shirt fits, the weight of a car door from the ’50s. It’s about fabric, fit, and a life lived adventurously.”

This reverence for enduring style mirrors the Top Time B31’s design ethos. The 38mm watch, with its clean lines and vibrant dials, is a nod to Breitling’s 1960s racing chronographs, reimagined for today. At its heart lies the Caliber B31, Breitling’s first three-hand manufacture movement—a four-year engineering feat that balances technical precision with tactile elegance.

The watch is available in three dial colour options—white with a light blue minute track, blue with a white minute track, and green with a black minute track

“It’s a beautiful piece of machinery but also a work of art,” Butler notes, glancing at the timepiece on his wrist. “The size feels just right—functional, but still an extension of personality.”

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Butler loves has a love for motorcycles

Butler also recounts how his passion for watches stems from seeing pictures of Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. “Seeing Steve McQueen riding a motorcycle and having a cool watch on. I would say it probably started very young in that way. There’s also a great image of James Dean taking a photograph, and he’s got a watch on. Seeing it in the same way as clothing—it’s an expression of our personality and style. But then, I also have the element of something that’s very functional and practical. And I also love analogue, you know—I love not having to take my phone out to read the time,” he explains.

Butler gained wide recognition for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann's ‘Elvis’

This appreciation for craftsmanship isn’t coincidental. It’s a fundamental part of Butler’s artistic DNA—a commitment to understanding the intricate details that transform good work into exceptional art.

Whether channelling Elvis Presley’s raw magnetism or embodying the brooding physicality of a Darren Aronofsky protagonist, he leans into discomfort as a catalyst. “Fear is a compass,” he explains. “If I’m scared of a project, that’s where growth happens.”

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With a nod to classic icons like Paul Newman and Steve McQueen, Butler brings timeless style to the modern era

He recounts a pivotal moment during Elvis rehearsals: tasked with directing a live band mid-scene, pressure mounted as instruments fell out of sync.

“We did one take, and it just felt so dead. The director came up to me, looking really worried. He told me that all these are real musicians, but their instruments are muted. What if we unmute them and play live instead of the track? So, we did a take, and it just became this cacophony. It was the one time I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown. So I went into the back room and gave myself a pep talk. And I basically said to myself that I did not have to do this perfectly, but I had to have the music in my mind. I had to spend 10 minutes with that piano player if I had to get it right. Then I went back out there and spent as long as I needed with the piano player. And I got him doing it exactly how I heard it in my mind. And then I moved on, and suddenly, it became beautiful. And we could hear the harmony of the music. And it was real at that point. And by the end of that, it was electric in the room. And that became one of my favourite moments of the entire filming process. But it came out of a moment that was terrifying, where I felt that I was just going to fail. So it became beautiful,” he recalls.

Butler embodies the effortless style of Breitling’s Top Time B31

An extension of that is also the fact that music isn’t just a pastime but a fundamental mode of emotional expression. He crafts playlists for each character, understanding music’s profound ability to access emotions beyond conscious thought. From Chet Baker to Radiohead, his musical taste reflects a soul that appreciates depth and nuance.Don’t miss: Reviving iconic watch designs from the past

The B31 movement marks a major milestone for Breitling as it is the brand’s first in-house three-hand calibre

“I find it incredibly helpful because music, in the same way as our sense of smell, has a way of getting underneath your conscious mind. You know, those times when you listen to a song, and it just gives you chills or makes you emotional out of nowhere or invigorates you in some way? That’s an incredibly helpful thing to be able to use. I have a playlist of songs that can link me to certain feelings,” says Butler.

In many ways, Austin Butler is the living embodiment of the Breitling Top Time B31—modern yet rooted in timeless style, precise yet inherently adventurous. This is a reminder that in a world of constant change, some things—true craftsmanship, genuine passion, and authentic style—remain beautifully constant.

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