The Guinness Six Nations tournament is back and so is Breitling, this time celebrating its three-year partnership as Official Timing Partner with an extremely limited-edition Chronomat. It has launched six versions of its iconic pilot’s watch, each with a dial in the corresponding colours of the national sides, with the team’s logo on the caseback and displayed proudly on the subdial at nine o’clock.

England will have a livery of white dial with red accents on the hands; Wales’s dial is a rich burgundy with black sub dials; Scotland’s contrasts white sub dials with a rich navy blue; Ireland a verdant green with white sub dials; Italy keeps the contrasting white but has a marine blue for its dial, and finally France’s dial is a gorgeous, grey-inflected cerulean. There are just 150 of each style available and they will only be sold in the UK and select EU countries.

‘As Breitling’s all-purpose, no-limits sports watch, the Chronomat Six Nations is the ideal match for the fast and fearless world of rugby,’ says Breitling CEO Georges Kern. And he’s not wrong. The new and improved Chronomat, from which this latest version can trace its lineage, was created for extreme circumstances, redesigned, as it was in 1984, to be the official watch of the Frecce Tricolori, the famous Italian aerobatics squadron. The Chronomat Six Nations is powered by the COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01, which means it is highly accurate even under pressure, with a power reserve of 70 hours and a five-year warranty. The case and rouleaux bracelet are made of stainless steel and it is water resistant to 200 metres.

As well as the new Chronomat, Breitling has beefed up its commitment to the Six Nations by signing up some impressive players to act as what it calls “squad members”. From Wales, there is George North, the highest currently active try-scorer in the world; three-time Six Nations’ winner Conor Murray represents Ireland; powerhouse prop Kyle Sinckler is flying the flag for England; former tight head and man mountain Martin Castrogiovanni is Italy’s star; France is represented by the one-time dashing winger, Vincent Clerc, while Stuart Hogg, twice named the Championship’s top performer, flies the Saltire for Scotland. Without doubt, this is one of Breitling’s most impressive squads to date.

It is this celebration of high-performance action alongside an atmosphere of camaraderie and inclusivity that drew Breitling to this partnership. The Official Timing Partner role also includes the Autumn Nations series, where Europe’s finest take on the best of the southern hemisphere, the Rugby World Cup 2023 warm-up matches and the TikTok Women’s Six Nations; something Breitling insisted upon from the outset. There is also an historical synergy between the two institutions – the Six Nations’ roots trace back to 1883 while Breitling was founded a year later in Saint-Imier.

The question now is who will be lifting the coveted trophy? Ireland as the world number one, will start as favourites, but France will be in with a strong shout and are coming off the high of last year’s Grand Slam win and the promise of hosting the Rugby World Cup in September.

Finally, the nation has a sporting event they can really rally around. After the queasiness of Qatar, it feels relaxing to know you can watch 15 men chase a ball around a pitch without feeling like you have to justify your position. While sporting a suitably patriotic Breitling, of course.

£7,400; breitling.com