Marking the freewheeling sixties spirit

Last July, Swiss watchmaker Breitling and British motorcycle manufacturer Triumph announced a long-term partnership, which began with displays of Thruxton RS — the original modern café racer — in Breitling boutiques around the world.

During the heyday of auto racing in the mid-1960s, a whole subculture had sprung up around the stylish motorcycles, used to literally transport their riders from café…