Breitling adds to their SuperOcean line a new chronograph and also renews their commitment to the Ocean Conservancy. This new watch features a beautiful white dial with the blue ceramic bezel and is an extension to the existing all blue model. Working with the conservation group Ocean Conservancy, Breitling organized a beach cleanup to celebrate the launch of the chronograph, which is limited to 1000 pieces.
Breitling SuperOcean Chronograph
The original Breitling SuperOcean, which was first launched in 1957, was created to meet the needs of professional divers, but it quickly found favor among amateur divers and scuba enthusiasts, and attracted an audience of wearers who were drawn to its bold style as much as to its performance and extraordinary functionality.
The Surfer Squad and the Bali launch event
When Georges Kern took over Breitling, one of his priorities was to ensure that the brand had the proper ambassadors. He set about building several squads. The Superocean is linked to Breitling’s Surfers Squad. A team comprising of American Kelly Slater, the most successful surfer of all time, as well as two brilliantly talented Australian women, Stephanie Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons.
The launch, which was held in Bali in cooperation with Ocean Conservancy, was part of a beach cleanup initiative with 100 Breitling guests and about 700 hundred volunteers from Bali and the surrounding region. The cleanup effort resulted in hundreds of kilograms of trash and plastic being removed from the beach.
“I always say – and I believe that I can speak on behalf of the entire Surfers Squad – that beaches are, in effect, our offices. What we have seen here and on beaches and in oceans around the world, is shocking, and I would like to thank Breitling and Ocean Conservancy for their shared fight against plastic pollution. Everyone can contribute to a cleaner environment – for ourselves and for future generations.”
Kelly Slater, arguably the most successful surfer of all time
The case, dial and hands
The case is the classic SuperOcean case, which is somewhat bulky and features a heavyset and rugged aesthetic than any pretense to be elegant. The entire case is rock solid, and exuded a nice confidence for a dive watch. The bezel has a ceramic infill which is a beautiful ocean blue, and is uni-directional, as is common for divers and is marked for diving. A luminescent dot adorns the triangle at 12.
Aesthetically, the white dial lifts up the face of the watch, making it more approachable than the all blue model. The white also provides a nice contrast to the applied markers and printed indicators, giving the watch not only a handsome look, but also one which is highly legible.
The 44-millimeter stainless-steel chronometer is presented with a pair of NATO straps made of ECONYL® yarn, an innovative material repurposed from nylon waste, one source of which is fishing nets from oceans around the world. The straps are extremely durable, and the ECONYL® yarn material can be recycled indefinitely. The watch is presented on a blue-striped satin NATO strap and is delivered with an additional plain blue satin NATO strap. The packaging is also made from 100% recycled material.
The movement: Breitling B13 – ETA 7750 base
The movement in SuperOcean Chronograph is the Breitling Caliber B13, which is the ETA 7750. The characteristic 12/9/6 subdial position of the 7750 is identifiable on the dial layout. The watch features a closed back and the entire case is rated to 200m depth. The limited edition number is engraved on the case back, in addition to the logo “Ocean Conservancy”.
The pushers operate smoothly and easily. The pressure to start, stop and reset the chronograph feel similar with a nice positive click when the pusher engages.
Concluding thoughts
On the wrist, the Breitling SuperOcean Chronograph is rather comfortable despite the large size of the case of 44mm and the thickness of 15.65mm. This was one of Georges Kern’s promise when he took the helm of Breitling – that the watches will be wearable, even for smaller wrists. This is achieved by having the lugs curve downwards toward the wrist and therefore hugging it. In practice, it feels very comfortable.
The overall aesthetic is superb, the blue of the ceramic bezel plays beautifully with the two tone blue NATO strap, and the glistening white dial. This is one beautiful watch.
And on top of that, Breitling contributes proceeds from the sale of the watches to conserving the oceans by supporting projects like this Bali beach cleanup. The cause of ocean conservancy is an excellent one, and we all need to do our part to save our planet.
Breitling SuperOcean Chronograph: Technical Specifications
Reference: A133131A1G1W1
WATCH MOVEMENT
Caliber: Breitling Caliber 13
Diameter: 30 millimeters
Depth: 7.9 millimeters
Winder: self-winding, unilateral with ball-bearing
Power reserve: approximately 48 hours
Balance frequency: 28,800 a/h or 4 hertz
Chronograph: column-wheel, vertical clutch, 1/4th second, 30-minute and 12-hour counters
Display: hour, minute, second, date
Certification: COSC-certified
CASE
Material: stainless steel
Diameter: 44 millimeters
Height: 15.65 millimeters
Water resistance: up to 20 bar (200 meters)
Glass: sapphire, convex, double anti-reflective
Caseback: screwed stainless steel
Crown: screw-locked, two gaskets
Bezel: unidirectional, ratcheted
DIAL/HANDS
Silver
Super-LumiNova® luminescent hour and minute hands and a blue sweep-second hand
STRAP
Blue-striped satin NATO ECONYL® Ocean Conservancy strap (Ref. 117W)
Additional plain blue satin NATO ECONYL® Ocean Conservancy strap (Ref. 115W)
1 Comment
I have not stopped thinking about this watch since you’ve posted this article!