Breitling SuperOcean Heritage Chronograph Limited Edition 125th Anniversary diving watch

Breitling will soon start selling its new limited edition SuperOcean Heritage Chronograph 125th Anniversary diving watch first presented about three months ago.

Breitling SuperOcean has long been an arch-rival of a similarly styled Omega Planet Ocean series of diving watches. Both models look better when worn with a business suit. Both feature similarly styled arrow-shaped hour hands and almost identical unidirectional rotating bezels. Even the general layout of the dial is almost the same (well, this one is simple: 3/4 of all dressy diving watches present on the market use the legendary Rolex Sea-Dweller and Submariner as an infinite source of inspiration.)

The only serious difference among the two chronometers is that this new Breitling bases its Caliber 23 movement on the time-proven Valjoux 7753 (it also ticks inside the recently introduced Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight 44 mm Titanium Blue Dial (ref. PAM00326) chronograph watch, which has so impressed me that I’ve seen it in a dream last night) while the Omega Planet Ocean stays loyal to the original Valjoux 7750 chronograph movement. Both movements seem to be equally reliable and offer comparable levels of accuracy.

However, with all these visual similarities, the new Breitling SuperOcean Heritage Chronograph Limited Edition 125th Anniversary model somehow looks better than the Omega’s job. Perhaps, the reason is that, with its sword-shaped minute hand, the watch sports more balanced appearance and provides better legibility.

Also, there is something menacing about those hands. While Omega’s designers clearly overdid it trying to make them more ‘exquisite’, SuperOcean’s hour hand looks like a point of an arrow, and the minute hand looks like a blade of a heavy sword.

Oh, where was I?

This particular Breitling SuperOcean Heritage Chronograph Limited Edition 125th Anniversary diving watch will soon be selling in three new colors of its dial (Volcano black; Silver; Stratus Blue Gun) and two variations of strap: you can get it with either stainless steel bracelet featuring mesh pattern or, preferably, with a black rubber strap.

Each color variation is planned to be produced in 1000 pieces and, according to some rumors, will be officially priced at whooping $6000 USD. Well, you can always get one in an on-line shop with a nice discount, although Breitling clearly frowns upon this practice.

Photos: Breitling

Breitling SuperOcean Heritage Chronograph Limited Edition 125th Anniversary diving watch’s specification:

Price range: Around $6000
Movement: Caliber 23, Valjoux 7753-based, automatic, 25 jewels
Complications: Date, bi-compass chronograph
Power reserve: 46 hours
Case material: Stainless steel
Case size: 46 mm
Case height: N/A
Dial: Volcano black; Silver; Stratus Blue Gun
Water resistance: 200 m
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet or rubber strap
Crystal: Sapphire, domed, anti-reflective coating on outer and inner sides