Breitling Superocean

Breitling introduced their first ever diver’s watch in 1957 with the Superocean collection. Since then, the watch is one of the most popular diving watches around. While the Superocean Automatic 46 can resist water up to 2.000 meters (200 bar), the more regular versions of the Breitling Superocean can only resist water up to 300 meters. What’s cool about the Superocean is the inner soft iron case which protects the movement from magnetic fields. You can also opt for the Superocean with a helium escape valve for professional divers.

With the Breitling Superocean, you can opt for the stainless-steel case or the titanium case, which is sometimes coated with black PVD. Measuring from 36mm all the way up to 48mm, you can pick the Breitling Superocean you like on your wrist, for both men and women. Most of these Breitling Superocean watches feature an automatic caliber which is COSC certified since 1999. Some earlier models in the Breitling Superocean collection feature a Quartz-movement.

When you’re in the market for a Breitling Superocean, there is plenty to choose from. Starting with the vintage Breitling Superocean, you can opt for the reference 1004 or 807 Chronograph. These 1950s watches are really popular amongst collectors and are pretty rare. If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a well-maintained piece, expect to pay at least €18.000 for a vintage Breitling Superocean.

If you’re looking to spend a little less money, you can opt for the reference 2005 and 2105. 

These Breitling Superocean Chronographs are a bit more affordable with pricing from around €9.000 up to €15.000. The Superocean 2005 (which is from the 60s) has a slow-motion function that sees the central chronograph hand complete one full rotation per hour instead of every minute. If you’re a diver, this is very useful when you need to track your time to the exact minute. 

Since 2011, Breitling released two different Superocean watches measuring 42 and 44mm. These watches are identical to their predecessors regarding technology, but the design is completely different. The dial has an updated design, and the bezel features molded rubber inserts. The 42mm Superocean has a red, blue, yellow, white or orange ring around the black dial making it look nice and contrasting. In 2015, Breitling released the Superocean II, measuring 36, 42 and 44mm. These three-hand watches get their power from the B17 caliber with a date display. 

A couple of years later, in 2019, Breitling updated their Superocean II calling it the Superocean Automatic with a new design for the dial: large Arabic numerals at 6, 9 and 12 with some more color options to choose from. Breitling released another Superocean Automatic in 2019, which is the 48: measuring 48mm and is water-resistant up to 300 meters thanks to the titanium case.

While the Breitling Superocean 2005 (from the 60s) is extremely rare and thus not that affordable at €18.000, you can spend a lot less if you’re in the market for a nice pre-owned Breitling Superocean. Starting at roughly €2.000 you can get your hands on a Superocean REF A17040 which is water-resistant up to 1.000 meters and measures 42mm in case size. If you’re looking for the smallest Superocean around, it measures 36mm and is called the Superocean Automatic 36. 

This particular watch will cost you around €3.000 on Wristler. The biggest Superocean measures 48mm and is water-resistant up to 300 meters, costing €5.000 at least. The ultimate diver’s watch is the Superocean REF A73310 which will cost you close to €4.500 for a well-maintained piece. This watch is water-resistant up to 2.000 meters (200 bar) and feature a 46mm case.