Baselworld 2019: Giving you the details of the Breitling SuperOcean II

Breitling is primarily associated with aviation. Not surprising, since the largest icon from the Grenchen Manufacturer is the Navitimer - in addition, a stylised B with wings is emblazoned on most dials of the watches. But the link to professional diving is hardly any younger: the first Breitling SuperOcean was launched in 1957, just five years after the Navitimer was launched.

At Baselworld 2019, the SuperOcean II will receive quite the makeover: Compared to the previous SuperOcean 44 models, the design is more classic and, above all, tidier. Instead of the scales in two-hour, 2.5-minute and minute steps, the new SuperOceans now have - in addition to the attached indices - only a minute scale on an inner bezel ring.

The fact that Breitling will produce the new SuperOcean in five different sizes is not only welcome, but almost a unique selling point for a watch model. With Breitling in particular, it has often been the case in the past that some watches for more delicate wrists could only be worn with a certain amount of self-confidence due to their impressive diameter. This no longer applies to the SuperOcean: the new model is available in 36, 42, 44, 46 and 48 millimetres and can therefore fit virtually any wrist.

Breitling offers dials in black, blue, white, orange and light blue, although not every colour will be available in every diameter. As a rule of thumb, the smaller the watch, the more colourfully it can be configured. Blue and black will be the dominant colours; orange will be reserved only for the SuperOcean 42. A white dial will only be available on the 42 and 36 millimetre models. The light blue is only used in the 36 mm version.

The two largest variants have a black DLC coating and are only available with a rubber band. The other SuperOcean models can optionally be purchased with a stainless steel bracelet - specifically with the Professional III bracelet. The 48 millimeter SuperOcean is also the only model with a safety lock on the left side of the housing to lock the rotating bezel.

All models have a second hand with a red arrowhead, which is quite striking with the orange dial. Speaking of the dial, all new SuperOceans feature the classic applied wing logo at 12 o'clock. While the slim B logo is used on Heritage-style watches or more elegant models, the wing logo is used exclusively in tool watches. 

All versions of the new Breitling SuperOcean II are equipped with the Breitling 17 caliber. This is a modified and refined ETA 2824-2, which is known as one of the most reliable and proven movements ever. This movement has the advantage that it is easy to maintain and repair and spare parts are available anywhere in the world. For professional divers or frequent travelers, this is definitely a special advantage.

The caliber has an automatic winding mechanism and a power reserve of approximately 38 hours, as well as a date window at three o'clock. In addition, the Breitling 17 is COSC-certified and therefore particularly accurate