We take a long look at the Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 where I’ll attempt to convince you that it’s worth a try.
We don’t deserve the Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57. We’re mean, quick to judge, and pretty set in our ways about most things — and that includes Breitling replica watches UK. We complain about watch prices, moan about in-house versus sourced movements without understanding the benefits. Really, just give us a black dial, wrap it in a 40mm stainless case, and maybe include a dive bezel. Artificially limit production and ensure the social media sages pair it with Goyard, LV, Hermes, Gucci, or some bespoke useless slippers and, voilà, you have the best watch on the planet.
Consequently, it’s because of the behavior detailed above that I come back to my statement. We don’t deserve the Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 because I’m guessing most won’t give it a chance. On paper, it simply doesn’t stack up favorably against the norms. But if you only look at those things without trying it on, that’s a real damn shame as it’s the best new watch I’ve worn in 2020. Bold words? You betcha…
Simply put, the Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 is a throwback watch. You won’t find a screw-down crown, overkill levels of water resistance, or a unidirectional bezel with clicks. I guess that because of these points, Breitling references laid back surfing lifestyle of the 1960s and steers away from any mention of diving. Maybe that’s a safer and more mainstream marketing direction, but I think it really sells this watch short (not to mention that this watch was long gone in its original form by the time the 1960s boogie-boarded into town).
The Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 is what dive Swiss made replica Breitling watches were from almost all companies back in 1957. Namely, they were normal watches with beefed-up sealing to aid water resistance. Then, add a bidirectional friction fit dive bezel, luminous dial and hands, and a non-screw-down crown. Rolex was an exception with their Oysterlock (people often forget that they had had exclusive rights to screw-down crowns at that time) and Omega with its Naiad system. We’ve come a long way since then with more capable watches hitting the market on the regular, but I’m still glad this new piece is available.
You’d think I’d start with the inward sloping bezel design when breaking down the Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57. I’ll get to it. But I really need to open with the case because it’s pure magic. I’d guess it was five years ago that I touched down at Vienna International. I hit the tarmac right before a gullywasher did. That’s just as well, as had that sudden, violent storm broken any sooner I might have stayed-put in Frankfurt.
As it was, I made it. And thank goodness as my trip included, aside from essential meetings, a dinner that evening with Fred Mandelbaum. Even though I’d spoken with Fred numerous times, we’d never met in person. But an hour or so after checking into my hotel, his capacious Range Rover emerged from the tempest and I hopped inside.
On our drive into the city, we spoke about all sorts of things but copy Breitling watches for sale dominated. We finally arrived at our destination, the clouds had parted, and it was time to move to the restaurant. With timepieces in tow, we took our seats. Fred had brought all manner of things, but, unsurprisingly, the hardware mostly comprised Breitling watches.
And when we talk vintage Breitling, you don’t need a degree in statistics to assume that the selection is somewhat chronograph-heavy. But there was this one aberration that stuck out to me. It was a watch that didn’t belong to Breitling or any other attending brand at the table and I loved it. Of course, that watch was the Breitling Superocean. The case was impossibly thin and was topped by this exaggerated, almost ridiculous, bowled bezel. It was so elegant and so classy compared to the brutalist divers that came before and after it. I held many best selling fake Breitling watches that night, but I just kept coming back to the Superocean. It looked epic on my wrist.
I own and get to play with a lot of watches each and every year. I end up liking most of them, but even if I buy, very few truly occupy space in a special part of my collection. These are my “go-to” watches that I am always happy to wear. My Explorer 14270, Submariner 14060M, my grandfather’s Datejust, the gold Speedmaster, and Seiko 6215 are the watches that fit this description. The Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 has joined that elite group. It’s so different but wears so perfectly that I love it. It’s light, elegant, yet somehow sporty. It also pairs with anything and I think that this side of that gold Speedmaster, it’s the best modern reinterpretation of a vintage watch that I’ve seen. From the watch itself to the bracelet, I’m completely at ease with all the choices Breitling made.
But no matter how comfortable I am in explaining why I enjoy this watch so much, I still wonder if the Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 will prove to be a commercial success. As I said, the published specs make it hard to understand and very hard to compare with other top clone Breitling watches — especially divers. Early limited pieces with their rainbow dials sold out immediately, but we will have to see how the regular black, blue, and two-tone watches fare with daily buyers. But for us true watch nerds, this is a watch worth experiencing. As parts of the world reopen and you venture to watch boutiques, I can only make one suggestion. If you try on only one “wild card” watch, make it this one.