Retracing the pared-down aesthetic of the original SuperOcean Slow Motion from the 1960s and 1970s, while adding modern features and a bright palette of colour, the new Breitling SuperOcean is no longer strictly a dive watch - surf with it, swim with it, or hit the beach bar with it.

In the 1960s, the emerging sport of scuba diving was all the rage, inspired by the adventures of ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau. In diving, timing was everything - measured almost exclusively in minutes - and Breitling watches to not only provide the best tool watch for the task, but give it a sense of style.

To create this early SuperOcean, Breitling's designers eliminated any superfluous features that didn't support the lifesaving needs of divers underwater. A high-contrast dial ring was introduced to the crucial minutes scale, out went subtle indexes in favor of chunky luminescent batons for easy readability, and, in the boldest move of all, Breitling did away with the seconds hand, since divers...didn't really need it. In its place, came a revolutionary minutes-based chronograph, dubbed the "Slow Motion" because it took an hour to make a full rotation of the dial.

Today, Breitling launched a new SuperOcean that goes back to the Slow Motion's simplified tool-watch philosophy. And while the collection has been revised to meet the needs of modern wearers (the seconds hand was, of course, a must), a keen eye will spot several design nods to the original.

Made For The Sea

Available in four sizes (46, 44, 42 and 36mm), the collection's colourful dials are paired with three different case metals - steel, steel-gold, and bronze. The special alloy used in the 44 and 42mm bronze versions has an excellent resistance to corrosion, but will still develop a subtle patina over time that makes the watch even more unique. The two strap options (a sporty rubber strap and a new three-row metal bracelet) have a folding clasp that allows for micro-adjustments of up to 15mm for easy wear over rashies and dive suits.

Aside from looking good, the new Breitling SuperOcean is also a technical marvel. Water resistant to 300m (1000ft), it features broad hands and indexes coats in Super-Luminova® that allow for exceptional readability underwater. Its scratchproof ceramic-inlayed bezel means it will never wear or fade, and for safety the bezel is unidirectional on most sizes and bidirectional with a patented lock on the 46mm. The watches are also shock, sand and saltwater resistant, and fitted with an automatic Breitling Caliber 17 movement, which comes with a two-year warranty and approximate 38-hour power reserve.

Best of all, the Slow Motion's distinctive square minute hand has made a comeback, along with the high-contrast minute scale. Fan will also remember "the dot", a circular window at 6 o'clock that displayed different colours depending on whether the minutes-based chronograph was engaged, paused, or off. In the new Breitling SuperOcean, a circle near the tip of the second hand gives a wink to that much-loved feature.

Serious Performance, Laid-Back Vibe

The Breitling Surfer Squad - made up of Kelly Slater, Stephanie Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons - is back as the faces behind the new SuperOcean collection, and the watch assortment includes the special-edition Superocean Automatic 42 Kelly Slater. Co-designed with the surf champion and limited to 1000 pieces, the watch features an eye-popping orange dial and military-green rubber strap inspired by a watch Slater's dad used to wear surfing.

Of the collaboration, Slater says, "I've been co-creating watches with Breitling for the past few years but this in, in particular, is very personal. It's inspired by my late father, who had a watch with an orange face that he used to wear surfing for as long as I can remember. The green and orange together is a colour scheme I used to like for the airbrushed on my boards growing up. The combination has always stuck with me."

There's something for everyone with the new Breitling Superocean. Collectors will recognise the strong influences of the Slow Motion, water sports enthusiasts will appreciate its technical features, and the style conscious will gravitate towards its day-to-night, beach-to-boardroom versatility. 

Perfectly balancing the nostalgia of its heritage while making fresh new waves, for more information on the new Breitling SuperOcean, visit us in-store at The Beacon, Eastbourne or email online@wbruford.com