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Breitling has launched its newly refreshed and updated SuperOcean Heritage collection, and we have the first look at the new pieces that are sure to make waves.

The last time Breitling’s SuperOcean Heritage line had an update was 2017. With 8 years under its belt, it was time for the collection to get a refresh – an update that reflects where the brand is today, the direction they are heading and of course, the heritage of the SuperOcean that started way back in 1957 as a stylish diver’s watch that would go head to head with other early dive watches at the time. Today, Breitling has brought forward a new collection that is more refined, with fewer model variants as part of the collection being streamlined, and taking the whole collection in-house with the B01 Chronographs and the new B31 time-only calibre making its way into the SuperOcean Heritage.

A Trip Back In Time

The 1950s was a pivotal decade for the watch world. It was the era of the diver watch, with Rolex and Blancpain battling it out for the first diver’s watch back in 1953. Blancpain was first, but only just, but Rolex went one better with its water resistance. And, while this was all going on across the first couple of years, Breitling entered the fray with something a little different. Tool watches were still tool watches back then – used for their intended purpose, in this case, diving. But Breitling wanted to do it differently and do it their way. So, off the back of Jacques Cousteau’s The Silent World, which won at Cannes in 1956, Breitling took the opportunity to capture this spirit and vibe of the time, and launched the SuperOcean in 1957. Starting with two models, a time-only, Reference 1004 and something very out of the box: Reference 807 – the world’s first diver chronograph.

Both of these made waves (yes, pun is intended!) as they bucked the conventional diver’s watch look and became the stylish alternative that melded fashion with function. Equipped with spear-and-arrow hands, a ceramic rotating bezel, and naturally sleek proportions, the SuperOcean became a favourite for stylish adventurers who lived for the sea and the scene. When I think of this, I conjure up images of those old-school beach movies where the people lived the beach life, had fun doing it and looked the part as well. Elvis Presley’s Blue Hawaii comes to mind, although that movie was a couple of years later. Thanks to my Father for me knowing that reference!

Over the years, the design of the SuperOcean has evolved, most notably from the SuperOcean MkII in 1970, the SuperOcean Heritage, which was released in 2007 as a modern throwback to the models of the 1950s, re-captured the spirit that was the SuperOcean. Then in 2020, Breitling released the SuperOcean Heritage ’57 – a modern recreation of the model that kicked it all off in 1957, complete with the concave bezel, Milanese bracelet and unique-looking, overt art-deco hour markers at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock.

The 2025 Refresh

The 2025 SuperOcean collection combines the best of the modern collection and fuses this with the heritage (aptly) of the 1957 models. As such, we now see models that have a more refined style and look to them, and in turn, the collection has been sized down so the smallest and the largest in the range is now 2mm smaller than the previous models. In the time only, the range now stems from a smaller 36mm model all the way up to a 44mm, and includes a 40mm and a 42mm to accommodate essentially any wrist size. The Chronograph collection is now sized at 42mm, which is highly versatile, falling into the “not too big, not too small” range.

Adding to the size changes, Breitling has refined the cases, bracelets and straps. The cases are more ergonomic in their design, and to aid the wearing experience, the Milanese bracelet and Milanese-style rubber straps integrate into the case, like the SuperOcean Heritage ’57 collection and the originals did. The bracelet and straps are also slightly thinner to assist with wrist comfort.

The colour variants have also been refined to the core range of black, blue and a very subtle and versatile dark green. Breitling has also added Rose Gold accents on selected models across the range, so those who want a more elegant look have the choice of either the blue or black models with rose gold bezel, crown, pushers, hands and indices, depending on the size and Chrono/time-only variants.

The other notable design change to the collection is the style of the watches. As mentioned, Breitling has taken the current SuperOcean Heritage look and blended this with the look of the ’57 models to create a more authentic SuperOcean Heritage with nods to the 1957 version, but so as not to take away from the modern reinterpretation of the ’57 itself. The hour hand is styled like the 1957 version, the 12 o’clock hour marker is now the art-deco style and the hour markers around the dial are also now fully lumed as was the original, as opposed to the lume pips on the existing collection.

The Chronograph dial also looks a little different with Breitling moving from the three sub-dials to a cleaner dual subdial configuration – the chronograph hour counter at 6 o’clock has been done away with in favour of a date window. The 3 and 9 o’clock dials remain the chronograph minutes and running seconds as found in the B01 models of the SuperOcean Heritage.

All In-House

One of the big moves Breitling has made recently was the introduction of the Calibre B31 time-only movement, which the brand released earlier this year in the Top Time collection. This new movement means that Breitling has expanded its in-house capabilities, and with this calibre, alongside the B01 Chronograph and B19 Perpetual Calendar, are well on their way to becoming a majority in-house Manufacture. I spoke about this when doing the new 2025 Breitling Top Time review, but in summary, Breitling’s in-house target is to have around 85% of all production of movements in-house by 2029. Currently, with the introduction of the B31, Breitling is now producing around 65% of movements in-house, which is a great feat considering it takes a massive amount of resources, money, expertise, and skills to scale up your movement capabilities, not to mention the brand can further break away from their supplier partner in Tudor/Kenissi, who has previously supplied the movement for the time and date models. 

The B31 now makes its way into the SuperOcean Heritage collection with this release, making the collection now fully in-house with the B01 Chronograph alongside it. As a result, we will see the slow phasing out of the B20, which was done in partnership with Tudor and based on the MT5612 and the Calibre13, which is still found on a few of the older SuperOcean Heritage models with the day/date windows.

The B31 has a 78-hour power reserve, whereas the B01 Chronograph has the slightly smaller 70-hour power reserve. Both calibres beat away at 4Hz/28,800 VpH, and you can see each through the sapphire caseback with the typical Breitling decorated bridges, plates and oscillating weight. The other fact about the B31 movement is, it also undergoes testing equivalent to 16 years of use: 100,000 crown winds, 3,456,000 weight turns, and 60,000 shocks at 500 G, among other extreme challenges. So it’s built tough, you could say.

Initial Thoughts

Having previously owned a SuperOcean Heritage Chronograph, I have a small soft spot for the collection. The style is somewhere between a diver, a classical sports watch and something more dressy. Add in the chronograph complication and you’ve a good-looking everyday piece that is versatile. I loved having the SuperOcean Heritage Chronograph for the few years that I did, and it is one watch I regret letting go. But, what is lost isn’t forever, and there are always many others that can take its place, and with the new SuperOcean Heritage collection, these have taken the models to the next level.

Now, we will be doing more in-depth reviews of both the time only as well as the chronograph collection so I won’t delve into every little aspect here and steal Sam’s and my future thunder. But I will say this – Breitling has done a great job on the new models. The smaller case sizes, more refined cases, and the integrated bracelets and straps make these watches wear better, and the range of sizes allows for more people to experience them. The refinement of the colour choices makes choosing easier, and the design nods to the original 1957 SuperOcean, ultimately brings the “Heritage” part of the name more to the fore.

Breilting SuperOcean Heritage Collection: Specs & Pricing

42mm Chronograph

Australian RRP: A$12,990 on Steel / A$12,590 on Rubber / A$14,590 Rose Gold on Steel / A$14,090 Rose Gold on Rubber

44mm Time Only

Australian RRP: A$9,390 on Steel / A$8,990 on Rubber / A$11,490 Rose Gold on Steel / A$10,990 Rose Gold on Rubber

42mm Time Only

Australian RRP: A$9,390 on Steel / A$8,990 on Rubber / A$11,190 Rose Gold on Steel / A$10,690 Rose Gold on Rubber

40mm Time Only

Australian RRP: A$9,390 on Steel / A$8,990 on Rubber

36mm Time Only

Australian RRP: A$9,090 on Steel / A$8,590 on Rubber

Availability: Available now via Breitling.com or see your local Breitling Boutique or authorised retailer.