Breitling Superocean Heritage 38
The Breitling Superocean Heritage is a superstar of the Aeromarine category of chronometers. The Superocean was first introduced in 1957 in an attempt to capture the seas after ruling the airwaves for so many years. It was a very successful series of watches and made Breitling’s name as a deep sea driver’s chronometer. The Breitling Superocean Heritage 38 is a celebration of the early second half of the twentieth century.
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 BREITLING SUPEROCEAN HERITAGE 125TH ANNIV 2009 LIMITED SERIES US $3,250.00 |
In a nostalgic move the watch has the brand logo of the 1950s. An eighteen carat gold B has been placed under the twelve o’clock mark or looking at it in another way at the sixty seconds mark. The hour hand is in the famous triangular shape and the minute hand also recalls the chronometers of the past. The bracelet is an excellent easily adjustable mesh design called the Ocean Classic. Like in the Heritage 46 the Bezel of the 38 is of an aluminium and steel combination. It has a hundred and twenty toothed unidirectional mechanism. The old fashioned mineral glass has been replaced by a sapphire crystal which has been made glare proof on both sides.
The case is made out of a single block of steel and the dials are available in blue, black and stratus silver. The Bezel in the stratus silver dial is copper coloured. In the others it is the same colour as the dial. The watch runs on the unique Breitling self winding mechanism. The movement Caliber is Breitling 37. The power reserve is a minimum of forty two hours. The chronometer runs on 28800 vibrations per hour. The calendar is the date as a dial aperture in the three o’clock position.
The bracelet can be Ocean Classic or Ocean Racer. The Ocean Classic is a very attractive wire mesh bracelet while the Ocean Racer is a rubber strap with circular holes recalling the racing style of the sixties. The chronometer is watertight till a depth of 200 meters or 660 feet. The face glass is cambered sapphire. The diameter of course is 38mm as in the name Breitling Superocean Heritage 38. The thickness of the watch is 12.10 mm. The watch is a lightweight compared to other models at 68.0g. The interhorn width is 20/18mm.
The Breitling Superocean Heritage 38 is the result of a gentle evolution of the famous Swiss chronometer over a period of more than one hundred and twenty five years. The watch factory was first set up by Leon Breitling a dedicated young watch maker. He set the factory up in Saint-Imier in 1884. His business did so well that he had to move it to the centre of watch making La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1892. From there onwards the life of the Breitling watch factory was somehow linked by the fates to aviation. Breitling instruments were used by two aviation pioneers, Otto Lilienthal and Lois Bleriot. This association with flying was to continue till Breitling became the official watch makers for the Royal Air Force. Thus we see that the Superocean 38 indeed has a great Heritage to sustain.