Breitling might be best known for the aviation watches that have been the choice of pilots for the best part of a century – but the Swiss watchmaker also has a lesser-known history in the underwater world.
Back in 1957, just as recreational “sport diving” was taking off thanks to the arrival of affordable, portable and easy-to-use Scuba equipment, Breitling entered the purpose-built dive watch fray with its first Superocean model.
With a distinctive bezel, large, luminous hour markers and a highly legible “arrow” hour hand, its singular appearance made it stand out from existing dive models by makers such as Blancpain, Rolex and Zodiac – and its commercial success led to the addition of a chronograph version which was released in the early ’60s.
This, in turn, was developed into a highly specialised diving tool thanks to the use of a “slow motion” feature in which the regular chronograph hand made one rotation of the dial every hour, instead of every minute – so providing a larger, easy-to-read indicator of remaining air time than a regular subdial.
Dive watches remained a significant feature of the Breitling catalogue right through the 1970s, but the emphasis returned to pilot watches following the 1983 launch of the quartz-powered Superocean Deep Sea which offered water resistance down to 1,000 metres.
Growing interest in vintage watches, however, led the brand to revive the Superocean with a “Heritage” range introduced in 2007 to mark 50 years since the arrival of the original.
The Superocean Heritage models have since become popular both because of their cool, retro looks and the fact that they can still be used as serious underwater watches.
And if you’re planning to head to one of Scotland’s famous lochs for a spot of Scuba diving anytime soon, the latest 38mm addition to the Superocean Heritage lineup is probably worth a look.
Dubbed the “Highlands”, the capsule collection takes inspiration for its dial colours from the earthy tones of the Scottish landscape and the moody atmosphere of its often misty mornings.
Choose from beige, green, blue or mustard dials complemented by rose-gold bezels fitted with distinctive, concave inserts to match the dial colour.
And to make the most of the 100-metre water resistance of the Highlands models, each watch is supplied on one of Breitling’s superb bracelets made from stainless-steel mesh.
But, for those post-dive evenings when you’re warming up beside a roaring peat fire with a generous dram of single malt, there’s also a tweed-patterned fabric strap made from a luxurious blend of silk and wool.
And aye – it looks great with a kilt…
The Breitling Superocean Heritage Highlands, £5,150; breitling.com
Simon de Burton is a watch and motoring journalist and author who writes for titles such as FT How to Spend It, Brummell, British GQ and Boat International
