The Breitling SuperOcean 44 is the anti-Submariner

Bruce Duguay

One of the most rewarding things for me about my watch-collecting journey is getting together with other collectors. Not so that we can all posture, judge, and brag, rather for the friendships and connections that are much more meaningful than any timepiece (yes, even a Tiffany dial 5711).

I try to attend RedBar meetups locally here in Toronto when I can, and it consistently returns a fun and engaging time. Recently though, I’ve banded together with a very focused group of friends who also work with me in the same industry. We’ve each taken a turn hosting a “talking watches” afternoon or evening that always runs longer than the two or so hours intended. The conversations always start the same: wrist check and what’s new in the collection. Where they go after that is always a wonderous, meandering intermix of watches, cars, stories and sometimes even personal revelations. There is a real camaraderie in our group, and the very essence of the bond is our passion for the machines on our wrists.

Getting together with others around watches also serves to remind me of the incredible variety of tastes and motives people have when acquiring timepieces. At the most recent RedBar, a fellow sat down next to me with a box full of Seiko 5s. That is all he collects and hence is a walking, talking encyclopaedia of Seiko 5. Another member sat across from me wearing the Omega MoonSwatch, so we took my Speedy Pro and did an impromptu photoshoot alongside someone else’s Mark 40 automatic. A quick wander around the tables revealed everything from G-Shocks to Royal Oaks and in between. Forget awkwardly spending time at the boutiques if you want to experience a wide variety of watches, simply get together with a bunch of watch nerds. You can touch and feel and experience whatever you like with no sales pressure whatsoever!

Anyway, back to another benefit of our small and focused watch group: sometimes we swap watches. We have built up such a fantastic level of trust and respect that I ended up leaving a Datejust 41 and walking home with a Breitling SuperOcean 44 on my wrist. Now this was exciting for me as I had never owned or worn a Breitling at all this far along in life. If I’m being completely honest, I had never really warmed to the brand, particularly the fussy and frankly illegible Navitimer models. Yet, when I handled this SuperOcean while sipping on a craft beer in the comfort of a friend’s rec room, something clicked.

I don’t wear 44mm watches as a rule, because at only 5’7 it often seems a little compensatory. While I would love to see how the 42mm SuperOcean wears in the near future, this one felt just fine, owing to its slim profile and short lugs. On a rubber strap, it doesn’t feel too weighty and still very premium with a deployant clasp, micro-adjustment and subtle texturing. There is also a larger 46mm SuperOcean available, I think for people with a much more substantial footprint on this earth than myself.

When examining the bezel and dial situation, you truly get a feel for what Breitling is trying to do with the SuperOcean, positioning it as one fun dive watch that does not adhere to any particular set of rules. Sure, all the essentials are in place at this price point: ceramic bezel, 300m water resistance, crown guards, and highly legible luminous markings. Go diving all day and this one will not let you down. That said, you’re probably not going to the sea, you’re going to the office or somewhere literally more concrete and you need your watch to make a different kind of splash. Breitling has you covered there with an impressively bright colour palette on offer. In the case of my loaner it was a vibrant baby blue centre dial that stole the show but consumers can also choose from shades like yellow, olive green, orange and a very cool two-tone brown and bronze.

The texture rich face of the SuperOcean is further enhanced by an outer dial ring which angles up to meet the bezel. If this ring was even a micron wider, it would look silly in proportion to the centre dial. Breitling has narrowly got it perfect, directing the viewer’s gaze inward toward the handset that features chunky lumed hands and a blunt square on the end of the hour indicator. While there is a lot of chunkiness going on in that centre dial along with the hour plots, it all seems to work just fine without appearing congested. The thin black ceramic outer bezel is the most conventional thing about the watch, turning with satisfying clicks. It is easy to operate and won’t chew up your shirt cuff like some toothier bezels.

I can confidently state that this SuperOcean really made an impact on me over the week it was in my custody and I think I’ll casually keep an eye out for a yellow dial 42mm version in the coming months as I feel it would be an ideal poolside summer watch. All said, the most satisfying part of having the SuperOcean 44 was still the interactions that made it all happen. As fun as the colourful Breitling was to wear, it was the connection with my friends and hearing about their watch journey and preferences that really enhanced the experience.