When Breitling launched its collection digitally a few months ago, it was mostly a safe bet. Some fascinating new aviation chronographs and a full collection in Chronomat form, both nice, vaguely interesting watches. And then there was this one, a watch that I fell in love with at first sight: the Superocean Heritage ’57 Limited Edition.
As the name suggests, the limited-time capsule collection to which this watch belongs is inspired by a very special Superocean from the 1950s. The watch in question is a quirky little number defined by a weirdly concave bezel and unusual indexes, both of which are reinterpreted in the Heritage ’57 piece. That said, despite its aspirations to Bohemia and Woodstock, the regular Heritage ’57s still feel more boardroom than the Beat Generation. Not so with the Limited Edition.
One of the most interesting timepieces Breitling has ever made (assuming the ridiculous Breitling case monstrosity isn’t pure irony), the Heritage ’57 LE’s magnificent dial is defined by a brightly colored rainbow that spans the hour markers. It’s not subtle, either. Against a black background, it stands out more than a Warhol exhibit, aided by the intersecting luminous circles at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions.
Don’t worry about it looking ridiculous on your wrist, though. Sure it’s bright, and will draw a lot of attention, but it’s not as garish as something with rainbow trim. It’s definitely more suited to a t-shirt and shorts than a suit and tie, and definitely more suited to summer than winter, but it’s cool enough to pass for anything you want to wear with it.
The signature concave ceramic bezel, on the other hand, is actually just as striking as the dial. Oversized and hanging off the edge of the 42mm stainless steel case, the bowl-like shape takes some getting used to; at first it felt like my eyes were being tricked. In a good way. It does make the watch wear slightly larger, but the effect it has on the watch’s silhouette is well worth it.
As bold as the dial is, I like how restrained the bezel is with the Aquatic watch. There’s no countdown scale, just hour markers and a 12 o’clock triangle with a yellow luminous dot on it. This is partly for aesthetics, but also because it’s not a diving bezel – it’s bidirectional, so there’s a risk of it being hit by mistake underwater. This, paired with the 100m water resistance, lets people know that this is a watch that likes to be near water, not necessarily in it.
Under the hood is a Breitling automatic Calibre 10, a COSC-certified variation on the Sellita SW 300-1 with a 42-hour power reserve. It’s solid, reliable, and simple, exactly what the Heritage ’57 needs.
My only qualm with the watch is something that’s easily fixable: the strap. Contrast-stitched leather is all well and good, especially since this isn’t really a diving watch per se. But I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if it was on the optional mesh bracelet. I probably wouldn’t have returned it. Between the oddball case shape and the dial, the 250-piece Superocean Heritage ’57 Limited Edition is vintage perfection. If it’s still available as I write this, I doubt it will be by the time you read it. Nonetheless, Breitling did release another charity-oriented version with a blue dial. I prefer black, but I’ll take what I can get.
Price and specs:
Brand: Breitling
Model name: Superocean Heritage ’57 Limited Edition
Ref: A103701A1B1A
Case/dial: 42mm diameter x 9.99mm height, stainless steel
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Breitling Calibre 10, automatic, COSC-certified
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 42 hours
Strap: NATO
Price: £3,990, limited to 250 pieces
English 
Russian 
Italian 
German 
Danish 
French 
Swedish 
Dutch