The Breitling Superocean Heritage | family history
The original Breitling Superocean launched in 1957 as a 200m-rated professional diver: the same year as the Omega Seamaster 300 and two years before the Submariner reached its classic 200m specification. Breitling's mainstream identity has always skewed toward aviation, and the Superocean spent decades in the brand's catalog without attracting the collector attention of the Navitimer. The 2009 Heritage relaunch reversed that dynamic by bringing back the 1957 case proportions in a modern execution. The Superocean Heritage is now Breitling's most-collected reference by buyers who have no interest in slide-rule bezels.
Breitling’s vintage-reissue diver line, drawn from the 1957 original Superocean. The modern Heritage ’57 carries the squared-arrow hands and 11mm-thin case of the period piece, with Breitling’s 10-series caliber (Tudor MT5612-based) underneath.
1957–1985 · The original Superocean: professional diver from the beginning
Breitling introduced the Superocean in 1957 for professional divers: 200m water resistance, rotating bezel, a larger crown than the brand's dress references for operation with gloved or wet hands. Through the 1960s and 1970s the Superocean ran on Valjoux-based movements and updated case architectures. The 1957 original and the early references are in five-figure collector territory among Breitling specialists; the vintage Superocean has not reached the cultural visibility of the vintage Submariner or early Seamaster 300, which keeps prices more accessible than the Swiss dive-watch mainstream.
No references from this era in the catalog yet.
2009–2014 · The Heritage relaunch: 42mm, vintage proportions restored
Breitling relaunched the Superocean as the 'Superocean Heritage' in 2009 with a deliberate reference to the 1957 proportions: a 42mm case with a domed sapphire crystal, a vintage-style chapter ring, and a movement choice between the in-house caliber 17 (Breitling-finished ETA 2824-2 base) and, later, the in-house B20. The design decision to revisit the 1957 case was the same playbook Tudor used with the Black Bay in 2012. The Heritage's original 42mm references are available on the secondary market at or below retail for buyers who want the vintage-inspired proportions.
No references from this era in the catalog yet.
2017–present · The 57mm anniversary edition: the 1957 homage at original proportions
Breitling introduced the Superocean Heritage 57 (A10370121L1S1) in 2017 to mark the 60th anniversary of the original Superocean. The 42mm case is the standard; the '57' designation refers to the year, not the size. The updated generation runs caliber B20: an in-house movement on a Tudor-developed base (the same architecture as the Black Bay's MT5402, reflecting the Rolex-family heritage), 70-hour power reserve, anti-shock. The 57 is the canonical current Superocean Heritage reference and the one Breitling markets most actively in the non-aviation segment.
How to read this family
Three honest questions for any Superocean Heritage buyer:
- Superocean Heritage or Navitimer: which Breitling to buy first? These are different watches serving different buyers. The Navitimer is an aviation chronograph with a circular slide rule; you buy it because you want the complexity of the slide-rule bezel and the chronograph function. The Superocean Heritage is a clean vintage-inspired diver; you buy it because you want a well-proportioned 42mm dive watch with the Breitling name and the in-house B20 caliber. If you have no particular affinity for aviation instruments, the Superocean Heritage is the more versatile daily watch.
- Is the caliber B20 actually in-house? The B20 is based on the movement architecture that Tudor uses in its MT5402 movement (which is itself in the same development lineage as movements in Rolex's MT5000 family). Breitling licenses and finishes the base; calling it 'in-house' is technically correct in that Breitling controls the finishing and specification. It is the same architecture as the Tudor movement that was co-developed between Breitling and Tudor, which is an unusual collaborative history for two independent brands. The movement is robust, well-tested, and COSC-certified.
- Superocean Heritage versus Tudor Black Bay at a similar price? The Black Bay (BB58, 39mm, MT5402) is smaller, more vintage-proportioned, and trades at or below retail. The Superocean Heritage 57 (42mm, B20) is larger and trades near retail without the Black Bay's mainstream collector demand. The Black Bay has stronger secondary-market recognition in the collector community; the Superocean Heritage is the choice for buyers who specifically want the Breitling identity in a diver rather than the Tudor. If you are indifferent between the brands, the Black Bay is the more liquid asset.
Related families: Navitimer · Chronomat · Tudor Black Bay
References in this family
Which ref to buy
The Superocean Heritage translates vintage Breitling diver aesthetics into a modern wearable -- warm color palettes, wave-pattern dials, and a retro-ish 57mm lug-to-lug that sits better on smaller wrists than most modern divers. It targets buyers who want vintage feel without hunting the secondary market.
- 1Open
Superocean Heritage 57 -- vintage Breitling diver DNA at modern service intervals.
- The case for it:
- The dial textures and color options are genuinely interesting -- the tropical-inspired variants in particular stand out. Cal. B20 (Tudor MT5612-based, 70-hour power reserve) is reliable and well-proven. For buyers who want a vintage-looking diver without the condition risk, this delivers.
- Consider instead if:
- Tudor sells you the actual vintage-inspired diver with a better movement story. The Heritage 57 is trading on aesthetics -- buyers focused on horological substance should look at the Tudor BB58 first.
Rankings last reviewed 2026-06-07. Editorial perspective only. Not financial advice.