Editorial
The Superocean Automatic 42 is Breitling's workhorse dive watch: 500 meters of water resistance, a unidirectional rotating bezel, and a dial that reads clearly in poor light. It sits at the accessible end of the Superocean line and makes no pretense about what it is. Collectors who want a serious diver with Breitling lineage and are comfortable with an ETA movement find good value here.
Breitling relaunched the Superocean family in 2017 and introduced the 42mm Automatic in the 2019 generation under reference A17375211B2S1. The case is 42mm steel with a rubber strap or bracelet and a screw-down crown. Power comes from the Breitling Caliber 17, which is an ETA 2824-2 with Breitling's decoration and COSC chronometer certification.
Dial variants include black, blue, and red, all sharing the same high-contrast layout with luminous indices. The line runs alongside the larger 44mm and 46mm Superoceans, targeting buyers who want a wearable, day-to-day diver rather than a statement piece.
Confirm the caseback seal and crown gasket integrity before buying used, especially on watches represented as having seen actual water use. The crown on the 42mm should screw down smoothly with no resistance or grinding; a damaged crown tube is a water ingress risk and a disproportionately expensive repair. Check the bezel insert for chips, which are common on ceramic-insert variants but are purely cosmetic.
COSC certification applies at manufacture, not across a service interval, so request service history if the seller claims the movement is within spec. The rubber strap degrades faster than the watch, and Breitling OEM straps are expensive to replace.
