Last year Breitling came out with an entirely new Superocean watch. It featured a modern looking design in a smaller 42mm case. While a lot of people wanted a smaller Breitling diver, even more didn’t. So, just one year later, the Superocean II has been refreshed and enlarged. Now, for 2011, Breitling offers the Superocean 44. It comes in two versions: A three-hand, and a chronograph. There is also a GMT version but that comes in the 42mm wide case and will be discussed elsewhere.

Aside from being 44mm wide versus 42mm wide, the Superocean dial has been cleaned up and is now more legible. For comparison purposes you can check out the Breitling Superocean for 2010 here. The dial retains the core look of the watch that came out last year, but I think you’ll agree it is more legible. There is more space between the hour markers, and more use of applied baton hour markers versus the stylized Arabic numerals.

The case has some minor differences in terms of styling. Though the differences are nothing too major, upon side by side comparison you can see that these are indeed different pieces. The biggest change for the case is the water resistance. The old three-hand model was water-resistant to 1,500 meters while the new one goes down to 2,000 meters. The chronograph and GMT are water-resistant to 500 meters each.

The bezel style is slightly different as well. Still no lume but the rubberized bezel insert now has minute markers from o – 15. Like last year, both the chronograph and basic automatic versions will come in a slew of color options. I do love all the color options that Breitling makes available. They feel sporty and fun, adding a positive sense of character to the collection. Both watches will have Swiss automatic movements that are COSC Chronometer certified.

With the Superocean 44, the Superocean Heritage, and other Superocean models there are plenty of Superocean watches to choose from. The consumer has more choices than ever for Breitling’s venerable dive watch range and they are all available on the great rubber strap (with an awesome deployment), or a steel metal bracelet. These are some great looking timepieces and, in my opinion, are an improvement over the model offered last year. Look for these watches soon.