Last year Breitling took a fresh look at their Superocean Heritage lineup upgrading the bezel with a ceramic insert, eliminating the metal ring around the minutes circle, and refreshing the handset design. This year, however, for Baselworld 2018 Breitling introduced the Breitling Superocean Heritage II B01 Chronograph 44, this time incorporating Breitling’s in-house B01 movement. The watch is available in three dial choices; black, blue, and silver. It boasts an impressive 70-hour power reserve and contrasting panda dials for the minute and hour counters as well as the ticking seconds.
Specifications
Brand: Breitling
Model: Superocean Heritage II B01 Chronograph 44
Dimensions: 44mm
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Crystal/Lens: Convexed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective coating
Movement: Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 (or the B01 for short)
Frequency: 28,800vhp/4Hz
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Strap/Bracelet: Black Aero Classic Rubber Strap w/pin buckle or the Ocean Classic stainless steel bracelet
Price & Availability: 7,350 CHF on rubber, 7,660 CHF on steel
Analysis
The Superocean Heritage line is a pretty well-established range of watches that most watch-minded folks will be familiar with. So, what makes the new Superocean Heritage II B01 Chronograph special and worth pausing to consider? The incorporation of the in-house B01 movement. This movement debuted in 2009 and has since been considered to be a technical achievement on the part of Breitling. They were able to shoehorn the nearly 3-day power reserve into this movement along with a vertical clutch system and a column wheel. That in itself is a remarkable feat, but the movement is also tried and true in other pieces by the brand and offers an element of provenance that was needed here, in my opinion – especially with a brand in a state of so much change. Ultimately I am a fan of the redesign from last year, and the inclusion of an even better movement can only be a good thing. But, it does come with a price increase over previous versions.
Summary
It’ll be interesting to see how the Breitling Superocean Heritage II B01 Chronograph 44 performs on the market. It’s already available but I do wonder how the increase in price that comes with using the in-house manufacture movement will be received. There is value there to be sure, but with so many competitive offerings, there needs to be a decisive justification for the increase. The Breitling Superocean Heritage B01 Chronograph 44 is currently available for 7,350 CHF on rubber and 7,660 CHF on steel. breitling.com
