Breitling has taken the iconic design cues of its aviator’s timepieces and applied it to the Superocean 44 Special dive model.
Black and white aviator-type watches that ensure excellent readability are well-known instruments, and now, divers are being treated to their very own “ocean pilot” with the arrival of the Breitling Superocean 44 Special. Featuring a black steel case, black ceramic bezel and a black dial bearing large luminescent indications, the striking new timepiece enables divers (and stylish terrestrial lads) to read the time, whether they’re hailing a cab while out on the town, or plunging to a depth of 1,000 m (3,300 ft).
Since 1957, Breitling Superocean models have been distinguished by their exceptional performance combined with an eminently technical and professional style and the new Superocean 44 Special continues this legacy with an original design in which every detail meets the demands of an authentic diver’s watch.
The sturdy satin-brushed black steel case, fitted with a twin-gasket screw-locked crown, guarantees water resistance to a depth of 1,000 m (3,330 ft) and is equipped with a safety valve that serves to equal out the differences in pressure inside and outside the watch.
The brand-new rotating bezel in shiny black ceramic, a particularly resistant high-tech material, guarantees an accurate dive-time count-off. Its unidirectional rotating system avoids any inadvertent extension of the measured time due to wrong handling, while the ratcheted profile ensures an optimal grip even with gloves.
The powerful contrast between the all-black exterior and the white indications, accentuated by a luminescent coating, ensures optimal readability in the darkness of the oceans. All the markers are strongly oversized so as to catch the eye: large baton-type hands clearly distinguishing the hours from the minutes, differentshaped hour-markers for five-minute intervals, quarters and 12 o’clock; and a bezel with 60-minute scale also highlighting five-minute intervals, quarters and 12 o’clock.
Thanks to the red-tipped seconds hand with its small luminescent triangle, the diver can at any stage check at a glance whether the movement is operating. The sapphire crystal, glare-proofed on both sides, further facilitates readings even in the heat of action.
Equipped with a 44 mm-diameter case, the Superocean 44 Special houses a selfwinding movement officially chronometer-certified by the COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute), the only precision and reliability benchmark based on an international norm. It is teamed with a black rubber strap featuring Breitling’s signature and raised central ridge, or a row of holes.
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