« First Fruits of a Partnership? »
Breitling and Tudor are two illustrious names in the Swiss watch industry, each with a tradition all its own. At Baselworld 2017, the two brands announced that they would cooperate on movements going forward. The first result of their partnership is already on the market: the new Breitling Superocean Héritage II is powered by an in-house Tudor movement.
A Highly Renowned Pilot's Chronograph Specialist
Founded back in 1884 and based in Grenchen, Breitling SA is one of the last independent Swiss watchmakers and has built a worldwide reputation above all as a maker of pilot's chronographs.
The forerunners of the Breitling Chronomat 41 and the Navitimer World have been worn for generations by military, civilian, and private pilots, flight engineers, navigators, and aviation-minded enthusiasts of fine mechanical watches. All of them value Breitling's pilot's watches for their precision and reliability.
Yet the Grenchen watchmakers also scored an instant success with the Superocean dive watch, launched in 1957.
The highly legible dial, the extremely tough crystal, and the monocoque case, water-resistant to 200 meters, combined to create a watch designed specifically for the needs of professional divers and military special forces – but one that quickly won over sport and recreational divers as well.
Rolex's Sister Brand with an Illustrious Name
To this day, the Superocean remains a mainstay of Breitling's watch lineup. The maritime classic received a minor refresh in 2010, but under the Superocean Heritage name, the collection has in recent years always included models whose design deliberately hews closely to the 1957 original. For their successor, the Superocean Heritage II, the manufacturer has now worked closely with Tudor.
Rolex's sister brand serves as a somewhat more affordable second label alongside the industry leader and is therefore also regarded as a gateway into the world of Rolex. Historically, it was one of numerous trade names under which the Rolex manufacture sold its products, until most of these brands were discontinued and the company focused on its core Rolex brand.
Of all the company's other brands, only Tudor was continuously developed further.
Initially, Tudor watches used sourced ETA movements, but since 2016 Tudor has been fitting its own in-house calibers. For cases, casebacks, and crowns, the brand originally used parts from Rolex Oyster production. Only since the 1990s have these parts been manufactured separately.
Superocean Heritage II – Breitling and Tudor's First Joint Production
In the case of the Superocean Heritage II, the new edition of this Breitling classic is fitted with Tudor's in-house caliber MT 5612, which Breitling designates as the B20. In return, the partnership between the two brands provides for Tudor to use corresponding Breitling calibers for its chronographs in the future. Apart from the movement, however, the Breitling Superocean Heritage II differs from its historical predecessor in several other respects, having been improved and modified in a number of ways to mark its 60th anniversary.
One of these improvements concerns the steel bezel. It now features a more shock- and scratch-resistant insert made of high-tech ceramic, with the ceramic color matched to the dial. The classics are the versions in black and in a maritime blue. Alternatively, the diver's chronograph is also available in a brown bronze tone. Another version features a blue dial combined with black subdials and a black bezel.
Numerous Versions to Delight Enthusiasts
Whichever of these versions you choose, the dial always bears the original Superocean logo from the 1950s. The distinct hand shapes and their generous coating of luminous Superluminova ensure that the time can be read as easily at night as during the day and that the hands cannot be confused. To this end, the hour hand is tipped with a triangle, while the minute hand resembles an elongated diamond. The hour markers have a conical silhouette – another nod to the original 1957 model.
Born of the partnership between the two renowned manufacturers, the new edition is available as a three-hand watch with a case diameter of 42 or 46 millimeters. The chronograph version with the ETA Valjoux 7750, by contrast, always measures 46 millimeters. The bronze-toned versions come on a rubber-and-leather strap that closely matches the dial color and features contrast stitching. In principle, all versions of the Heritage II models can be worn on leather, alligator, or rubber straps, or on steel bracelets. The latter are executed as Milanese mesh, recalling the bracelet of the 1957 watch.
1950s Design Back in the Spotlight
By borrowing from its historical predecessor, Breitling's partnership with Tudor taps into the enduring retro trend, which in recent years has already brought the luxury watch market a whole series of new arrivals whose designs closely follow historical models.
Given the positive reception the Superocean Heritage has enjoyed over the years, this latest version, developed jointly by two Swiss industry heavyweights, is likely to attract lively interest from potential buyers as well.
