By Carl Scutt
Breitling is hitting the ground running at Baselworld 2018 with the introduction of the new Superocean Heritage II B01 Chronograph 44 powered by their in-house B01 movement. There is a distinct danger that I’m about to repeat myself in the praise of Breitling and it would be remiss if I didn’t tell you in the spirit of full-disclosure, that I am and always have been a fan of this brand, in particular, the Superocean family.
In the true tradition of classics evolving in a continuing arc of improvement the Superocean has been changing, last year the bezel was improved with the introduction of a ceramic insert and the removal of the metallic ring from the minutes circle, this year the Heritage II has been fitted with their tried and tested in-house B01 movement.
Although this movement was first seen back in 2009, and considered something of an achievement offering 3-day power reserve, vertical clutch and column wheel, this is still a movement that speaks volumes in terms of brand value and achievement.
This piece comes with a 44mm Stainless Steel case housing the B01 movement running at 28,800vhp/4Hz and offering a 70 hours power reserve. The dial options are Black, Blue and Silver topped with Convexed sapphire crystal with a double anti-reflective coating. Finished with black Aero Classic Rubber Strap w/pin buckle or the Ocean Classic stainless steel bracelet
You could think the Superocean Heritage II B01 is something of an Island in the changing sea of Breitling. Big changes are taking place under the leadership of Georges Kerns and it’s nice to see a certain amount of stability. Don’t get me wrong, I embrace change, but it’s always nice to see it happen for the right reasons and at a respectable speed.
Even the most forward-thinking of us sometimes get a little spooked by the speed of change. Bottom line, Breitling is growing up and changing their demographic, but so long as the classics like the Superocean Heritage remain true to their routes then no harm can come to the brand.
What about the new Superocean Heritage II B01? The increase in price point due to the new movement brings this piece in at around 7,350 CHF on a rubber strap or 7,660 CHF on a steel bracelet. Do I think it’s worth it?
For more info, visit Breitling online.
