Home » Breitling Watches » A Dependable Companion for Serious Diving – Breitling Superocean Steelfish Watch
As its name and the headline suggest, Breitling Superocean Seelfish is a timepiece with extraordinary resilience, able to withstand extreme water pressures. It can endure much more than any of the readers, regardless of how tough you consider yourself to be, because its construction allows it to be submerged to surreal 2,000 meters which is equivalent to 6,600 ft!
This rugged dive wristwatch has another quality, appealing to watch aficionados, since it is a watch with a mechanical self-winding movement. It does not possess any of the treasured complications, but its apparent simplicity is caused by its intent and by desire to make it as resistant as possible. The heart of the watch is Breitling Caliber 17 movement with 28,800 vibrations per hour. The automatic movement has a power reserve of minimum 40 hours, and 25 jewels. The movement is based on ETA 2824-2 movement. The ébauche (meaning, incomplete or unassembled) ETA movement is, however, totally rebuilt and supplied with the top-quality parts, such as Glycodur balance (made of an alloy of higher resistance to temperature shifts) and Nivarex mainspring to fit the highest of standards. Once the modifications are over, the movements are sent to test, in order to receive a chronometer certification.
Breitling 17 (or B17) movements are fitted in a round steel case (once again, as suggested by its name) that is 44 mm wide and 16.1 mm thick. Without the strap, they weigh precisely 122.5 g. The crown is screw locked and with two gaskets for extra protection from leakage into the Superocean Steelfish while diving.
Safety First
The timepiece has a unidirectional ratcheted bezel, another characteristic typical for dive watches. This sort of bezel is very useful when calculating elapsed time spent under water. Basically, a diver aligns the zero on the bezel with a minute hand, so he could be aware of the starting point of the dive, without the need to memorize it. Since the bezel turns in a single direction, it is only possibly to shorten the allowed period underwater. If it was possible to turn the bezel in the opposite direction, the diver would be in danger of false reading of the elapsed time spent underwater, which could be very dangerous and possibly fatal.
Breitling Superocean Steelfish timepiece has a fairly simple dial with three Roman numerals (at twelve, nine and six o’clock positions), a date aperture (at the three o’clock position) and with luminous dot-shaped hour markers on the rest of positions.
There are four available versions of the watch. The first one has a black dial and a Professional bracelet in steel. The next variation is almost the same, with the exception of a blue dial. The third version has a silver dial, complemented with a brown leather strap, while the final model has a black dial and a Diver Pro rubber band.
I like the combination – stainless steel with brown leather. This watch is for serious men who like to dive. The dial is looks interesting too. All in all I wouldn’t mind having one of these
The watch has a unidirectional ratcheted bezel, I know that characteristic typical for dive watches and because I don”t like them. I saw much better and more beautiful diver watches. Water resistance of 2,000 meters is really incredible!
I like model of stainless steel. It looks very modern and useful for my job. I am a professional diver for 8 years. This model has an amazing depth of diving! The watch looks big and powerful! In any case, this is my choice !!
I have the exact watch 2nd photo – “silver” dial & leather strap.
The dial is more “champagne” than silver but looks elegant, and is superbly executed.
It is a bit fussy in my opinion but it does go well with any suit or shirt combination
It is not as head turning as my Planet Ocean, which may be no bad thing!
It is a chunk of a thing though, which is why I guess I bought it, it is just so solid.
It is nice to know that if you ever sank, (on the Titanic say), at least the watch will still be oK when they eventually find you!
The quality of the leather strap is something else, a work of a craftsman, a nice change from commonplace st/st, with a nicely engraved buckle.
The stainless case is also stunning, the depth of polish and lustre on the sides not something I have ever come across in any metal before. (See 3rd photo down). It’s like some kind of precious metal, platinum / rhodium or similar, and has retained its polish for the few months I have owned it. Hats of to Breitling meatllurgists
The case brushed top surfaces add contrast, but not a lot more, and the numerals on the bezel are difficult to pick out possibly because of this.
The lume is also almost useless. No, it is In fact totally useless! A watch of this quality / cost / heritage should be able to be read in the dark.
Would I buy it again – no
Would I swap it or sell it – never. It just oozes quality