Breitling SA, established in 1884 by Léon Breitling, has long been distinguished by their chronographs. Already well-established in this complication by the 1950s, Breitling introduced the SuperOcean line in 1957, intending it to be used both as a recreational dive watch and as a regatta timer. In 1969, Breitling--along with Buren, Leonidas, and Heuer--raced to develop the first automatic chronograph movement. The result--the famed caliber 11 movement--is what beats inside this watch, the Chrono-Matic SuperOcean. Due to the winding system of the movement, the crown had to be relocated to the nine o'clock position, leaving the chronograph pushers at two o'clock and four o'clock.
That alone is what sets this watch apart and makes it highly collectible. But what also distinguishes this watch is its testament to late-1960s aesthetics. From the square and baton indices on the dial to the Bakelite bezel, this watch is full of retro touches, in a stainless steel case whose 48mm size would make it attractive to the modern collector.
