Dive watches are easily one of the most popular styles of timepieces among collectors and enthusiasts, although very few people actually still use them for scuba diving, and we have seen the core platform of the dive watch adapted to create a countless variety of timepieces that are designed for use both in and out of the water. For its latest new release of 2023, Breitling has announced a capsule collection of vintage-inspired Superocean divers that have absolutely nothing to do with the underwater world, and the new Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 Highlands series includes four different models with colorways and tweed straps that are inspired by the Scottish Highlands.
From a conceptual standpoint, the new Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 Highlands is a bit of an unusual creation, as it is a vintage-inspired dive watch produced by a Swiss company that is intended to evoke the feeling of walking through the Scottish Highlands. However, I’d imagine that there are probably more people hiking in their dive watches than scuba diving in them these days, so a hiking-themed diver actually isn’t the most left-field concept when you consider how people are most likely to wear their timepieces in daily life. Additionally, since the Superocean Heritage ’57 is the least purpose-built model among Breitling’s various dive watches, using it as the foundation for the new Highlands collection is a fairly logical decision, and given that Breitling makes models dedicated to everything from professional surfers to American muscle cars, a hiking-themed dive watch inspired by the Scottish Highlands isn’t all that strange of a concept for the brand.
The Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 Highlands capsule collection consists of four different models that are crafted from stainless steel and fitted with 18k red gold bezels, which have ceramic inserts that match the color of their dials. As far as the dials themselves, all of the colors are inspired by the hues you might see while walking through the Scottish Highlands, and they include beige, green, mustard, and blue. Additionally, while all four models from the Highlands collection are fitted with stainless steel mesh bracelets, they also include extra tweed-inspired fabric straps that appear in complementary colors for each watch’s dial. The blue model gets a dark brown strap, the beige version receives a medium brown strap, and both the green and mustard-colored models are paired with dark green fabric straps. Furthermore, for collectors who want additional options, Breitling has also announced a blue tweed strap that can be purchased separately for the Superocean Heritage ’57 Highlands watches.
As far as dimensions, the new Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 Highlands models offer the same profile as the standard-production models, and they measure 38mm in diameter by 9.35mm thick, with 18mm lugs and an overall lug-to-lug profile of 42mm. The top of the case receives a cambered sapphire crystal surrounded by the model’s signature concave rotating timing bezel, while a solid screw-down caseback closes up the reverse side of the watch. At the 3 o’clock location is a signed crown, although despite being a dive watch, the crown does not screw down on the Superocean Heritage ’57, which means that the new Highlands models only offer 100 meters of water resistance, rather than the higher depth ratings that accompany the rest of the brand’s divers.
Powering the new Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 Highlands watches is the brand’s Caliber 10 automatic movement, which is based upon the architecture of the ETA 2982, rather than being one of the Kenissi calibers that you will find inside other models from the Superocean Heritage collection. As such, you get an operating frequency of 28,800 vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 42 hours, although like all of the brand’s other contemporary movements, the Breitling Cal. 10 is a COSC-certified chronometer, and it is therefore guaranteed to keep time within the standards of -4/+6 seconds per day. The quality of Breitling’s watches has always been above reproach and ETA-based calibers are incredibly reliable and proven designs. However, as Breitling continues to move upmarket when it comes to its pricing, many collectors begin to want more than just an incredibly well-executed timepiece that uses the same movement as other watches, which can be purchased for a fraction of the cost.
Given that the new Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 Highlands models have rose gold bezels and come with both a stainless steel mesh bracelet and an additional tweed-inspired fabric strap, they cost slightly more than the other Superocean Heritage ’57 watches that are currently part of the brand’s catalog, and all four colorways (U10340161C1A1, U10340361L1A1, U10340281I1A1, and U10340E31A1A1) are accompanied by an official retail price of $6,250 USD. Additionally, rather than joining the lineup as standard-production offerings or limited editions where their output is capped at a specific number of examples, the Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 Highlands collection will be available for a limited time, and these four Scottish Highlands-themed models will only exist in whatever quantity that Breitling manufactures during this undisclosed period of availability. Looking past their rather unusual inspiration, the new Superocean Heritage ’57 Highlands watches all offer rather compelling colorways, and it’s interesting to see Breitling continue to expand upon the concept that dive watches don’t always need to be highly purpose-built creations that are designed for a life underwater. For more information on the Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 Highlands capsule collection, please visit the brand’s website.
