Breitling
SuperOcean Lunette Noire Fullset - Stainless Steel

“Some watches tell you the time of your next appointment. Others already make you want to head out to sea.”

Breitling Superocean II 42 reference A17365, a 2019 example with a black dial, black bezel and steel bracelet, offered as a Full Set with its original box and papers. This men’s automatic dive watch has a stainless steel case measuring 42 mm in diameter and 13.32 mm thick, with a 20 mm lug width. The dial combines large luminous Arabic numerals, three central hands and a date at 3 o’clock. It is protected by a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides. The unidirectional ratcheted bezel features black rubber-moulded detailing and a luminous triangular marker. A screw-locked crown with two gaskets, a solid screw-down caseback and a steel bracelet with a folding clasp complete the construction. The automatic Breitling Calibre 17, chronometer-certified by COSC, has 25 jewels, operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4 Hz, and offers a stated power reserve of approximately 38 hours. The model’s nominal water resistance is 500 metres, or 50 bar; use of this pre-owned example in water remains subject to an appropriate recent test. This Superocean is offered with Mostra’s 3-year warranty.

There is something distinctive about choosing a dive watch when much of one’s day is spent on dry land. A thinner watch, a less contrasting dial or a less purposeful construction might be sufficient. Yet one returns to that bezel which can be grasped, to hands the eye finds immediately, and to a presence of steel that suggests something beyond office hours. A modern diver is not chosen solely for what we do. It is also chosen for the freedom we wish to retain. The freedom to leave, to change plans, to extend a weekend beside the water. This 2019 Breitling Superocean belongs entirely to that way of looking at a watch.

Imagine it on the morning of a departure, before the harbour comes to life, when the sound of halyards and engines gradually replaces the conversations of the city. The bracelet closes, the time can be read without hesitation, and the day can begin. Such a departure need not happen every week for the watch to retain its spirit. That is one of the attractions of a fine diver: it accompanies everyday life without entirely taking on its habits. It keeps the possibility of elsewhere on the wrist. The black dial and steel of this A17365 express that feeling with restraint, without spectacular colours or references to an expedition its wearer has never experienced. 

To understand the Superocean, we must return to 1957, when Breitling opened an underwater chapter in a history already closely associated with measuring instruments. Diving was developing, exploration of the seabed was attracting new participants, and the wristwatch needed to answer requirements different from those of a pilot or motorist. The first SuperOcean models, including the three-hand reference 1004, offered a stated water resistance of 200 metres. The company did not simply transfer an aviation name to a water-resistant watch: it approached visibility, the reading of intervals and movement protection from another perspective. Underwater, telling the time was no longer enough. It had to remain readily visible.

These origins explain the Superocean’s particular place within Breitling. The brand readily evokes cockpits, chronographs and onboard instruments; its diver speaks another language while remaining within the same family of ideas. Where a chronograph dial distributes several measurements, a dive watch must bring essential information to the foreground. Adventure does not always demand more complications. Sometimes it requires a clearer hierarchy in what we see. The Superocean represents this other expression of Breitling: fewer functions to operate, greater immediacy in reading them. It has a legitimacy of its own, reaching back to the early years of modern recreational diving rather than a recent fashion for nautically inspired watches.

Across its generations, this family has adopted very different dimensions, dials and constructions. The Superocean II introduced in 2015 belongs to a period when Breitling sought a balance between sporting character and comfort on the wrist. Reference A17365 is its 42 mm version, with a large Arabic-numeral dial and a textured black bezel. The 2019 example presented here retains this particularly legible identity. It should not be confused with a Superocean Heritage: “II” does not identify a retro interpretation of the 1957 model here. This watch embraces a modern, more direct silhouette in which the dial and bezel designs work together to establish the instrument’s personality.

That is precisely what makes this generation interesting. It does not try to look as though it has emerged from a 1950s catalogue. There is no emphasis on artificial patina, nor a deliberately stripped-back dial intended to evoke an old watch. The Superocean II 42 has the character of a contemporary diver: straightforward readability, a substantial case and an automatic movement intended for regular use. Its history is present, but it does not need to reproduce every historical detail to be convincing. For an enthusiast who appreciates collector’s watches without wishing to wear vintage pieces exclusively, this position is particularly coherent.

The 42 mm case provides the first measure of that balance. It has a confident presence without reaching the dimensions of larger 44 or 46 mm divers. Its 13.32 mm thickness should be assessed honestly: this is a genuine sports watch, not an ultra-thin piece that disappears beneath every shirt cuff. Yet the relationship between diameter, bezel and dial opening avoids the impression of bulk without purpose. The lugs extend the case towards the bracelet, and lateral protection frames the crown. This watch is chosen for its purposeful presence, not simply for a diameter. Trying it on reveals how it sits far better than a comparison of isolated figures.

Steel gives the whole an immediately familiar expression. The polished case of this 42 mm version catches the light, while the black dial and bezel contain its brilliance. That contrast matters: it avoids both the effect of an entirely gleaming block and that of an instrument made deliberately austere. The watch can convey strength without losing its elegance. Here we find the ability of fine sports watches to change their character slightly according to their surroundings. Beneath a sleeve it appears more restrained; on an uncovered wrist, the bezel and numerals become more prominent. The same object can speak of mechanics during the working week and of the sea from the first day of a holiday.

The black dial sits at the centre of this balance. Large Arabic numerals give the Superocean II a personality different from that of divers relying mainly on geometric hour markers. They organise the surface with an almost instrumental directness, without making the eye search for the hour positions. An inner 24-hour scale supplements this display, but is neither a GMT function nor an independent second time zone. The date at 3 o’clock introduces a useful convenience away from the water. The watch therefore remains grounded in real life: it can accompany a business trip, a working week or a long day of travel without requiring its wearer to forgo information as simple as the day of the month.

The broad hands and luminous elements serve the same intention. The eye should distinguish the time without lingering over the dial and recover its bearings as the light diminishes. The central seconds hand provides a visible indication that the movement is running. This readability has value far beyond diving: in a car park, towards the end of the day or simply when checking the time quickly, it remains a practical quality. A successful tool watch turns its original constraints into everyday advantages. It is often that ease, more than its ultimate performance, that makes one want to put it on again each morning.

The black rubber-moulded bezel deserves particular attention because it distinguishes this reference from many divers fitted with ceramic inserts. Its relief, large markings and contrast with the steel give it a tactile as well as visual presence. This is not simply a black bezel chosen to match the dial: its perimeter must be graspable and its reference marker quickly found. The unidirectional ratcheted rotation and luminous triangle belong to this instrumental logic. The scale provides a reference for an interval without altering the time setting. In everyday life too, a rotating bezel remains a straightforward and useful tool, available without opening an application or starting a chronograph.

The crystal also contributes to the effectiveness of the whole. The domed sapphire with anti-reflective treatment on both sides helps limit reflections that might obstruct reading, while providing good resistance to ordinary scratches. That does not mean the watch should be considered invulnerable: an impact remains an impact, and surface treatments also deserve care. Nevertheless, this construction corresponds to the idea of a watch that is used, rather than an object viewed only in its box. The solid screw-down caseback follows the same logic. It does not turn the movement into a spectacle; it protects it. On a diver of this kind, mechanical interest does not require a transparent caseback in order to exist.

The 500-metre designation establishes the model’s intended purpose, but deserves to be understood correctly. It expresses the nominal water resistance stated by Breitling for this construction; it is neither a recommended diving depth nor proof that this example retains its performance today without verification. Gaskets, crown, crystal and sealing surfaces all contribute to protecting the movement. For a watch dated 2019, use in water should be based on a recent test and the workshop’s recommendations. This qualification takes nothing away from the Superocean’s nature. It simply recalls that a technical watch is respected through the way it is maintained, not only through figures printed in a catalogue.

Inside works Breitling Calibre 17, an automatic movement that places continuity of service before display. Wrist movements drive its winding mechanism, which replenishes the mainspring’s energy when activity is sufficient. Its 25 jewels and frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour belong to a construction whose interest is assessed in operation: rate consistency, winding efficiency and calendar behaviour. Its stated power reserve of approximately 38 hours suits a watch worn regularly; it should not be confused with the multi-day reserves of certain more recent calibres. Left unworn for long enough, it will naturally stop, ready to be wound and set again. It is a straightforward mechanical relationship, without a battery to recharge.

COSC chronometer certification adds another dimension to this mechanism. It refers to independent testing of movement precision, rather than a chronograph function. This Superocean displays hours, minutes, seconds and date; it has no pushers or recorders intended for timing short intervals. The distinction is useful, particularly for a brand so closely associated with chronographs. It also allows precision to be discussed without exaggeration: original certification does not replace a current timekeeping check on a pre-owned watch. The quality of an example is read in its present behaviour as much as in the reference’s technical specifications.

The steel bracelet substantially changes the way this black configuration is worn. It extends the case, gives continuity to the whole and allows the watch to retain a more versatile appearance than on a strap associated exclusively with water-based activities. At the office, steel naturally accompanies a shirt or jacket; at the weekend, it does not look out of place with a polo or a simpler outfit. The folding clasp and adjustment of the links contribute to comfort as much as the case dimensions. A good 42 mm watch that is poorly adjusted will be less pleasant than a properly fitted one. That is why the bracelet should be judged on the wrist, taking its articulation and clasp position into account, rather than solely through the impression made by a photograph.

The combination of black and steel has a further advantage here: it allows the design to express itself without demanding that an outfit be built around the watch. The Superocean can be sporty without being loud, present without insisting on becoming the first topic of conversation. For a man seeking a single fine automatic watch, that neutrality is valuable. For someone who already owns several pieces, it offers an easy choice when hesitating between a dress watch, a chronograph and a more specialised diver. Versatility does not mean erasing character. It means retaining it in different circumstances.

Perhaps this explains the particular pleasure of a modern diver: it answers needs we do not have every day, while its qualities remain useful each day. One does not descend several hundred metres to appreciate a protected crown. There is no need to wait for a sea outing to want readable hands. Nor must one travel far to enjoy a watch independent of any connection. Diving gave this family its vocabulary; everyday life offers it a much wider existence. This Breitling does not need to claim an extraordinary adventure in its past to accompany your own. It finds its place in ordinary departures, familiar routines and moments we did not expect to remember.

The example presented is dated 2019 and offered as a Full Set, with its original box and papers. This ensemble accompanies the watch beyond its appearance alone. Documents contribute to identification and preserve part of its commercial history; the box restores a presentation that is appreciated when making an acquisition, giving a gift or passing a watch on. A Full Set does not replace technical examination, nor does it prove by itself that no intervention has taken place. It nevertheless provides welcome continuity. For a first Breitling as much as for an established collection, finding the watch with its original accompanying items adds another quality to the pleasure of buying it.

Within a collection, the Superocean II 42 A17365 can therefore occupy a very clear position. It brings a modern diver alongside a more delicate older watch, a simple display beside a chronograph, or another facet of Breitling next to a Navitimer. There is no need to present it as an absolute rarity or promise rising values to explain its interest. Its identifiable reference, black dial, steel bracelet and Full Set already form a coherent proposition. A collector’s watch can also be a watch that is worn a great deal. Its personal value then develops through use, rather than solely through the prospect of resale.

A few habits help preserve that pleasure and form part of the relationship with a diver. The crown must be correctly screwed down before any exposure to water, without forcing it, and should not be operated while the watch is immersed or wet. After use in the sea approved by the water-resistance test, rinsing in fresh water helps remove salt. Heavy impacts and aggressive products should still be avoided, even with a robust construction. The watch naturally replaces neither diving equipment nor safety procedures. Confidence does not mean forgetting precautions; it comes from knowing one’s equipment. These simple habits allow a sports watch to be worn as an instrument one understands, rather than a promise one takes for granted.

Why choose Mostra for this Breitling Superocean? Because buying a pre-owned watch should bring together enjoyment of the model and understanding of the individual example. In Aix-en-Provence, our experience of more than forty years and our in-house watchmaking workshop give that selection a practical dimension. Attention encompasses the coherence of the watch and its documents, but also timekeeping, automatic winding, date change, crown, bezel and bracelet. For a diver, the conditions governing its use in water deserve an explanation as precise as that of its movement. Advice therefore goes beyond choosing a dial: it accompanies the way the watch will actually be worn.

This 2019 Breitling Superocean II 42 A17365, with black dial, black bezel and steel bracelet, is offered with its original Full Set, a Mostra certificate of authenticity and our 3-year warranty, together with the support of our workshop for future maintenance. It combines a history beginning in 1957 with a design that speaks directly to enthusiasts of modern dive watches. It can be chosen for its silhouette, its movement, its readable dial or the desire to own a Breitling that is genuinely worn. Attachment then develops for a simpler reason: it becomes familiar. A fine diver does not promise that every day will be an adventure. It simply reminds us that no day has to resemble the one before it.