Ushering in the northern hemisphere’s summer months colourfully, Breitling has unveiled the new Superocean Heritage ’57 Pastel Paradise Capsule Collection. The series consists of five diver-style watches, all splashed in bright, trendy pastel colourways, catering to a diverse and likely younger audience of watch buyers.
The new line follows the original Superocean Heritage ’57 from last year and two subsequent additions to the line in late 2020, indicating Breitling’s continuing devotion to vintage-inspired designs. The brightly coloured models also recall the launch of the Premier Heritage Collection, another pastel-dominant line of watches that were made famous in the market for their thoughtful juxtaposition of the playful and the formal.
Each watch is 38 mm in diameter, in a 100-meter water-resistant steel case whose colour options include white with white accents, white with rainbow accents, light blue, mint green, and beige. Each of the models comes equipped with matching Saffiano leather straps, folding clasps, and a quick-change system, the colours of which complement the primary colours used on the bezel and dial.
The watches should appeal to both men and women, with their bold diver designs and diverse colours balanced by case dimensions that shouldn’t overpower anyone’s wrist regardless of size. That the collection is geared toward a fashion-minded client is further indicated by including a minty, sage-like green, which is essentially the de facto colour of the year for 2021. The relatively modest water resistance is another indicator, as most “serious” dive watches provide a minimum of 200 meters of water resistance.
Nonetheless, the Superocean Heritage takes its inspiration from a vintage predecessor from 1957. Like that model, it has a large, bi-directional convex bezel, a push/pull crown, and a distinctive dial configuration recognizable for the unique, layered look of its quarter-hour markers. These markers are possibly best showcased on the rainbow-accented version of the watch, with the varying colours popping on the white background they overlay. This isn’t the first time Breitling has used rainbow accents, either: the brand inaugurated the style last year in its Superocean Heritage ’57 Limited Edition for COVID-19 Charities.
Beating inside all the watches is the Breitling Caliber 10, a COSC-certified automatic movement, and the same calibre used in previous Superocean Heritage ’57. The calibre uses a brand-finished ETA 2892-A2 as its base, amasses a 42-hour power reserve, and is protected behind a solid, screw-down case back.
Each of the Pastel Paradise watches available now, via Breitling and authorized retailers, with pricing starting at $6,350 for most colourways, except the rainbow-accented model, which is marked slightly higher at $6,490.