Breitling’s Superocean Heritage ’57 Outerknown and the Superocean Heritage ’57 Outerknown Limited Edition watches celebrate the watchmaker’s partnership with the sustainable apparel brand Outerknown. This modern-retro sea watch expresses the laid-back lifestyle associated with Southern California and Hawaii’s surfing scene in the 1950s and 1960s. The two models are available with a classic stainless-steel case or with an 18 k red gold bezel.
Outerknown was co-founded by eleven-time surfing world champion Kelly Slater and fashion designer John Moore in 2015. According to the brand, 90% of the fibres it uses are either regenerated, recycled or organic. For example, its trunks are cut from textiles made from recovered ocean plastics. Its jeans come with a lifetime guarantee to either replace, repair or recycle.
Fairtrade is another cornerstone of the company. The founders have painstakingly hand-picked manufacturers who are socially compliant and treat their workers fairly. The company claims to have positively impacted the lives of over five thousand workers. In the past five years, the brand’s success has demonstrated that an environmentally sustainable business model can also be profitable.
Breitling CEO Georges Kern says, “We’re thrilled to be able to build on our strong partnership with Kelly and everyone at Outerknown. The projects we work on with them go beyond watchmaking. They underscore Breitling’s commitment to sustainability. Of course, we also love the link to the cool surfing lifestyle, and working with the greatest surfer of all time makes that even more special!”
Breitling and Outerknown share a commitment to clean oceans and beaches. Their goal of helping to maintain and protect a healthy, safe environment is reflected in the creation of the Outerknown Nato straps. These straps are made from Econyl yarn, a material sourced from repurposed nylon waste.
Kelly Slater said: “Georges and his team at Breitling have shown that they have the same passion for clean oceans and beaches that we do. And creating watches with the Econyl yarn straps, what we designed with Breitling is a nice message and our symbol towards a cleaner environment while developing products.”
The two new Breitling Outerknown models are the third collaboration between the two brands, following the Superocean Heritage Outerknown in 2018 and the Superocean Outerknown in 2019. As a result, there is now an Outerknown model from each of Breitling’s sea-related collections.
The watches’ modern-retro design recalls the era-defining fun-in the-sun culture associated with Southern California and Hawaii in the 1950s and 1960s. With their arrow-shaped hands, over-sized indices, and concave bezel, the watches draw inspiration from the original 1957 SuperOcean. The caseback features an engraved Outerknown logo. Both versions are powered by the Breitling Caliber 10, which offers a power reserve of approximately 42 hours. Like all Breitling watches, they are COSC- certified chronometers.
The stainless-steel version features a bronze-coloured dial that gives the watch its modern-retro touch. Its dial is complemented by a brown Outerknown Econyl yarn Nato strap. The concave bidirectional rotating bezel in stainless steel has an ultrahard scratch- and shock-resistant black ceramic bezel ring with a luminescent central dot at the 12 o’clock position, an ideal feature for a dive watch.
The Superocean Heritage ’57 Outerknown Limited Edition also has a bronze dial and a brown Outerknown Econyl yarn Nato strap. However, its concave bidirectional rotating bezel is made of 18 k red gold, which is beautifully offset by its black ceramic bezel ring. This model is available in a limited edition of 500 watches.
Breitling’s Outerknown Econyl yarn Nato strap collection was launched in 2019. Econyl yarn is created exclusively from recycled nylon waste, some of which is recovered from discarded or lost fishing nets. The straps are not only recycled but are also completely recyclable. The straps, created in cooperation with Outerknown, are fresh, vibrant, and colourful. While they were designed specifically for Breitling’s Superocean collection, they can be paired with any Breitling watch.
The Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 Outerknown watches may pay a remarkable tribute to the surfing culture and lifestyle of the 1950s and 1960s. However, they are also focused on our planet’s very real challenges and on the people who are looking for ways to drive positive change.
