Breitling’s DLC-Coated Superocean Heritage Chrono 44: A Week on the Wrist

Breitling’s Superocean Heritage line, which takes more vintage design cues than the “regular” Superocean dive watch, has evolved a lot in the past decade. Today I’ll review ref. M13313101C1S1, a Breitling Superocean Heritage Chronograph 44 that was released in 2018. This recently-discontinued model has several traits no longer found on the current Superocean Heritage lineup: an ETA-based chronograph movement, a day display, numbers on the bezel insert, a black DLC-coated case, and a “lug gap” between the case and strap.

While this blue-dial black-case Superocean Heritage Chrono 44 has modern touches like a ceramic bezel insert, it already feels like a Breitling of yesteryear–even though it was listed on Breitling’s website until recently.

The familiar 6-9-12 subdial layout and 3 o’clock day/date display of the workhorse ETA/Valjoux 7750 movement are no longer found anywhere in the Breitling catalog, which makes sense because their own in-house B01 chronograph caliber is so well-regarded. But the 7750 is still a perfectly good movement, and I find the day display to be a useful and underappreciated feature.

Impressions on the Wrist

The first thing I noticed about this watch is the blue dial. It’s an attractive ocean-like sunburst blue, and although it’s a somewhat deep shade, it doesn’t look as “black” in low light as some other blue dials do.

The second thing I noticed was the faux-mesh rubber strap. I like it more than I expected, and I suspect the mesh pattern actually helps reduce stiffness. It feels softer than generic rubber straps, and the simple pushbutton deployant clasp (which is black DLC-coated like the case and bezel assembly) feels good to open and close. Overall the watch feels heavy, in a good way.

The black clasp looks very cool…for now. I have seen some scratched-up examples with visible steel underneath. That’s the problem with DLC coating in general (aside from Cartier’s impressive ADLC coating) after years of wear, and I think that’s why there are fewer DLC-coated steel luxury watches being made now compared to a few years ago.

The Breitling Superocean Chrono 44 is quite thick at 15.65mm, but it’s in balance with the watch’s 44mm diameter.

It felt good on my 7.5″ (19cm) wrist, but because of the sizable 54.5mm lug-to-lug distance, I can’t recommend this for anyone with a wrist much smaller than that. Fortunately for smaller-wristed enthusiasts, the current Breitling Superocean Heritage Chrono 42 is under 50mm lug-to-lug. Let’s cover all the specs now:

Breitling Superocean Heritage Chrono 44 Ref. M13313101C1S1 Specs

Model Name	Superocean Heritage Chrono 44
Reference Number	M13313101C1S1
Case Material	DLC-coated stainless steel
Case Dimensions	44mm width 15.65mm thickness 54.5mm lug-to-lug
Movement Caliber	Breitling 13 (ETA/Valjoux 7750 base, automatic, 8 beats per second)
Movement Functions	Chronograph, day, date, time
Power Reserve	48 hours
Water Resistance	200m
Bracelet/Strap	Black rubber strap with DLC-coated pushbutton folding clasp
MSRP (Final)	$8,100
Approximate True Market Value (2025)	$4,100

Among Breitling’s 2025 releases was a third generation of Superocean Heritage models, but this hails from the previous generation (“Superocean Heritage II”), which has “lug gaps” across the board. Personally I prefer it when bracelets and straps taper nicely to fit the shape of the case they’re attached to, but some people like this old-school look with straight-across ends. Here’s my breakdown of all the positives and negatives of this watch.

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Matching black case, strap, bezel and day/date wheels look cool	Relatively indistinct overall design
Great blue dial color	DLC coating might look rough after years of scratches
Comfortable rubber strap and deployant clasp	Thickness (15.65mm)
Solid secondhand value (available under $4,500)	Divisive vintage-style “gap” between bracelet and case

Aside from the hands, which are an homage to the original Breitling Superocean from 1957, the overall aesthetic of the watch isn’t particularly Breitling-y. Without the logo, you could have told me this was, say, an Alpina and I would probably have believed you. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and this watch is certainly tough enough to be a “one-watch collection.”

And if you’re looking for DLC-coated luxury watches under $5,000, the M13313 is definitely worth a look. Note that another version of the M13313 was made with a different strap–a blue Breitling Econyl NATO strap made as part of the Breitling/Outerknown/Kelly Slater relationship (M133132A1C1W1). Although they’re high-quality NATO straps, personally I don’t recommend a NATO strap on a watch of this size, because the strap passes under the case thus adding about 2mm to an already-thick case. The version I tried–with a rubber strap and a deployant clasp–is the one I’d go for.