Breitling Superocean Chronograph Ref. 2005

There are a lot of words to describe this wristwatch, but probably the best one to sum it all up would be "wow".

The Breitling Superocean "Slow Moving Chronograph" is one of the most desirable vintage Breitlings ever produced, and are an unbelievably rare find on the market.  In fact, it took us over a year of scouring the globe to find this spectactular timepiece, after selling our last one our first day in business!

Unlike that last piece we featured, this example features a different marker layout and an additional complication - a subsidiary seconds register at 9:00, making it even more of a unicorn for collectors and enthusiasts.

What makes this such a special piece is the functionality and layout of the chronograph feature: a minutes-only counter with a large, luminous central sweep hand.  Because it only counts minutes, it is difficult to know whether or not it is running with just a glance. 

To solve this problem, the dial features a circular aperture just about the 6:00 position.  When the chronograph isn't activated, this circle appears black and blends in with the rest of the dial.  When engaged, the window turns white (now a more patinated, creamy white) to indicate to the wearer that the function is operating.  When stopped, a smaller dot appears, and when reset it reverts to black.  Very, very cool.

This incredibly unusual and highly sought-after timepiece is powered by a modified high-grade Venus 188 Manual Winding chronograph movement, and is in excellent condition throughout, with incredible original lume and a sharp case and dial.  Given the number of requests we've had to source one over the past year, we don't suspect it will last long.  Don't miss it, it might be a few more years before another one this good comes around again!

HERE is a great excerpt on the model from 2009 from the guys over at Hodinkee.