Swiss fine watchmaker Breitling, long known for its popular line of diving watches, has further announced its commitment to the health of the oceans with its first watch created from recycled marine plastic. The Superocean Heritage II Chronograph 44 Outerknown has been created in collaboration with sustainable clothing brand Outerknown, one of the top fashion brands helping save our oceans, and will be available from mid-November.
The 44mm black DLC-coated stainless steel watch case is contrasted with a blue ECONYL strap on this striking new design. ECONYL is an innovative fabric made using recycled fishing nets and one often used by Outerknown, whose co-founder Kelly Slater is also part of Breitling Surfer Squad alongside Stephanie Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons. In addition to the ECONYL strap, the watch will also be presented in a fully biodegradable box meaning it will have as little impact on the environment as possible.
"We are happy to have this chance to strengthen our collaboration with Kelly Slater,” said Breitling CEO Georges Kern of the collaboration. “Also, by introducing the ECONYL yarn strap, we are taking another important step in our commitment to sustainability. We are looking forward to introducing other great watches equipped with these straps in the future."
Of course, as a fully-fledged member of the popular Superocean Heritage collection, the watch also features a whole host of horological features. Powered by a Breitling Calibre 13 mechanical chronograph movement, this COSC-certified chronometer is an ideal diver’s watch thanks to its unidirectional bezel, Super-Luminova indices and 200 metre water resistance. Its deep blue dial also boasts windows for 30-minute and 12-hour counters as well as day and date displays.
"As strange as it sounds, the beach is, in effect, my office, so I am confronted with pollution on a daily basis,” said Kelly Slater. “I will do whatever I can to help keep the world's beaches and oceans clean, and I'm thrilled that with the Superocean Heritage II Chronograph 44 Outerknown model, Breitling is helping raise awareness of the problem and showing how individuals can help."