A pre-owned Breitling Superocean is one of the most underrated value buys in modern dive watches: a steel Superocean Automatic 42 or 44 starts at roughly £2,300–£2,600 worn, a steel Superocean Heritage from about £1,700–£2,400, and the current-generation pieces settle around £2,800–£3,600 (asking prices, UK market, July 2026). For a proper ISO-rated diver from a serious name, that is a lot of watch for the money.
What does a pre-owned Superocean cost?
The Superocean splits into two distinct lines that should never be priced as one: the modern, colourful Superocean Automatic and the vintage-styled Superocean Heritage. On top of those sit chronographs, bronze and two-tone pieces, and the cult vintage “slow motion.” Steel is the value; bronze and gold are a separate, dearer segment. Floors assume worn condition, no box or papers.
| Configuration | Key references | Floor (worn, no box & papers) | Typical–premium asking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superocean Automatic 42, steel | A17366 | ~£2,300 | £2,600–£3,200 |
| Superocean Automatic 44, steel | A17376 / A17375 | ~£2,600 | £2,900–£3,600 |
| Superocean II / Steelfish (older) | A17392, A17312 | ~£1,700 | £1,999–£2,900 |
| Superocean Chronograph II, steel | A13340 | ~£1,850 | £1,900–£3,000 |
| Superocean Heritage 42/46, steel | A17321, A17320, AB2010 | ~£1,700–£2,000 | £2,400–£4,000 |
| Heritage Chronograph, steel (B01/B20) | AB0162, AB2030 | ~£2,900 | £3,300–£4,800 |
| Heritage ’57 bronze / two-tone (18ct) | U103701, U17368 | ~£3,400 | £3,400–£5,200 |
| Vintage “Slow Motion” chronograph (1960s) | ref 2005 | ~£2,700 | £2,700–£11,800 |
These are wider open-market asking-price floors, not Chrono6538’s prices. Chrono6538 sells fully authenticated pieces — independently checked, serviced where needed and guaranteed — at a premium to the bare private-market floor.
Guide ranges from Ramsdens, AMJ Watches, Bob’s Watches, Chrono24 UK and WatchMaxx, July 2026. Bronze/two-tone and vintage figures are partly USD-converted and condition-driven; treated as indicative. Asking prices, not sold prices. Last updated 31 July 2026.
Automatic or Heritage — which Superocean is which?
The modern Superocean Automatic is the tool watch: big, legible, ceramic-bezelled, in bold dial colours, built to be knocked about. The Superocean Heritage is the handsome one — introduced in 2007 and revamped in 2017, it revives the broad hands, minimal bezel and cushion case of the 1957 original, usually on a woven mesh bracelet. Buy the Automatic if you want a dive tool; buy the Heritage if you want something you can wear with a jacket.
What is the “slow motion” Superocean?
Breitling launched the Superocean in 1957 as its first purpose-built dive watch, and the cult vintage model is the mid-1960s “slow motion” chronograph, ref 2005: its central chronograph hand completes one rotation per hour rather than per minute, dispensing with a separate minutes counter entirely. It is one of the most collectable vintage Breitlings, and condition and originality drive its price far more than any guide range can.
The Outerknown editions
The modern line’s most interesting story is its collaboration with Outerknown, the sustainable-apparel brand co-founded by the 11-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater. Those Superoceans introduced straps woven from ECONYL regenerated nylon — recovered fishing nets and nylon waste — and the Heritage ’57 Outerknown was a limited edition of 500. It is a rare case of a dive watch with a genuine environmental angle rather than a marketing one.
Has the Superocean held its value?
The modern steel Superocean depreciates like most tool divers from its retail price, which is precisely why the used ones are such value — you are buying a COSC-chronometer, ISO 6425-rated diver for well under boutique money. The Heritage line and the vintage “slow motion” have held or gained, condition permitting. That describes what has happened, not what will; prices can fall, and this is not investment advice. Buy a Superocean to wear it and dive with it — the value is in what it does, not what it might do.
Buying one
Confirm the bezel action is crisp, the crown screws down cleanly, and the movement has a service history if it is a few years old; box and papers help resale. Chrono6538 sells authenticated Superocean pieces — checked, guaranteed and photographed — at a premium to the bare private-market floor above. See the Breitling Superocean pieces at Chrono6538 → or browse the wider Breitling selection →