Introduction to the Breitling Transocean
After the massive success of the Navitimer, Breitling debuted the Transocean in 1958. A huge increase in international travel occurred in the 1950s, and Breitling saw it as an opportunity to create a watch that suited intercontinental flight. While the Navitimer was built for pilots, the Transocean was built for the jet-setting executive constantly on the go.
The Navitimer famously features a circular slide rule, used for making calculations helpful for pilots. The circular slide rule is extremely useful, but it adds size and complexity. The Transocean does not include a circular slide rule on its bezel, instead opting for a sleeker bezel style. The lack of a circular slide rule plays perfectly into the intended audience of the Transocean—a traveling executive may need to go straight from an intercontinental flight to an important business meeting. The Transocean is perfectly appropriate in the context of a first-class cabin on a jumbo jet and works equally well in the boardroom.
Notable Transocean Models
The Next Generation: Transocean Chronograph
Five decades after its initial release, Breitling debuted an updated Transocean Chronograph in 2010. The large 43mm Transocean contained Breitling's first foray into in-house movements, the caliber B01. The Caliber B01 boasts COSC chronometer-certified precision, with an automatic winding system and column wheel chronograph.
The Transocean Chronograph is available with a black or white dial, each with contrasting chronograph sub-dials. A wide variety of bracelets and leather straps are available, including a sporty mesh steel bracelet.
Transocean 38
In 2013, Breitling introduced the Transocean 38, in a smaller 38mm case as compared to the 43mm version. The Transocean 38 was offered in a choice of stainless steel or rose gold, with a COSC chronometer-certified movement. Both the 43mm and 38mm versions of the updated Transocean retained the original tachymeter scale found on the vintage 1958 Transocean. A tachymeter scale on a wristwatch is used for quickly and easily calculating the speed at which you are traveling, as long as you have markers of a known distance visible.
Transocean 1915
Breitling has a rich history of innovation in horology. In 1915, Breitling debuted the world's first wristwatch chronograph with a separate push button for starting, stopping and resetting the mechanism. Prior to this, chronographs were started, stopped and reset by pushing the crown. Having a separate push button increased the usability of the chronograph, especially for pilots that may be wearing thick gloves.
The Transocean 1915 is a fitting tribute to Breitling's important chronograph innovation. The modern wristwatch includes a mono-pusher chronograph, just like the 1915 original. This is unusual to see in modern mechanical wristwatches, as almost all brands have adopted the style of having the start and stop push button above the crown, and the reset button below the crown. The Transocean 1915 combines all three functions into one push button.
In addition, the Transocean 1915 sports a newly developed movement, Caliber B14. Caliber B14 is a manually wound integrated column wheel chronograph movement. It features a balance wheel running at 28,800 vibrations per hour, a 70-hour power reserve, and a COSC chronometer certification. Fittingly, the watch is limited to only 1,915 examples.
Transocean Chronograph Edition
This special version of the Transocean features a design element that was commonly found in pockets watches in the 19th century, the hunter case. At the time, watch crystals were not as durable as they are today. In an effort to protect the watch crystal and the dial beneath it, watchmakers devised a spring-loaded cover for the crystal made from the same metal as the case itself. To read the time, you would simply open the spring-loaded cover. The watch would stay encased completely in its metal case at all other times, protecting it from scratches and debris. The Transocean Chronograph Edition features a hunter style caseback, in a style reminiscent of the original hunter case pocket watches. Opening the caseback displays the beautifully finished movement inside.
Transocean Day & Date
The Breitling Transocean Day & Date is an unusual Transocean, as it does not contain a chronograph mechanism. It does however contain a complication that normal Transocean watches do not: a day and date indicator. At 12 o'clock, the day of the week is indicated, just above the Breitling dial logo. And at 3 o'clock, the date is displayed. Breitling uses a cross hair style dial on the Transocean Day & Date, along with a center seconds hand. The overall effect is a more elegant and refined take on the classic Transocean, and it works very well.
Watchmaker's Perspective
The Breitling Transocean Chronograph Unitime takes the intercontinental aspects of the Transocean to a new level, with the addition of a world time complication. A world time complication makes it very simple to quickly determine the time and date in the world's different time zones. This complication is especially useful for world travelers, making it easy to keep track of time at your home, destination or even an associate in a different part of the world.
So how does the world time complication on the Breitling Transocean Chronograph Unitime really work? Two discs are on the outer edge the dial, one displaying 24 hours, and the other displaying the names of 24 major cities around the world, each in a different time zone. Pulling the crown and turning it allows the wearer to rotate the discs, in turn indicating the time and date in any time zone. In addition to the world time complication in the Transocean Unitime, the watch contains the Breitling Caliber B05 movement with 70-hour power reserve. The watch is 46mm in diameter (definitely on the larger size) but completely understandable considering its incredible functionality. The Breitling Transocean Chronograph Unitime may be the ultimate watch for the jet-setting lifestyle.