This week Breitling launched a new dive watch, and a collection of Nato straps made from nylon manufactured from recycled fishnet called Econyl® yarn, in partnership with Kelly Slater and his eco-friendly apparel company, Outerknown.
The Superocean Automatic 44 Outerknown watch comes in a 44 mm x 14.2 mm stainless steel case, driven by an outsourced 4Hz automatic mechanical movement, with 38-hours of power reserve, and 25 jewels. The COSC-certified chronometer dive watch is water-resistant to 1,000 meters and features a screw-in steel caseback engraved with the Outerknown logo.
The unidirectional steel dive bezel has a green insert and the dial is the same color of green, featuring Breitlings latest Superocean styling, along with a matching khaki-colored Econyl® yarn Nato strap by Outerknown.
In addition to the khaki green strap, there are five other colors, and they come in 4 different sizes, representing a total of 18 styles of Outerknown Econyl® yarn Nato watch straps. It’s worth noting that the images (shown) all have stainless steel buckles but some strap references also come in a DLC-coated buckle. They’re available for Breitling watches on their e-commerce site, and it appears they cannot be purchased separately.
The Econyl® yarn is made from lost, discarded, or abandoned fishing nets that would otherwise be polluting the sea and killing creatures well after the fishing it was initially used for is completed. Breitling and Outerknown both work with the NGO Ocean Conservancy to raise awareness of the problem of marine waste. And this is part of that effort. These three organizations also partnered last year for the initial Outerknown Breitling Superocean Heritage Chronograph.
Breitling CEO Georges Kern says: “We are happy to be able to build on our excellent partnership with Kelly Slater and Outerknown. The Superocean Outerknown is a fantastic watch, but the enduring story is the innovative strap collection. It marks another important step in our shared focus on sustainability.” Kelly Slater agrees: “I often point out that the ocean and the beach are essentially my office. I’ll do everything in my power to keep them clean. These new ECONYL® yarn straps that we’ve made with Georges and the team at Breitling are a step toward a cleaner environment, and we’re proud to have our name associated with them. Importantly, they raise awareness that individuals really can make a difference. The oceans and beaches belong to all of us, so we want to encourage every man, woman, and child to help.”
Like Kelly Slater, Mark Walker, CEO of Outerknown, is pleased to be extending the partnership with the Swiss brand, saying, “Breitling is a perfect and natural fit for Outerknown. Like us, they work closely with Ocean Conservancy, and it is clear that we all share a number of common values.”
The Breitling Superocean Automatic 44 Outerknown (Ref. A17367A11L1W1) retails for $4,200. Learn more at Breitling.
