The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hello All - since retail on these 2 is nearly the same, please help me decide, and I am referring to the now discontinued all luminous arabic SO dial, not the new silly outlined arabics. Isn't the SO dial more legible at a glance??

Really it all comes down to which watch you like best. I would go to the AD and try both on. When it's all said and done no one can make that decision for you. Whichever one looks the best and feels the best to you should be the one you ultimately get.

Having said that, the two watches do have substantial differences even though the price may be similar. The SO is a much smaller watch comapred to the Steelfish. With the Steelfish coming in at 2mm larger in diameter, just over 1mm thicker and 25grams heavier it is a much larger prescence on you wrist. Some people feel more comfortable with a smaller watch and some prefer the bulkiness and heaviness of the larger one.
As far as dial readibility, I like the Steelfish. It is the ultimate in simplicity and is very uncluttered. A simple glance is all it takes to check the time.

I guess the last thing in favor of the Steelfish is the additional 500m's of water resistance.

So all in all it seems to me a lot more bang for the buck with the Steelfish but it's different strokes for everyone. That's why Breitling makes so many different models. Not everyone likes the same thing.

Cheers

and the SO is polished (with brushed bezel) and the the Steelfish is brushed (with polished case sides).

Don´t worry, you don´t have to make that decision anyway. Try them on and one of them will hypnotize you. You won´t even know what hit you untill you find yourself at home still dazed with a happy smile on your face and a new watch on your wrist.

I agree with all the above. Plus being a bit bigger, the Steelfish has a 22mm lug width, ie the strap or bracelet width, and that is 2mm wider than the Superocean. It just makes the watch look a lot beefier.
Cheers,
Carl

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'63 Omega Seamaster, 2014 Omega Speedmaster MarkII

"Those who possess a sense of entitlement are seldom satisfied"

I went through the same decision process less than a month ago so it is still pretty fresh in my memory. I ultimately picked the Steelfish over the SO for a couple for a couple of reasons:
1. I find the Superocean with all the Arabic numbers made for a bit more "busy" dial, especially between 10 and 12 o'clock on the face. I find that I could tell the time easier with the Steelfish. My last watch was just batons so maybe I was just more used to not having numbers on the watch.
2. The size. I wanted the biggest watch that I could really wear and the Steelfish with its size and weight felt better to me than the smaller and lighter SO.
3. The brushed look was more attractive to me than the full polish on the SO. I find the brushed look makes the dial stand out more. Another secondary point to this that may or may not be true, I thought any scratches that will happen will be hidden more with brushed look. I am not sure if this correct though (as I am looking at my first little scratch on the band near the clasp...).

These are things that I was thinking about but they are all personal preferences. I am sure that you will decide on what's right for you and make the right choice.

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Superocean Steelfish

Legibility? Wait -- you can use these things to tell time too? Nice!

I think the size difference is so substatial between the two models that you almost have to try them on. I own a SO and it sits substantially lower on the wrist than the Steelfish. The brushed vs. polished difference is also very evident, particulalr as you look at the bracelet. I love both. I think a blue-dial fish is next on my list, but I would definitely try them both on together if that's possible. If you don't have Steelfish to try on, try on a chunkier model (Skyland, Seawolf) so you can get a feel for size difference, that will likely be the deciding factor over legibility. I find both to be fairly easy to read -- the Steelfish getting the nod for in-the-dark reading, if that matters to you.

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Coral Dial SuperOcean
Black Dial Avenger Skyland
Arctica Dial Bentley G/T Racing

Coral Club Founding Father