Only Breitling Could Unite Stephanie Gilmore & Its Most Iconic Collections

• Breitling hosted an exclusive Gold Coast event, welcoming 30 VIPs and surf legend Stephanie Gilmore to preview its latest Superocean Heritage collection.
• The event spotlighted Breitling’s new in-house B31 movement, launched across the Superocean Heritage line, with standout models like the Kelly Slater B31 Automatic 40.
• Guests also previewed Breitling Eyewear by Cutler and Gross, a luxury optical collaboration.

High above the Pacific, at the Mondrian Gold Coast, Breitling welcomed 30 carefully selected guests, including Australian collectors, creatives, and VIP clients, for an intimate afternoon of watches, conversation and Queensland’s signature coastal hospitality.

It’s here, in the Sky House Room, overlooking the water with floor-to-ceiling views of the surf, that the Swiss luxury brand welcomed eight-time WSL world champion and global Breitling ambassador Stephanie Gilmore as the afternoon’s guest of honour, creating an immersive experience that was unmistakably Breitling, with a distinctly Australian flavour.

It was only fitting, then, that the Superocean Heritage collection was at the heart of the display. Originally engineered for divers in the 1960s as a performance-focussed tool watch, the modern Superocean remains just as capable… but far more wearable.

It’s easy to see why the Superocean Heritage has remained a go-to in Breitling’s storied lineup more than half a century after its launch. Today’s contemporary collection boasts bold colourways, high-contrast dials and ceramic bezels that give the entire range a confident, summer-ready aesthetic, perfect for the Australian summer and winter.

As guests were encouraged to try on different models and case sizes, Breitling’s Superocean Heritage B31 Automatic 40 Kelly Slater emerged as an early conversation starter, with its deep blue dial and floral pattern, paired with either the mesh-style rubber or the full stainless steel Milanese bracelet.

Breitling has taken the Superocean’s nostalgic silhouette and given it a thoroughly modern upgrade with water resistance to 200 metres and a high resistance to shock, sand and saltwater. It’s reflective of the entire collection: playful, unapologetically bold, and deeply rooted in surf culture.

It’s also the first time Breitling’s new Manufacture Caliber B31, the brand’s first in-house three-hand movement, has been launched across the Superocean Heritage range.

Four years in the making, it’s a COSC-certified powerhouse with a 78-hour power reserve, combining vintage flair with today’s performance-driven approach to watchmaking. A bold new chapter for Breitling’s mechanical lineup; a confident statement from the Swiss Maison.

Alongside the new timepieces on display, the guests were among the first in Australia to preview Breitling’s latest collaboration: a luxury eyewear collection with British design house Cutler and Gross.

Taking its inspiration from Breitling’s meticulous Swiss precision and the bold British style of Cutler and Gross, this exclusive eyewear selection shares its design language with the same Superocean pieces presented throughout the afternoon.

The lens tints, ranging from smoky grey to oceanic green and sun-faded pink, match expertly with the watch dials themselves, while the Superocean’s Milanese mesh bracelet pattern is mirrored in the glasses’ luminous, lacquer-filled temple tips.

It’s another step to cement Breitling’s position as a lifestyle icon, not only in Europe, but in the sun-drenched Australian market; one that appreciates well-crafted and purpose-driven design with a laidback, coastal look.

Opposite the Superocean Heritage display sat the newly launched Erling Haaland Chronomat, a limited-edition recently unveiled as a two-part collaboration with the Norwegian football star.

Each dial in Haaland’s Chronomat collection is a one-of-one, crafted from a 4.5-billion-year-old Muonionalusta meteorite discovered in neighbouring Sweden. What was once an ancient fragment of space, hurtling through the atmosphere, now finds itself precision-cut and fitted into two of Breitling’s most technically advanced watches. The result is quite literally out of this world.

Between courses, Lars Summers, Managing Director Oceania at Breitling, invited Stephanie Gilmore to the floor for a candid Q&A, where she spoke about growing up in Australia, her deep bond with the ocean, and her long-standing connection to the Breitling brand.

Breitling has always championed performance. You only have to look through the Swiss luxury watchmaker’s archives to see that. But in recent years, there has also been a marked shift into lifestyle, with ambassadors that reflect the inherent values of the brand. Gilmore is the perfect embodiment of that shift; someone who is accomplished, authentic, and stylish, deeply rooted in her community.

The debut of the manufacture’s new B31 movement, exhibited across the Superocean Heritage collection, was a considered moment for Breitling, designed to deepen the brand’s relationship with Australia’s collectors and champion one of its most resonant global ambassadors.

With thoughtful details, Breitling delivered something that few luxury brands manage: authenticity throughout. And it showed it knows exactly where it belongs in Australia’s luxury watch market.