Breitling Super Avenger

The Breitling Super Avenger chronograph is a powerful statement piece. The watch measures an impressive 48 mm across and 18 mm thick, and thus has an enormous presence on the wrist. Part of this is thanks to the four bezel rider tabs located at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock. But the rider tabs aren't just eye-catching, they were developed to facilitate use of the watch while wearing gloves. The robust, fluted crown was also designed with a view to operating the watch with gloves on. The crown and pushers are screw-down and double-sealed, which makes the timepiece water-resistant to 300 m (30 bar, 984 ft).

Breitling offers the watch in stainless steel or titanium. Some models come with a black DLC (diamond-like carbon) coating. A scratch-resistant sapphire crystal protects the dial. When it comes to the movement, Breitling relies on the caliber B13, which is based on the time-tested ETA Valjoux 7750. However, you can also find special editions powered by refined versions of the ETA 2892 or Breitling's in-house caliber B01. Regardless of the movement, all Super Avenger calibers are chronometer-certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).

Celebrity Super Avenger fans have helped the watch achieve a certain degree of fame. American rapper and actor Ludacris and Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte both sport Super Avengers, as does tattoo artist Ami James, known for his role in the reality TV show "Miami Ink."

Prices for a Breitling Super Avenger in mint condition start at about 3,600 USD on Chrono24. These watches are mostly first-generation models produced by Breitling from 2004 to 2013. For watches in the current collection, plan to spend between 4,300 and 5,500 USD, depending on the edition. Special editions like the Super Avenger Military or Night Mission demand similar investments.

There's also a Super Avenger with a diamond-studded bezel, which will set you back about 7,400 USD.

Is the Breitling Super Avenger a good investment?

Breitling watches are thought to be relatively stable in terms of investment. The Super Avenger is no exception. Based on prices on the open market, which are usually below the MSRP, most of the models in the series consistently maintained their value from March 2021 to March 2023. Some models even increased in value during this period by an average of between 6% and 17%.

The design of the Breitling Super Avenger is primarily functional. The large dial and bright luminescent hands and indices are easy to read. The chronograph looks like your typical Valjoux: an hour counter at 6 o'clock, small seconds at 9, and a minute counter at 12. Breitling uses Arabic numerals or bar indices to mark the hours. Dials come in blue, black, or white, and reverse panda variants with black dials and white subdials are also available.

The stainless steel bezel sports four bezel rider tabs, a typical Breitling characteristic and one of the Super Avenger's most important features. You'll also find rider tabs on models in the Chronomat, Colt, and Aerospace collections. Between the tabs on the Super Avenger, there's a line marker for each minute. This makes it easier to read how many minutes have elapsed, say, during a dive. The unidirectional bezel can only be moved counterclockwise, which ensures that you only shorten the set dive time, should you accidentally adjust the bezel.

Stainless Steel or Titanium Cases

Breitling makes most Super Avenger models out of stainless steel, but DLC-coated titanium watches are also available. The Super Avenger Night Mission ref. V13375101C1X1, for example, is a black chronograph with a blue dial and blue textile strap with a yellow leather lining. The indices are military-style Arabic stencil numerals.

The Breitling Super Avenger Night Mission changes hands on Chrono24 for roughly 5,300 USD in mint condition. Worn but well-maintained specimens cost only around 4,600 USD.

The Military and Hurricane With 24-Hour Displays

The design of the Super Avenger Military ref. M22330 deviates somewhat from that of the typical Avenger. The main difference is its dial design, which places the small seconds at 3 o'clock, the hour counter at 6, and the minute counter at 9. This classic tricompax layout comes from Breitling adding a chronograph module to the caliber B22, a movement based on the ETA 2892-A2.

The Super Avenger Military offers another special feature: a 24-hour display. Unlike conventional watches, which have a 12-hour display, the hour hand of the Military circles the dial only once a day. Almost all other timepieces make two revolutions. You can call the Super Avenger Military your own for approximately 5,500 USD new and 3,700 USD pre-owned.

The Avenger Hurricane also comes equipped with a 24-hour display. The Hurricane, however, is powered by the in-house caliber B12, which boasts a power reserve of 70 hours. Like every Breitling movement, the B12 is chronometer-certified. Furthermore, Breitling manufactures the 50-mm matte black case from Breitlight, the brand's own ultra-lightweight composite material. If you're interested in the Avenger Hurricane, plan to shell out about 6,300 USD for one in mint condition. A pre-owned Hurricane will cost you roughly 4,900 USD.

Breitling introduced the Super Avenger II in 2013. At exactly 48 mm in diameter, this model is 0.4 mm smaller than the original Super Avenger. It's also almost a millimeter thinner, shrinking from 18.6 mm to 17.75 mm.

The dial, which comes in black, blue, or white, feels tidier than that of its predecessor. However, the movement has remained untouched: The timepiece is still powered by the caliber B13. The watch also comes with the same band options as the Super Avenger. You can buy a Super Avenger II on Chrono24 for about 4,100 USD in good condition or 5,200 USD new.

In late 2017, Breitling presented an extremely limited edition Super Avenger II with a production run of just 100 pieces: the Super Avenger 01 Boutique Edition. The watch is equipped with the in-house caliber B01 and can only be found in Breitling boutiques. This special edition had a list price of 7,800 USD.