Marine 5517

CASE : 18K white or rose gold or titanium, fluted caseband, sapphire-crystal caseback, water-resistant to 100m

DIAMETER : 40mm

MOVEMENT : mechanical self-winding (Caliber 777A, 55h power reserve), inverted in-line lever escapement with silicon horns, silicon balance spring, numbered and signed Breguet

FUNCTIONS : hours, minutes, seconds, date

DIAL : blue in gold (for the white gold version) ; silvered gold (for the rose gold version), and slate gray (for the titanium variation), engine-turned (apart from the titanium version), numbered and signed Breguet. Faceted open-tipped Breguet hands in gold with luminescent material

STRAP/BRACELET : brown or blue leather strap, metal bracelet, or rubber strap, fitted with a folding clasp

In the wake of the new aesthetic codes introduced in the Marine collection last year, Breguet continues to steer its course of enriching this flagship watch family reflecting the history of the brand and its founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet. It is worth recalling that he distinguished himself at an early age by his inventions, whose usefulness earned rapid recognition by the highest authorities across Europe. Witness his 1814 appointment to the Bureau des longitudes in Paris, where he was the horologist of reference and the only representative of the profession. This role enabled him to contribute to the security and performance of the French Royal Navy by enabling reliable longitude calculations at sea. A year later, he was appointed Watchmaker to the Royal Navy, for which he developed high-precision instruments, notably including indispensable marine chronometers. Building on these fundamental – and foundational – elements, a new generation of timepieces paid tribute to this historical legacy by the launch of the Marine collection in 1990 and then another evolved version in 2005, followed by a more contemporary generation that set sail in 2017, accompanied by a fascinating thematic exhibition “Breguet, Watchmaker to the Royal Navy”. These new models notably included an exceptional Grande Complication model, the Marine Équation Marchante 5887 (with running equation of time, perpetual calendar and tourbillon), to which our colleague Paul O’Neil devoted a feature article on the worldtempus.com specialized website.

At Baselworld 2018, Breguet is continuing to explore the Marine line of which the new generation features a more resolutely dynamic and modern aesthetic. Such is especially the case for the Marine 5517 self-winding model which is available not only in white or rose gold, but also in titanium – a lighter and sportier metal that is also more resistant to corrosion. The nautical DNA is omnipresent on the front with a wave motif adorning the engine-turned dial and the seconds hand with its B evoking the spirit of maritime signals ; as well as the back revealing the oscillating weight with a rudder-inspired design and the engine-turning on the movement reminiscent of a boat deck. Yachtsmen will doubtless opt for a metal bracelet or rubber strap, while fans of leather straps will be able to choose between brown and blue. Fair winds and clear skies are thus set to accompany this new Marine as it takes to the high seas for epic new adventures.