Breguet’s Marine Collection celebrates an important moment in its history when in 1815, its founder Abraham-Louis Breguet was appointed Chronometer maker to the French Royal Navy by the King of France, Louis XVIII. In this role, he developed timekeepers for ships that were essential for the crew to be able to calculate their exact positions even with the pitching and rolling of the waves. Timekeeping was vital to the advancement of navigation and A-L Breguet was at the centre of research, development, and production.
Not wanting to forget this important milestone, Breguet’s modern-day Marine Collection takes its inspiration from this patrimony and the world of the sea with a vast range of models featuring a selection of different complications.
Marine 9518
Continuing to enhance the collection, Breguet is unveiling two new Marine models under the reference 9518. The first is adorned with a blue sunburst dial, recalling the colour of deep ocean water, while the second has a silver-toned dial inspired by the colour of sea foam as it breaks on the shore. Both are adorned with eight diamond hour markers on the dial (the numbers three, nine, and 12 are applied) and 50 brilliant-cut diamonds around the bezel.
Like with other models in the Marine Collection, several Breguet design codes make these timepieces stand out at sea. The first is the fluted caseband which not only adds an elegant touch, but helps with grip so the timepiece is less likely to slip out of the hands when being handled. A keen eye will also notice the facetted gold hour and minute hands that have an open tip and are enhanced with luminescence. The second hand is also interesting as it features the navigational code B for Bravo (and Breguet, of course). This maritime flag indicates that a vessel is either taking on, discharging, or carrying dangerous cargo.
The timepieces are equipped with the Calibre 591A, a self-winding movement with a 38-hour power reserve. The 3.4 mm thick movement comes with a flat balance spring and an in-line Swiss lever silicon escapement. This silicon escapement has the benefit of providing enhanced resistance to corrosion, wear-and-tear, and magnetic fields, all while improving accuracy. The movement also comes with a gold oscillating weight adorned with a guilloché snailed sunburst motif that can be viewed through a sapphire crystal caseback.
The 33.8 mm stainless steel timepieces feature both polished and stain-finished surfaces and come fitted with an extremely comfortable matching stainless steel bracelet with a three-blade folding clasp.
Marine Chronograph 5529
The second reference to receive a touch of sparkle is the Breguet Marine Chronograph Reference 5529. Available in a choice of white or rose gold, these models are now available with eight baguette-cut diamonds dotted around the chapter ring and a further 90 baguettes around the bezel, offering a more subdued, although no less spectacular, dose of sparkle.
These references also pick up on a number of Breguet’s signature design codes, including a deep blue dial embellished with wave motifs that have been crafted using the hand-guilloché technique. They also come with a choice of a midnight-blue leather or rubber strap and the triple-blade folding clasp features a gold cap that is reminiscent of a ship’s wheel and the larger marine world.
