The Updated Breguet Marine 5517, Navigating a More Classical Course

Breguet’s maritime pedigree dates to 1815, when Louis XVIII appointed Abraham-Louis Breguet as watchmaker to the French Royal Navy. Although Breguet did not invent the marine chronometer (that was John Harrison), he improved its robustness and precision, enabling sailors to calculate longitude at sea more accurately. It wasn’t until 1990, though, that the brand tapped into this long and distinguished chapter of its history with the release of the Marine collection. Revisited periodically, Breguet has recently turned its attention to the Marine collection, introducing redesigned dials. More than a refreshed colour, the dials have jettisoned some of their distinctive traits in favour of a more tempered, classical spirit. Let’s take a closer look at the most essential version, the updated Marine 5517 time-and-date.

Combining robust case construction with traditional haute-horlogerie finishing, the Marine collection feels more like a maritime-themed, sporty-verging-on-elegant watch than a purpose-built specialist instrument line. Although the Time-and-Date 5517, the Marine Chronographe 5527, the Marine Tourbillon 5577 and the Marine Équation Marchante 5887 are all fitted with screw-down crowns and are water-resistant to 100 metres – admirable given the complications on board – I doubt anyone would be tempted to take them for a deep swim. Only the Alarme Musicale 5547 has to make some concessions on that side.

To understand the latest refresh, it’s worth comparing the 2018 Marine 5517 with the three new Marine references. Side by side, you will notice that while the case retains its former dimensions (49mm x 11.5mm) and the movement (calibre 777A) is identical, the dial shows conspicuous changes. During a recent visit to Breguet’s manufacture in the Vallée de Joux, Brice was told by CEO Gregory Kissling that the new Marine 5517’s dials are among the most complex the brand has ever made.

Perhaps the first thing to catch the eye is the date window, now repositioned at 6 o’clock. Its new location gives the dial greater vertical balance and a more symmetrical appearance, and its frame is colour-matched to the hands and hour markers. Another notable change is the replacement of the luminescent Roman numerals with Breguet’s signature Arabic numerals, which are applied to the smooth, circular-brushed chapter ring. While the bold, chunky applied Roman numerals have had their detractors, removing them brings the Marine 5517 closer to the brand’s calmer, classical design language.

Other novelties include the new “Quai de l’Horloge” hand-guilloché pattern at the centre of the dial. This finer, wave-like motif, introduced for the brand’s 250th anniversary, is named after the Parisian Île de la Cité address where Breguet’s original workshops stood. Crafted in Breguet’s guillochage workshop, one of the largest of its kind, the guillocheur uses a rose engine lathe to engrave the blank 18k gold base with the pattern, followed by colours, some with a gradient effect, and multiple coats of translucent lacquer. Available in three tones, the white gold model is paired with a striking, contemporary ice blue dial. The titanium model has a more traditional dark blue dial, while the most visually opulent of the trilogy, the rose gold version, comes with a dramatic black dial.

The iconic Breguet pomme or apple hands and the “B” shape in the counterweight of the seconds hand are retained, as are the luminescent inserts inside the circles of the hour and minute hands and on the five-minute pennant markers on the peripheral ring. Another distinguishing feature of the new models is the applied gold Breguet signature at noon, another move toward the brand’s more traditional design language.

As mentioned, the case has not been updated and retains its characteristic marmite, or pot-bellied profile with the fluted caseband and bold square tripartite lugs. The watch is powered by Breguet’s in-house automatic movement – calibre 777A – with its inverted in-line lever escapement, silicon balance spring, 4Hz frequency and 55-hour power reserve. Returning to the maritime theme, the bridges are decorated with thick hand-guilloché stripes resembling a ship’s decking, and the openworked rotor resembles a ship’s wheel.

The refreshed dials of the Marine 5517 undeniably impart a more refined, soothing and traditional air. Some may see this as a domestication of the model; others as a refinement that brings its sporting character closer to Breguet’s classical design language. Now, it would be interesting to see what can be done on the case…

Each model can be purchased with a matching metal bracelet or a new patterned rubber strap echoing the guilloché motif on the dial. Both the rose gold and white gold references with matching gold bracelets retail for EUR 71,800 and EUR 43,700 on a rubber strap. The titanium retails for EUR 26,900 with a bracelet and EUR 23,700 with a navy blue rubber strap. More information at breguet.com.