The house of Breguet brings its time-honoured maritime expertise to a new women’s line.
Few can rival the watchmaking heritage of Abraham-Louis Breguet, which goes back centuries to 1775, when he first set up shop in Paris. Watchmaker to Parisian high society and the French royal court, Breguet also pioneered many of the techniques still used in watchmaking today – the Pare-chute, the Breguet spiral and the Tourbillon, just to name a few.
Breguet’s list of faithful devotees includes many distinguished and illustrious figures from history – Napoleon Bonaparte famously brought a Breguet carriage clock into battle with him; Marie Antoinette herself acquired a number of Breguet pieces over the years, notably a Perpetuelle fitted with a self-winding device. In fact, one of Breguet’s most famous pieces, a spectacular pocket watch, incorporating the fullest range of horological expertise known at the time, was commissioned by a secret admirer for Marie Antoinette. She unfortunately never got to enjoy it as it took a total of 44 years to finish – 34 years after her death – and is currently valued at a staggering USD $10 million.
An horological honour
When the chronometer was invented by John Harrison in 1761, Breguet understood its importance as an indispensable tool for oceanic exploration, and focused on developing and fine-tuning these instruments. This was a rich time for naval seafaring, and the wealth and security of a nation were largely linked to sea power.
In 1815, Breguet was appointed chronometer-maker to the French royal navy by King Louis XVIII, undoubtedly the most prestigious title to which a French horologist could aspire to at the time.
Breguet became an horological authority amongst geometers, astronomers and seafarers, notably for the calculation of longitudes at sea, and designed a number of outstanding marine chronometers. They were mounted on special mahogany or walnut wood boxes, and featured a gimbal suspension system that kept them level whatever the circumstances.
In 1840, a Breguet instrument was the first timepiece to reach the Antarctic, with the Jules Dumont d’Urville expedition. The connection between the House of Breguet and the seafaring world has been a constant theme for nearly two centuries.
Maritime influence
It is in honour of this remarkable tradition that the Marine collection of watches was first launched in 1990, and which has since evolved over the decades.
In 2018, three new incarnations of the collection were introduced at Baselworld featuring a sportier aesthetic and more contemporary materials like titanium, while still retaining the classic design hallmarks of a Breguet timepiece – notably hand-worked guilloche dials and fine-tipped Breguet “pomme” watch hands.
This year, Breguet extends this collection to modern-day women explorers, combining refinement with exceptional technical performance.
Nautical Aesthetic
Guillochage Marine ladies bridge
As a specialist in guillochage (or engine-turning), Breguet has designed an original motif that reflects the flow of waves on the dial, a new pattern called “Marea” or tide, which captures the natural movement of water in precise circular lines. This design is brought to life on mother-of-pearl, a particularly fragile material, which graces the dial and rotor of the movement for this collection.
This watch beats to the rhythm of the self-winding 591A caliber, a manufacture movement 3.41 millimeters thick with a date display. The sapphire-crystal caseback shows the self-winding 591A caliber and its bars decorated with double engine-turned côtes de Genève calling to mind a ship’s deck boards.
Breguet has also reworked the flutes on the sides of the case. This new design, more distinct and spaced, lends the watch – barely one centimeter thick – a more daring look. The crown protection, diamond-set on gold pieces, appears like a wave at 3 o’clock. Screws in the shape of navigational markers provide a flexible hold for the strap fasteners.
Another motif – on the white rubber strap – created for the collection involves seagrass arabesques, a graceful aquatic plant found on the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. This strap is available alongside alligator leather straps in midnight blue or white, depending on the model. A sapphire cap marked with the letter ‘B’ for Breguet adorns the clasp of the folding buckle.
Sea Bounty
We take a closer look at the three individual models:
Breguet Marine Dame 9518
Case: Round, rose-gold case (18 carats) with a fluted caseband, with a sapphire-crystal caseback. Bezel set with 50 diamonds weighing approximately 1.165 carats. Crown protection set with 6 diamonds. Diameter 33.80 millimeters. Water-resistant to 5 bar (50 meters).
Dial: White mother-of-pearl, engine-turned in the marea style. Individually numbered and signed Breguet. Luminescent hour markers and markings. Faceted open-tipped gold Breguet hands with luminescent material. Second hand in the center. Date at 3 o’clock. Date window in gold.
Movement: Mechanical self-winding movement, numbered and signed Breguet. 111⁄2 lignes. 25 jewels. Caliber 591A with indication of date. 38-hour power reserve. Rotor in 18-carat gold decorated with engine-turned mother-of-pearl, set with 31 diamonds. Frequency 4 hertz. Silicon in-line Swiss lever escapement. Flat balance spring in silicon. Breguet balance wheel. 219 components including the diamonds on the rotor.
Strap: Leather strap with a gold buckle. Also available in white gold with rubber strap.
Breguet Marine Dame 9517
Case: Round steel case with fluted caseband, and sapphire-crystal caseback. Diameter 33.80 millimeters. Water-resistant to 5 bar (50 meters).
Dial: White mother-of-pearl. Individually numbered and signed Breguet. Luminescent hour markers and markings. Faceted open-tipped gold Breguet hands with luminescent material. Second hand in the center. Date at 3 o’clock. Date window in gold.
Movement: Mechanical self-winding movement, numbered and signed Breguet. 111⁄2 lignes. 25 jewels. Caliber 591A with indication of date. 38-hour power reserve. Rotor in 18-carat gold decorated with engine-turned mother-of-pearl. Frequency 4hertz. Silicon in-line Swiss lever escapement. Flat balance spring in silicon. Breguet balance wheel. 188 components.
Strap: Rubber strap with a steel buckle. Also available with leather strap and blue lacquer dial.
Breguet Marine Dame 9518
Case: Round steel case with fluted caseband, with sapphire-crystal caseback. Bezel set with 60 diamonds weighing approximately 0.846 carats. Diameter 33.80 millimeters. Water- resistant to 5 bar (50 meters).
Dial: Blue lacquer. Individually numbered and signed Breguet. Luminescent hour markers and markings. Faceted open-tipped gold Breguet hands with luminescent material. Second hand in the center. Date at 3 o’clock. Date window in gold.
Movement: Mechanical self-winding movement, numbered and signed Breguet. 111⁄2 lignes. 25 jewels. Caliber 591A with indication of date. 38-hour power reserve. Rotor in 18-carat gold decorated with engine-turned mother-of-pearl. Frequency 4hertz. Silicon in-line Swiss lever escapement. Flat balance spring in silicon. Breguet balance wheel. 188 components.
Strap: Leather strap with a steel buckle. Also available with rubber strap and mother-of-pearl dial.
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