Breguet Marine: Three Classics in New Guises

Three line extensions within Breguet’s Marine collection don’t just offer more options, but also a new way to approach the idea of preciousness.

The luxury of choice is a wonderful thing to have, and Breguet understands this intimately. To that end, the brand has just unveiled line extensions for three models within its Marine collection. By revisiting these existing models and offering new variants sporting different case materials (and colourways), Breguet has expanded the collection’s range, and given its connoisseurs more options than ever before.

A contemporary slant

The current iteration of the Marine was first revealed in 2017, when Breguet introduced the Marine Tourbillon Équation Marchante ref 5887 in platinum. This high complication bore updated design codes that heralded what was to come, and a slew of references across different models followed the next year to establish the revamped collection. The brand continues to expand the line today, of course.

The Marine’s update came at a time when numerous brands were offering their respective takes on the luxury technical sports watch. Don’t be mistaken though – it does not compete in that space. Rather, the Marine is better understood as a contemporary collection from a brand that’s arguably best known for its classic timepieces. From this perspective, it’s easy to see just how successful Breguet has been with the new watches, which sport a mix of traditional design vocabulary such as Roman numeral indices, and avant-garde ones like the wave-like guilloché on the dial.

Three additions

Among the three new versions unveiled, the Marine Alarme Musicale ref 5547 is the most complex and arguably also the most unusual. The timepiece’s signature complication here is its alarm – an uncommon function – which is set on the sub-dial at three o’clock via the crown at four o’clock. Meanwhile, a second time zone is tracked via the indicator at nine o’clock, with the date display at the bottom of the dial rounding out its complications. For the first time, this watch is available in titanium, which Breguet has matched with a blue dial in gold. The new version of ref 5547 is paired with a leather strap, a rubber strap, or a titanium bracelet.

In contrast, the Marine Chronographe ref 5527 bears the familiar chronograph complication, albeit with a twist – it’s of the flyback variant. Unlike conventional chronographs, the flyback chronograph does not need to be stopped in order to be reset. Instead, its reset pusher can be actuated even when the chronograph is running. When this is done, the chronograph simply reverts to zero before tracking elapsed time again without pausing. This lack of a pause is the crucial difference – instead of the stop-reset-restart sequence of a conventional chronograph, a flyback chronograph has no perceptible lag. This makes it eminently useful for timing various events at sea, including navigation-related ones, which explains its inclusion in the Marine collection. The new variant of ref 5527 comes in titanium as well. Naturally, the options of leather strap, rubber strap, and titanium bracelet are par for the course here.

Finally, there is the Marine ref 5517. This is a simple watch with just a date display at three o’clock. Its execution, however, is anything but, thanks to the aforementioned guilloché on its dial, which is rendered in the brand’s wave motif. The line extension for this model comes with a rose gold case, and the choice of a leather strap, rubber strap, or rose gold bracelet.

Options abound

With the addition of these new variants, Breguet has also blurred the boundary – and expectation – between a timepiece’s complexity and its case material. Previously, one would expect complications, especially complex ones, to be fitted in cases rendered in precious metals such as white gold or platinum. Meanwhile, sportier or simpler takes within a line would be relegated to steel or titanium instead. Breguet has, however, made this moot with these three new timepieces. It’s a bold move, but also a welcome one, because a simple time-only watch shouldn’t be any less precious than its complicated counterpart.

Images courtesy of Breguet, artwork by Curatedition. All rights reserved.

Related Links:

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The Breguet House of Heritage

Breguet: A Seafaring Tradition

Breguet: Sea Change