Breguet Marine 5517: the spirit of the marine chronometers in a new expression

Some watch collections carry a promise in their name alone. At Breguet, the Marine collection points straight back to one of the most prestigious chapters in the Maison’s history: the scientific instruments designed to accompany navigators on their expeditions and to meet the precision demands of maritime navigation.

In the late 18th century, Abraham-Louis Breguet conceived his timepieces as true scientific instruments. Precision, reliability and legibility became the foundations of a pursuit of excellence that earned major recognition in 1815, when Louis XVIII appointed Breguet Watchmaker to the French Royal Navy, one year after his admission to the Bureau des Longitudes.

Breguet marine chronometers went on to accompany several major expeditions. No. 3502 sailed with Louis Le Goarant de Tromelin on his explorations of the Pacific. No. 3588 travelled with Hyacinthe de Bougainville on his voyage around the world between 1824 and 1826. In 1840, a Breguet instrument also reached Antarctica alongside Jules Dumont d’Urville.

This maritime history remains the bedrock of the Marine collection today. With the new versions of the Marine 5517, Breguet offers a contemporary interpretation that brings together nautical codes, aesthetic refinement and Haute Horlogerie mechanics.

The Marine 5517, the essentials according to Breguet

Within the Marine collection, the 5517 is the purest expression of the family. Its three-hand display favours direct, instantly recognisable reading.

The new versions keep this approach while adding a date at 6 o’clock. This placement strengthens the symmetry of the dial and naturally complements the hours, minutes and seconds.

Yet behind this apparent simplicity lies a considerable amount of compositional work.

Most notably, the dial becomes the canvas for a new hand-guilloché pattern named « Quai de l’Horloge ». Unveiled for Breguet’s 250th anniversary, the motif draws directly on the Maison’s Parisian history.

Its name refers to the emblematic address on the Île de la Cité where Abraham-Louis Breguet set up his workshop, and where the marine chronometers in particular were made. Its design evokes both the outlines of the Île de la Cité and the Île Saint-Louis and the movement of waves.

A double reference that is particularly fitting for a collection whose identity is rooted precisely in navigation.

The « Quai de l’Horloge » guilloché at the heart of the dial

The dial begins as a gold base. It then receives the delicate « Quai de l’Horloge » motif, guilloché entirely by hand.

A layer of lacquer is then applied to give the composition depth and intensity, resulting in three distinct interpretations.

The white gold version takes on a glacier blue. The rose gold model opts for a black dial, while the titanium version stands out with a subtle blue gradient.

At 12 o’clock, the gold Breguet applique signs each of these interpretations.

The richness of the dial also lies in the way Breguet’s historic codes are paired with details drawn directly from the maritime world. The Arabic numerals and Breguet « pomme » hands belong to the Maison’s traditional vocabulary, while several more discreet elements recall the nautical calling of the collection.

The tip of the seconds hand, for instance, forms a « B », a reference to the « Bravo » maritime signal flag.

The crown guard, for its part, evokes the movement of waves, adding yet another maritime reference to an architecture already steeped in the history of navigation.

Three materials, three personalities

The Marine 5517 comes in three configurations that noticeably change its character while keeping the same architecture.

The first pairs an 18-carat white gold case with a guilloché gold dial lacquered in glacier blue. The Breguet Arabic numerals are made of blued white gold, and the date frame, the Breguet applique and the hands share the same tone. The watch can be fitted with a rubber strap or a white gold bracelet.

The second is in 18-carat rose gold. This time, the gold dial receives a black lacquer over the « Quai de l’Horloge » guilloché. The Breguet Arabic numerals and the various rose gold elements warm up the composition. Here again, two options are offered: a rubber strap or a rose gold bracelet.

Finally, the third interpretation sets gold aside in favour of a titanium case. Its gold dial, lacquered in a blue gradient, retains the « Quai de l’Horloge » guilloché. The rose gold Breguet Arabic numerals and matching hands add a warm touch to the whole.

This version can be worn on rubber or on a titanium bracelet.

In all three cases, water resistance reaches 100 metres, or 10 bar, consistent with the nautical character the collection lays claim to.

A 40 mm case with maritime codes

All three versions share the same case proportions: 40 mm in diameter, 47.7 mm lug to lug and 11.50 mm thick.

The fluted caseband is one of the defining features of this architecture. It works alongside the screw-down crown and contributes to the instantly recognisable personality of the Marine.

The sapphire crystal features a double anti-reflective treatment on the dial side and a single treatment on the caseback side.

This construction thus combines the robustness expected of a watch inspired by the maritime world with the finishing details that are Breguet’s own.

The Calibre 777A automatic movement

Beneath this architecture lies the Calibre 777A, a numbered automatic movement signed Breguet.

Measuring 33 mm in diameter, or 15 lignes, and only 4.3 mm thick, it powers all three versions of the Marine 5517.

It beats at 4 Hz, or 28,800 vibrations per hour, and offers a power reserve of 55 hours.

The movement comprises 235 components and 26 jewels. Its silicon balance spring contributes to performance and running stability.

But the maritime world continues on the back of the watch as well.

A rudder at the heart of the movement

Visible through the sapphire caseback, the gold oscillating weight takes its inspiration from the lines of a rudder.

This reference fits particularly well with the philosophy of the collection: the movement is not a space separate from the maritime theme of the timepiece. On the contrary, it carries the story right through to its mechanical components.

The oscillating weight combines several meticulously executed finishing techniques. It thus becomes both a functional component and an aesthetic element on view for the owner.

This attention paid to the back of the watch reflects Breguet’s determination to build coherence between the history of the collection, the case design, the dial and the mechanics.

The strap as an extension of the dial

The aesthetic coherence extends all the way to the strap.

All three versions can be fitted with a rubber strap whose decoration echoes the « Quai de l’Horloge » guilloché. The dial motif thus carries over onto the wrist, creating continuity between the worked surface of the timepiece and its strap.

The metal versions, for their part, offer a bracelet matching the case material: white gold for the white gold version, rose gold for the rose gold model and titanium for the titanium version.

All are fitted with a triple-blade folding clasp in the corresponding material.

A collection where history stays in motion

The Marine 5517 shows how Breguet keeps its heritage alive without reducing it to a mere exercise in remembrance.

References to the historic marine chronometers abound: the name of the collection, the « Quai de l’Horloge » motif, the codes of the Breguet numerals and hands, the « B » on the seconds hand, the wave-inspired crown guard and the oscillating weight tracing the lines of a rudder.

Yet these elements are built into a contemporary 40 mm watch, water resistant to 100 metres and driven by an automatic movement with a silicon balance spring.

The Marine 5517 thus stands at the meeting point of two worlds: that of the scientific instruments that accompanied the great maritime explorations, and that of the contemporary watch designed to be worn every day.

A continuity that reminds us that at Breguet, the history of precision has never been limited to measuring time. It was also written on the oceans.

Technical specifications

Models:

Marine 5517BB/YA/5ZU, rubber strap
Marine 5517BB/YA/BZ0, 18-carat white gold bracelet

Marine 5517BR/99/5ZU, rubber strap
Marine 5517BR/99/RZ0, 18-carat rose gold bracelet

Marine 5517TI/Y9/5ZU, rubber strap
Marine 5517TI/Y9/TZ0, titanium bracelet

Case:

18-carat white gold, 18-carat rose gold or titanium
Diameter: 40 mm
Lug-to-lug length: 47.7 mm
Thickness: 11.50 mm
Fluted caseband
Screw-down crown
Water resistance: 10 bar / 100 metres
Sapphire crystal on the dial side with double anti-reflective treatment
Sapphire crystal on the caseback side with single anti-reflective treatment

Movement:

Calibre 777A, numbered and signed Breguet
Automatic winding
Diameter: 33 mm / 15 lignes
Thickness: 4.3 mm
Frequency: 4 Hz / 28,800 vibrations per hour
Power reserve: 55 hours
Silicon balance spring
235 components
26 jewels

Functions:

Hours
Minutes
Seconds
Date at 6 o’clock

Dials:

18-carat gold, hand-guilloché « Quai de l’Horloge » and lacquered
Glacier blue for the white gold version
Black for the rose gold version
Blue gradient for the titanium version

Straps:

Rubber
18-carat white gold
18-carat rose gold
Titanium

Triple-blade folding clasp in the corresponding material

International warranty: 5 years

Frequently asked questions