HANDS-ON: The Breguet Marine Chronograph ref. 5527
If I’m being honest, this is one of the less “Breguet” watches Breguet has released in recent years. It’s an unconventional mix of traditional features, in a much more contemporary package. All the key design features are there: the fluted case, the hands and the elaborately guillochéd dial, but this watch is a world away from their Classique collection, while still being undeniably Breguet. It also — and this is a key point — doesn’t look too much like anything else in the crowded field of high-end sports chronographs. And make no mistake, this is a high-end sports chronograph. One look at the back side of this hefty 42.3mm by 13.85mm watch should make that abundantly clear. All 346 parts of this automatic calibre (at least the ones I could see) are gorgeous, working together in complex harmony. The rotor is now a skeletonised ship’s wheel affair rather than the wavelike shape of yore. Of course, being Breguet, you know that there’s silicon inside, particularly the escapement anchor and the balance spring — good things for a sporty chrono. The choice of white gold case leans away from sports and more towards luxury (don’t worry though, there’s a titanium option…
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As far as complications go, perpetual calendars are typically classically styled, verging on the stuffy, depending on how well they’re done. Not that there’s anything fundamentally wrong with this – after all, fine watchmaking thrives on tradition. But I can understand the desire to shake things up a little, and throw down some contemporary styles, which is exactly what Glashütte Original have done with this limited edition take on their Senator Excellence PC. Fundamentally, this watch is the same as the ‘regular’ model, a nicely sized 42mm model, with a big panorama date at four (hence the name), moon at seven, and day/month and leap year indicator across the top of the dial. Where things start spicing up is how the dial (or lack thereof) has been rendered. The centre of the dial is open-worked, letting the finely guilloched mainplate shine through, framed by the matt black section, which frames all the functionality and leaves some space for branding. It’s a cool look, and one that’s in the brand’s wheelhouse, with a look that’s reminiscent of the PanoInverse. You get a hint of the inner workings, with the odd pinion and ruby poking out, but it’s also not fully open-worked…
The remarkable Hora Mundi ref. 5717 made its first appearance in 2011, to an enthusiastic reception. Then, in 2016, when Breguet launched an updated version (ref. 5727) they spoke of it as a replacement for the original. But some things are simply too special to discontinue. Thank goodness – for we rarely encounter a watch that combines technical genius, great beauty and immense charm in the way that this version of Hora Mundi does. For those of us who are constantly on the move, a multiple-time-zone complication is one of the most useful things to have in a watch – and, unsurprisingly, it’s offered by almost all of the top makers. More surprising, though, is how little variety there is in the style of display: a pointer hand or a sub-dial and that’s pretty much where the choice ends. Breguet, however, chose to give a highly original visual expression to its very different version of the complication. More on the brains later, but first let’s focus on the beauty – because, really, the design and the quality of execution are exceptional. The case is classic Breguet, with the kind of attention to detail that you know only if you know:…