The Breguet Marine Hora Mundi 5555 is a horological marvel released to mark the Maison’s illustrious 250th anniversary, celebrating not just its rich past but the relentless innovation that has characterised Breguet’s journey since 1775. Presented in an exclusive run of just 50 pieces, this edition serves both as a tribute to the legacy of Abraham-Louis Breguet, once Watchmaker to the French Royal Navy, and a statement on modern craftsmanship entwined with artistry and technical prowess. With Europe purposefully placed at the heart of the dial as a nod to the brand’s origins, and launched fittingly in London near the historic Greenwich Meridien, the Hora Mundi 5555 becomes a timepiece for the contemporary global citizen and seasoned traveller.
A Nocturnal Portrait of Earth
The dial of the Breguet Marine Hora Mundi 5555 has been conceived as an artistic homage to NASA’s “Black Marble,” a poetic nocturnal vision of the Earth illuminated by city lights, a world that never sleeps and is in perpetual motion. Constructed from two superimposed levels, the lower element is a gold base, hand-guilloché with meridians and parallels that evoke a curved illusion of the Earth itself, despite the surface’s flatness. The gradient, transitioning seamlessly from sky blue to navy, echoes the fusion of sky and sea at the horizon, lending both depth and dynamism to the composition.
Topping this is a translucent sapphire dial, entirely hand-painted in three phases on both sides ,a process demanding meticulous skill and reversed artistry. The continents, executed in miniature grand feu enamel on the underside, are carefully painted to ensure correct orientation once the sapphire is in place.
On the front, a masterful layer of clouds in enamel is painted and fired, adding movement and individuality to each piece, with the painter free to interpret the cloudscape afresh for every watch. The crowning technical innovation lies in the city dots painted in a patented phosphorescent enamel, deploying a bespoke technique in lieu of Super-LumiNova, resulting in a radiant glow that punctuates the night-time cartography of the dial.
The hour markers are crafted in Breguet gold, highlighted with light grey Super-LumiNova for night-time legibility, paired with blued gold Roman numerals and Breguet’s signature apple-shaped hour and minute hands, all meticulously finished in 18K Breguet gold. The seconds hand and the day/night indicator, depicting a sun in sunburst finish and a half-moon in hand-hammered rhodium-plated gold, complete a foreground of visual richness and technical achievement.
The Movement: Calibre 77F1
At the heart of the Marine Hora Mundi 5555 is Breguet’s inimitable calibre 77F1, a robust and highly sophisticated movement that elevates the dual time zone complication into the realms of immediate, intuitive operation. Comprised of 384 components and 40 jewels, the movement offers automatic winding via an oscillating weight, for this anniversary crafted in 18K Breguet gold and modelled after a boat helm, a nautical nod to the brand’s marine legacy. Beating at 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour), its flat silicon balance spring ensures precision while granting a generous 55-hour power reserve.
The complication is distinguished by an instantaneous jump dual time zone, pre-programmable by a pair of crowns at 3 and 8 o’clock. After initial configuration, pressing the 8 o’clock crown shifts all displays, time, date, and the day/night indicator, between the selected cities, while synchronously adjusting the date. The technical achievement here is no less than ingenious, with cams, hammers and an integrated differential working in concert, protected by multiple patents that safeguard its programmable mechanical memory. Unlike standard GMTs, the 77F1 offers a simultaneous and seamless double reading of two time zones with a synchronised city disc, a complication entirely unique within contemporary watchmaking.
The finishing, visible through the sapphire caseback emblazoned with the “BREGUET 250 YEARS” engraving, is a feast for connoisseurs, featuring the double-edged guilloché known as the Quai de l’Horloge motif. Each numbered movement is signed and encased, revealing Breguet’s penchant for blending artistry with engineering.
A golden case
Encased in 18K Breguet gold for the first time ever, the Marine Hora Mundi’s 43.9 mm diameter housing is an eloquent mix of polished and satin-brushed finishes, accentuating the interplay of light and form to dramatic effect. The central attachment is polished, enhancing the overall aesthetic and giving rise to a case both stately and contemporary. Breguet’s famous fluted case middle, anti-reflective double spherical glass, and a screw-down caseback ensure both elegance and performance, with water resistance up to 10 bar (100 metres). The back bezel showcases hand-guilloché work, again in the Quai de l’Horloge pattern, and carries the individual numbering of each piece, inscribed with a hand-engraved “N° XX/50.”
Inside, the strap selection complements the seafaring inspiration: navy blue alligator leather with large scales and a folding clasp in 18K Breguet gold, plus an additional rubber strap for versatility. With an estimated weight of 110.2 grams and a generously-proportioned case thickness of 13.8 mm, the watch balances tactile luxury and wearability. The special edition is presented in a numbered red Moroccan leather box inspired by historical Breguet cases of yesteryear, reinforcing the sense of occasion and exclusivity.
Heritage and avant-garde
In the Marine Hora Mundi 5555 (Ref. 5555BH/YS/9WV – 102.200 EUR), Breguet unites its exceptional heritage and avant-garde spirit, presenting a watch at once imaginative, technically advanced and artistically singular. The dial is truly a window onto the world, animated by city lights in phosphorescent enamel and graced with clouds that shift according to the whim of the craftsman, ensuring each piece is distinct. The movement stands as a paragon of mechanical ingenuity, granting instantaneous and intuitive access to dual time zones, a feature befitting an era of exploration and global connection. The casework provides a sturdy yet elegant vessel for this technical and aesthetic accomplishment, underscored by flawless finishing and thoughtful touches. This 50-piece limited edition Marine Hora Mundi 5555 thus embodies the spirit of adventure, mastery and artistry that defines Breguet, perfectly encapsulating the brand’s 250-year voyage between sky and sea.
