The engine-turning artisans of the House of Breguet have created a unique design evoking the sea as it laps the shore on the mother-of-pearl dial of the Ladies Marine model. This pattern, called marea, or tide, incorporates curves; in contrast to the classic guillochage, which consists of straight lines and circles, the curves in this design capture the natural movement of the water. The development of the marea pattern took several months, including the manufacture of special cams for the engine-turning lathes.
But the new Breguet Marine collection for women is also celebrating the marine world in many other aspects. The Roman numerals resemble nautical pennants. For use at night, the open tips of the hands, the five-minute markings, and the hour markers are coated with luminescent material.
The second hand, as one of several details echoing the marine world, is decorated with a maritime flag representing the initial of Breguet.
The flutes on the sides of the 33.8 mm case have also been reworked. 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. The words Horloger de la Marine (Chronograph-maker to the Navy) are engraved on the rim of the case, referring to the title of Chronometer-maker to the French Royal Navy bestowed upon Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1815.
Marine Dame 9518 Diamond-Set in Rose or White Gold
The Marine in white or rose gold has dials enlivened by engine-turned mother-of-pearl in the marea style. The white-gold version is adorned with pale blue motherof-pearl, while the rose-gold variant features opaline mother-of-pearl. Depending on the model, the rotor is decorated with engine-turned mother-of-pearl of the same color, and also inlaid. The bezel is illuminated by a setting of 50 brilliant-cut diamonds. Their sparkle extends to the strap fastenings and the crown protection.
Marine Dame 9517 in Steel and Marine Dame 9518 in Diamond-Set Steel
The House of Breguet also offers the Marine in steel and inlaid steel. The dials of these models are done in natural opaline mother-of-pearl or marbled blue lacquer, animated by clearer volutes reminiscent of the white-horses of the sea – or a starlit night sky, which was used for navigation in former times. To achieve this decor, the artisan applies a clear lacquer on the still liquid azure material. When they come into contact, the colors marbleize and create a unique image, thus rendering each piece exclusive. Visible by the sapphire-crystal caseback, the rotor bears the engine-turned marea motif in mother-of-pearl – in azure or white, depending on the shade of the dial. The bezel of the inlaid steel variant is enlivened by 60 brilliant-cut diamonds.
This watch beats to the rhythm of the self-winding 591A caliber, a manufacture movement 3.41 millimeters thick with a date display and a 38-hour power reserve. The sapphire-crystal caseback shows its bars decorated with double engine-turned côtes de Genève calling to mind a ship’s deck boards.
