The Breguet Marine collection is inspired by and pays tribute to the brand’s rich marine heritage, or more specifically, Abraham-Louis Breguet’s contributions to marine chronometry. Following the wake of this unique heritage, Breguet now launches a worldwide exclusive model named the Marine Équation Marchante 5887. This “Grande Complication” marks the start of a new era for the contemporary Marine collection and showcases three very sophisticated complications: the equation of time, the perpetual calendar and the tourbillon.
The case of the Marine Équation Marchante measures a sporty 43.9 mm in diameter and comes in either rose gold or platinum. The rose gold version of the watch frames a silvered dial and an anthracite movement, while the platinum interpretation has a blue dial and a rhodium-plated movement. In both versions, the dial features two types of engine-turning, including a “wave” pattern specifically developed for this new creation. The timepiece’s star complication is displayed by means of an additional minute hand adorned with a faceted golden sun: the equation of time. There are different ways to show the equation of time.
Most watches prefer a hand sweeping a subsidiary dial or arc, graduated from -16 to +14 minutes. This requires a little mental arithmetic by the wearer, adding or subtracting to calculate true time from mean time. The new Marine Équation Marchante supersedes this with what’s called the “running equation” (équation marchante). It simultaneously indicates civil time and true time by means of two separate minutes hands. The running solar hand provides a direct reading of solar time minutes that is both quicker and more user-friendly.
The complexity of the running equation of time is complemented by the equally sophisticated perpetual calendar. Two apertures – one between 10 and 11 o’clock and the other between 1 and 2 o’clock – respectively display the days of the week as well as the months and the leap-year cycle.
The date appears inside the chapter ring by means of a retrograde hand tipped with an anchor motif and sweeping across an arc running from 9 to 3 o’clock. The Marine Équation Marchante is also equipped with a 60-second tourbillon with a titanium carriage which can be seen through the large aperture at the bottom right corner of the dial. The power reserve of the timepiece is also displayed via an aperture between 7 to 9 o’clock.
The self-winding Caliber 581DPE runs at 4 Hz and includes a 60-second tourbillon with a titanium carriage and a silicon balance. It has an 80-hour power reserve, the status of which is displayed in a very subtle aperture between 7 and 9 o’clock. Thanks to a peripheral rotor, the decorated movement can be seen through the caseback, including bridges engraved to depict a the Royal Louis, a ship in the French Royal Navy, and a barrel engraved with a windrose motif.
The crown is topped with a polished B and, in another departure from the traditional Marine design, the fluted case band is more widely grooved.
The Breguet Marine Équation Marchante 5887 is adjusted in 6 positions and is water resistant to 10 bar (and therefore safe for swimming). The watch comes with a matching alligator leather strap and gold folding clasp.
The price for the platinum edition is $230,400 while the rose gold edition is priced at $215,000.