Breguet Marine Hora Mundi 5555

As Breguet commemorates 250 years of horological mastery, it introduces the fifth chapter of its anniversary celebrations with the Marine Hora Mundi 5555. This new timepiece is not merely a variation of an existing model but a complete re-envisioning of a traveler's watch, limited to just 50 pieces. It draws from the deepest wells of the brand's history while pushing the boundaries of modern watchmaking craft, offering a nocturnal and dynamic perspective of our planet. The watch is a direct nod to a world that never sleeps, designed for the individual in constant motion across continents and time zones.



The lineage of the Marine collection is directly tied to the foundational work of Abraham-Louis Breguet himself. In 1815, his exceptional talent was officially recognized when King Louis XVIII of France appointed him Watchmaker to the French Royal Navy. This prestigious title was not ceremonial; it was a commission that demanded the creation of highly accurate and durable marine chronometers, instruments essential for navigation and exploration on the high seas. This historical appointment cemented Breguet's connection to the world of maritime discovery, a legacy that the modern Marine collection proudly continues.



Today, the oceans are no longer the formidable barriers they once were, but the spirit of exploration and the quest to push limits remain. The Marine Hora Mundi 5555 embodies this contemporary drive. It is a sophisticated instrument built for the modern global citizen, merging the brand's nautical heritage with the needs of international travel. At its core is a unique composition of artistic crafts and mechanical ingenuity, reflecting a harmony between tradition and forward-thinking technology, a bridge between the vastness of the sea and the endlessness of the sky.



The most immediately striking feature of the Hora Mundi 5555 is its dial, which offers a captivating, almost spherical, view of the Earth at night. Inspired by NASA's "Black Marble" satellite imagery, the design presents a world illuminated by city lights, a constant reminder of global connectivity. This nocturnal perspective is a departure from traditional world-timer depictions, celebrating the 24-hour nature of modern life and travel. This is a watch that feels alive, capturing a planet in perpetual, illuminated motion.



This profound sense of depth is achieved through an innovative and complex two-part dial construction. The foundation is a solid gold plate, which serves as the canvas for the world's oceans. Craftsmen apply a beautiful gradient of color, shifting from a light sky blue at the top to a deep navy blue at the bottom, evoking the meeting of the sky and the sea at the horizon. This base provides the first layer of visual complexity and sets the stage for the intricate work that follows.



Upon this colored gold base, a master artisan performs hand-guilloché, an engraving technique for which Breguet is renowned. Instead of a simple wave pattern, the artist carves the lines of longitude and latitude. The genius of this application lies in its optical effect; although the dial is perfectly flat, the engraved meridians and parallels are designed to converge toward the cardinal points, creating a convincing trompe-l'oeil of a curved, three-dimensional globe. This meticulous work gives the dial its perceived roundness and initial layer of texture.



Floating above this guilloché base is the second primary component: a translucent sapphire crystal disc. This element is where an array of artistic skills converge to bring the world map to life. The creation of this sapphire disc is a multi-stage process involving delicate hand-painting on both its front and back surfaces. The result is a layered composition that provides a true sense of depth, as if one were observing the Earth from orbit, through shifting layers of atmosphere.



The first stage of painting the sapphire involves applying the continents using miniature enamel techniques. In a particularly challenging exercise of skill, the artists paint these landmasses on the reverse side of the sapphire crystal. This means every detail must be rendered as a mirror image so that it appears correctly when viewed from the front. After the outlines are transferred, the enamel is carefully filled in and then fired at a very high temperature in a special kiln—a process known as grand feu enameling—to set the colors permanently.



Once the continents are complete, the sapphire disc is turned over. On its front surface, Breguet's artisans hand-paint a delicate layer of clouds. These wispy formations drift above the continents and oceans, adding a sense of realism and movement to the scene. Because each painter is given the creative freedom to interpret this cloudy layer, the pattern on every single one of the 50 watches is unique. This ensures that each Hora Mundi 5555 is a distinct piece of art, imbued with the individual touch of its creator.



The final and most innovative artistic touch is the representation of the world's cities. To capture the "Black Marble" effect of a planet lit up at night, Breguet developed a novel solution that is currently the subject of a patent application. Instead of using a standard luminous material like Super-LumiNova, the craftsmen apply a miniature phosphorescent enamel paint to mark the locations of major cities. This handcrafted application glows in the dark, creating a stunning and dynamic nocturnal map that reinforces the watch's core theme.



Encircling this intricate dial is a 43.9 mm case fashioned for the first time in Breguet gold, a unique 18K gold alloy specific to the brand. For this limited edition, the design features a polished central lug attachment, which creates a striking contrast with the satin-brushed finishes on other parts of the case. This interplay of textures highlights the warm hue of the new gold alloy and adds to the watch's visual appeal. The caseband features the signature fine fluting that has been a hallmark of Breguet timepieces for centuries.



Turning the watch over reveals a sapphire crystal caseback that offers an uninterrupted view of the intricate movement within. The back bezel is adorned with a special 250th-anniversary hand-guilloché pattern known as "Quai de l’Horloge," named after the original address of A.-L. Breguet's Paris workshop. The glass itself bears the anniversary logo, and each of the 50 timepieces is individually numbered with a hand-engraved inscription, N° XX/50, confirming its place in this exclusive series.



At the heart of the Marine Hora Mundi 5555 beats the Calibre 77F1, a self-winding movement that is a marvel of mechanical engineering. This calibre is the powerhouse behind the watch's signature complication: an instant-jump dual time zone with a mechanical memory. This feature is unique to Breguet and stands as a benchmark in the world of traveler's watches for its combination of complexity and user-friendliness.



The operation of the dual time zone is remarkably intuitive. The owner first sets the home time and date, associating them with a city chosen from the 24 options on the city disc, using the main crown at 3 o’clock. Then, using the pusher-crown at 8 o’clock, they select a second, "local" city. The watch's internal mechanism, a complex system of cams, hammers, and a differential, instantly calculates the time and date for this second location. With a single press of the 8 o’clock pusher, the wearer can then switch the main hands, date, and day/night indicator instantaneously between the home and local time zones, without interrupting the watch's timekeeping.



This sophisticated calibre is the result of years of research and development and is protected by four distinct patents. These patents cover the dual time-zone mechanism, the on-demand display system, the programmable mechanical memory wheel, and the trailing hand device used for the date display. The movement itself is composed of 384 components, operates at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour), and utilizes a modern flat silicon balance spring for improved accuracy and resistance to magnetism. It provides a reliable power reserve of 55 hours.



Visible through the caseback, the movement is as beautifully decorated as it is technically advanced. For this edition, the oscillating weight is crafted from 18K Breguet gold and is designed to resemble a ship's helm, another clear tribute to the collection's nautical theme. The bridges and plates feature exquisite finishing, showcasing the high standards of traditional Swiss watchmaking that Breguet upholds in every timepiece.



The details on the dial are executed with the same level of care. The signature Breguet "pomme" hands, with their distinctive open-tipped "apple" shape, are crafted from 18K Breguet gold and filled with a light grey luminous material for readability in low light. The applied Roman numerals are made of blued gold, also filled with luminous material. A small aperture at 4 o'clock houses the day/night indicator, which features a sun with a sunburst finish and a rhodium-plated, hand-hammered moon, providing an elegant and intuitive way to distinguish between AM and PM in the selected time zone.



The Marine Hora Mundi 5555 is presented on a navy blue alligator leather strap, perfectly complementing the blue tones of the dial. For a more casual or water-resistant option, an additional rubber strap is also included. Both straps are fitted with a three-blade deployant clasp made from 18K Breguet gold, ensuring a secure and comfortable fit on the wrist.



Reinforcing the exclusivity of this model, Breguet offers a special service to the 50 collectors who will acquire this timepiece. Each owner has the opportunity to personalize the city disc, allowing them to select the cities that correspond to the 24 time zones. This, combined with the unique hand-painted clouds on each dial, ensures that no two Marine Hora Mundi 5555 watches will ever be completely identical.



As a highly technical and artistic creation celebrating a milestone anniversary, the Breguet Marine Hora Mundi 5555 is positioned at the upper echelon of haute horlogerie. With a price of $104,700 USD, it reflects the immense skill, precious materials, and innovative engineering contained within its case. Availability is strictly limited to the 50 numbered pieces, distributed through Breguet's global network of boutiques and authorized dealers, making it a rare and sought-after piece for serious collectors.



Case: 18K Breguet gold, 43.9 mm width, 13.8 mm thickness, round shape with fluted mid-case. Sapphire crystal caseback, screwed crown, water resistance of 10 BAR (100 m).

Movement: Automatic Calibre 77F1, 4.00 Hz frequency, 55-hour power reserve. Features a flat silicon balance spring, 40 jewels, and 384 components.

Dial: Two-plate construction with a guilloché 18K gold base and a sapphire disc on top. Hand-painted continents and clouds in grand feu enamel, with city dots in phosphorescent enamel. 18K Breguet gold apple-shaped hands and blued gold Roman numerals with luminous fill.

Strap: Navy blue alligator leather strap with an 18K Breguet gold three-blade folding clasp. An additional rubber strap is included.

Price: $104,700 USD

Reference Number: 5555BH/YS/9WV

Notes: Limited to 50 numbered pieces. Features a patented instant-jump dual time zone with a mechanical memory. The hand-painted clouds on the dial are unique to each watch, making every piece one-of-a-kind.