A Closer Look at the Berguet Marine Chronograph 5527
When Breguet released the Marine Equation Marchante 5887 during Baselworld last year, it came as a surprise to everyone. This highly complicated watch featured a combined tourbillon with an equation of time complication. However, it seems that this style of watch was just the start of a new variety of Marine watches. The Marine watches are an important collection to Breguet as they have historical significance. In 1815, Abraham-Louis Breguet was appointed as the chronometer maker for the French Royal Navy. This collection of watches is also commercially important as Marine watches are one of the top-selling watch varieties.
Breguet have made it clear that they are serious about their Marine collection when they released the Marine Chronograph 5527. Although this brand has a long and rich history, it hasn’t prevented the watchmakers from moving with the times and creating contemporary watches that make a mere nod towards their past. This watch is available in rose gold, white gold, and titanium.
It is the first time that Breguet has used titanium in its Marine collection and it may seem like this material is better-suited to watches such as the Type XX-XXI-XXII. However, it makes perfect sense for Breguet to use brushed titanium in the collection as it gives a pleasantly light appearance to the watch case while also retaining a modern feel.
The watch case is a full-size sports watch as it has a diameter of 42.3 millimeters and it actually looks larger as it is predominantly made up of the dial rather than the surrounding casing. The combination of the titanium and the lug construction mean that this watch is very comfortable to wear and sits nicely on the wearer’s wrist. One reason for this level of comfort is that titanium is a material that adapts to surrounding temperatures very quickly. This means that it quickly adjusts to the same temperature of the body on which it is worn.
The dial is particularly striking as Breguet have combined the titanium of the watch case with a gray dial with the appearance of a sundial. This is an element of the design that contributes to the contemporary feel of the watch. Unusually, there is an overlap of the hour and minute counters. This gives the impression of playfulness due to a certain element of unbalance.
Another key feature of the dials is the use of Roman numerals. While choosing Roman numerals would seem a traditional choice for a contemporary watch, the stylization of them is rather modern. Similarly, the styling of the watch hands is particularly modern considering the watch is created by Breguet. The numerals stand out as they are in white superluminova outlined with black.
The watch also features three subdials. The first of these is a running seconds dial which is positioned next to 9 o’clock. The second is a 30-minute register and this is positioned by 3 o’clock. The third is a 12-hour register and you will see this at 6 o’clock. A further feature of the dial is the date aperture, and this is positioned just between 4 and 5 o’clock. The background of this calendar disc is the same shade as the main background of the dial. This gives the dial a seamless appearance.
Another interesting and modern feature is the watch’s movement. The Breguet Marine Chronograph 5527 features an automatic caliber 582QA. This gives the watch a power reserve of two days. It has a balance made from silicon and an inverted in-line lever which is also made from silicone. It is possible to see these features of the watch through the case back. At the same time, you can admire the rotor of the watch, which Breguet has designed in the shape of a ship’s wheel and that fits nicely with the Marine theme of the collection.
The Breguet Marine Chronograph 5527 also has some practical features that do the collection justice. These include a water resistance of 10 bar/ 100 meters. The addition of such features means that this is a very welcome entry to the category of high-end sports watches.
Buyers can choose which strap style they prefer, as Breguet has given a choice of either rubber or leather strap. Regardless of which material you choose, the strap comes with a deployant clasp that features the Breguet logo.
