Marine Hora Mundi X Only Watch
On this occasion, the brand is pleased to present a one-off version of its Marine Hora Mundi model. Launched in March 2022, this watch combines technical sophistication with aesthetic appeal. This Breguet-patented mechanism is the only device serving to change time zone at a single click – a technical feat made possible by handling the pusher and crown. After setting the first city, the time and the date, the watch wearer need only then set the second city. The timepiece’s mechanism calculates the time and date in the latter using a clever system of cams, hammers and an integrated differential. After that, simply pressing the pusher is enough to move from one end of the planet to the other without disturbing the precise running of the watch.
Moreover, the dial offers a fascinating wristworn interpretation of the terrestrial planisphere by playing on materials and various superimposed plates. On the first gold base, the hand-guilloché waves lap gently against the continents’ shorelines. The sunburst blue dial background is engraved with “wave” decorations. An additional sapphire plate displays the luminescent gold hour-markers along with the engraved and varnished navy blue continents. For this special edition, and as a reminder that the planet never sleeps, multiple bright rose gold dots stand out on Earth. Finally, an external flange holds the various elements present on the dial. The result features brilliantly executed dimensions and surfaces thanks to different treatments requiring several weeks of work.
The importance of details
For Breguet, luxury is in the details – which is notably why the Breguet hours and minutes hands are enhanced with red luminescent material recalling the Only Watch 2023 colours – a reference also featured on the trapeze-shaped hour-markers and on the anchor located at 6 o’clock, indicating the reference city. In a nod to the Only Foundation, the city of Paris has been replaced by the principality of Monaco in red.
The hand-hammered Sun and Moon at 4 o’clock lend a strongly realistic touch. While the Sun glows in a luminous rose gold, the rhodium-plated moon takes on a mysterious grey appearance. The date is indicated through an aperture at 12 o’clock, with a retrograde hand added to the date system. Ingeniously placed under the aperture, it is tipped with a “U” shape serving to encircle the current date. The lightly brouillé (blurred) finish is an updated version of a historical watchmaking decoration, giving the watch a matt yet shiny effect. It also facilitates reading while remaining discreet.
A unique movement
The 43.9 mm-diameter rose gold case houses Calibre 77F1, whose balance oscillates at a frequency of 4 Hz. This mechanical self-winding movement is fitted with an escapement made of silicon – a material boasting multiple properties that is resistant to both corrosion and wear that is also insensitive to the effects of magnetic fields. The unique advantage of Calibre 77F1 lies in its patented additional modules. These include the dual-time mechanism, the second time-zone display, the programmable and reprogrammable mechanical memory wheel as well as the pointer-type day/night display.
Part of this exceptional mechanism can be admired through the sapphire caseback, elegantly adorned with a Côtes de Genève motif, as well as guilloché and snailed finishing. The oscillating weight with its distinctive rudder-like appearance is made of black-treated gold. Finally, the “Pièce Unique” and “Only Watch 2023” engravings appear at 12 and 6 o’clock respectively.
Ready to travel the world, the new Marine Hora Mundi is fitted with a midnight blue rubber strap.
Breguet and the Navy
Recognised as an outstanding scientist and technician, Abraham-Louis Breguet bound his destiny to that of the French Navy in 1814 when he became a member of the Bureau des Longitudes by royal decree. Alongside academics such as Delambre, Biot and Laplace, one of the bureau’s roles was to solve astronomical problems related to the determination of longitude at sea. A year later, King Louis XVIII awarded him one of the most honourable titles: that of Chronometer-Maker by appointment to the French Royal Navy. The fleets of the greatest explorers sailed equipped with a Breguet timekeeping system. Today, the Marine line with its elegant yet sporty look is one of the brand’s emblematic collections.
