Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577

Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577 Watch Review

The Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577 is a contemporary watch, imbued with a sporty vibe. It incorporates cutting-edge materials while respecting some Breguet traditions. Moreover, this reference is endowed with Abraham-Louis Breguet’s legendary gravity-defying mechanism. Angus Davies appraises the composition of this technical tour-de-force; a watch made for discerning horophiles.

The space race

In August 1955, the USSR declared its intention to launch a satellite. Approximately two years later, in October 1957, the ambitious communist state successfully launched Sputnik 1. It lit the blue touch paper, leading the US and USSR to pursue dominance of space with a vengeance. Indeed, this galactic battle became known as the ‘space race’, an important period in 20th-century history that spanned 20 years.

Like the ‘space race’, England and France, often adversaries during the 1700s, both with naval fleets, sought supremacy at sea. Moreover, each nation, eager to preserve its fleet, wanted to find a means of determining longitude at sea. But why was this important and what did it have to do with watchmaking? Allow me to elaborate.

England – Longitude Act of 1714

In 1707, four warships crashed into the rocks near the Isles of Scilly, resulting in the loss of over 1300 lives. This tragedy led to the British government establishing the Longitude Act of 1714 and offering a reward of £20,000 to the first person to discover a reliable means of determining longitude at sea.

John Harrison (1693 – 1776)

John Harrison, an English carpenter and clockmaker, created his first marine chronometer, the H1, in 1735. Later, he produced the H2 but ultimately set it aside after discovering it had an inherent problem. He went on to release the H3 (1740) and later, his most successful marine chronometer, the H4 (1759). This was subjected to trials in 1761 and subsequently tested over several years thereafter. Harrison received £8,750 in 1773 for his marine chronometer, an amount falling far short of the reward promised back in 1714.

Ferdinand Berthoud (1727 – 1807)

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the English Channel, Ferdinand Berthoud came to prominence writing several papers relating to horology and, most notably, the ‘Traité des horloges marines’ (Treatise on marine clocks). In 1763, Louis XV tasked Ferdinand Berthoud with examining John Harrison’s H4 Marine Timekeeper; however, unsurprisingly, Harrison declined Berthoud’s request to see the H4.

Undeterred, Berthoud produced two marine clocks in 1765 and several more over the years that followed. In 1770, he was appointed ‘Horloger-Mécanicien du Roi et de la Marine’ (Watchmaker-Mechanic to the King and to the Navy). This role was usually assigned for life; however, when he was approximately 75 years of age, Ferdinand Berthoud resigned and the mantle passed to his nephew, Louis Berthoud (1802). Eventually, in 1815, Abraham-Louis Breguet assumed the role, known then as ‘Chronometer-maker by appointment to the Royal Navy’.

Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823)

Before assuming said prestigious role, Abraham-Louis Breguet was made a member of the Board of Longitude in Paris. Between 1815 and 1823, Breguet made 78 marine chronometers, mostly for merchant vessels and private individuals. Abraham-Louis Breguet’s legitimacy in the field of marine chronometers was unimpeachable.

Breguet Marine first released in 1990

Wishing to pay tribute to its naval heritage, Breguet released its inaugural ‘Marine’ watch in 1990. This model was sporty when contrasted with the brand’s more traditional offerings. A screw-locked crown, nestled between the robust shoulders of a crown protector, contributed to the model’s 50 m water resistance. Fitted with a self-winding movement, the watch was ideally suited to daily wear. However, while the model was undoubtedly new, its parentage remained obvious courtesy of its guilloché dial, Breguet hands and slender lugs.

Image – Breguet Marine GMT 5857 (launched at Baselworld 2012)

The Marine line was updated in 2004, culminating in a more contemporary and sporty aesthetic. In 2017, the collection was updated again and featured an evolution of Breguet’s hour and minute hands incorporating luminescent treatment. In addition, the date display was relocated to 3 o’clock. This new series still employed Roman numerals to denote the hours albeit their appearance was now more fulsome.

As the above dates show, Breguet does not flit from one style to another. This ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach is, in my opinion, consistent with the notion of luxury and serves to reassure clients that a newly acquired timepiece won’t be discontinued a few months later.

Despite enlarging the Marine collection in recent years, new models still subscribe to the same design language introduced in 2017 (eg the Breguet Marine Hora Mundi 5557). Last year, the prestigious Maison unveiled a new addition to the Marine line, this time equipped with a tourbillon, the ingenious mechanism patented by Abraham-Louis Breguet.

Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577 – dial

The Breguet Marine 5577 is available in two variants, 18K rose gold and platinum. Each model can be specified with a colour-coordinating alligator strap or an optimally-hued rubber strap. The 18K rose gold case is paired with a slate-grey coloured dial while the platinum variant is matched with a blue dial. Personally speaking, I prefer the rose gold, slate-grey and rubber strap ensemble, hence this reference is the focus of my attention hereafter.