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Breguet refreshes its Marine 5517 collection with three new references, bringing traditional design codes and the Quai de l’Horloge guilloché motif to its contemporary sports watch.

Being a Breguet fanatic, it’s always a pleasure to see the watchmaker unveil something new. While I personally love its more mechanically intricate collections with skeletonised and open-worked dials, there is still so much more to appreciate from the brand. One such collection is the Marine, which is Breguet’s sportier, more contemporary line, while still carrying the traditional design cues that the House of Breguet is known for.

Breguet’s Marine 5517 remains the core three-hand and date model within the collection, presenting a more classic design that exudes elegance. The brand has now refreshed this series within the Marine collection with three new references. While each of the models shares the same underlying architecture, they offer very different personalities through different materials and dial aesthetics.

This update to the Marine 5517 leans harder into Breguet’s traditional craftsmanship, especially with the new hand-guilloché dials presented. The three new editions include an 18K rose gold edition with a dark black dial, an 18K white gold edition with a light ice-blue dial, and a titanium edition with a blue dial and a full titanium bracelet. Despite their three different personalities, all three models share the same Marine 5517 foundation.

Traditional Breguet Craftsmanship Meets The Marine

These new editions share the same Marine 5517 platform that has made this collection easily recognisable. All three models feature the same 40mm diameter case, which has a thickness of 11.5mm and a lug-to-lug distance of 47.7mm. This gives the models great wrist presence while also being in a wearable format to cater for a range of wrist sizes.

While on the surface it looks like a traditional case design, it is anything but. Turn the watch on its side, and you see the signature design codes of the Marine collection. The Marine may start with a conventional round central case, however, Breguet deliberately contrasts that traditional shape with an unusual lug design. Rather than four conventional lugs, the strap or bracelet meets the case through large central lug modules at 12 and 6 o’clock, which gives the design an almost industrial look.

The caseband is also uniquely Breguet. The middle case carries the brand’s famous deep fluting, which is essentially a succession of fine vertical grooves. This design is one of the Maison’s longstanding visual signatures, however, the third-generation Marine collection reworked this iconic design to be more pronounced and prominent.

While the case has remained the same as the previous Marine 5517 models, the dial is where the changes occur. All three dials are made from 18K gold, which includes the dial fitted to the titanium edition. Where things take an interesting turn, however, is that each dial is now engine-turned by hand with Breguet’s unique Quai de l’Horloge guilloché motif. This motif was introduced specifically to mark Breguet’s 250th anniversary, making it a special celebratory motif.

This Quai de l’Horloge guilloché motif doesn’t simply feature decorative waves, even though that’s how it may seem on the surface. Rather, the flowing geometry of the pattern takes inspiration from the contours of Île de la Cité and neighbouring Île Saint-Louis, while simultaneously resembling waves. This makes the motif especially unique to Breguet, while also being perfect for the Marine collection, as it references both Breguet’s historic Parisian home and the manufacture’s maritime history in one pattern.

The first of the three references is the Marine 5517 (Ref. 5517BB/YA/5ZU), which features the Quai de l’Horloge guilloché motif in stunning ice blue. The rhodium-plated chapter ring stands out beautifully against the ice-blue backdrop, while also complementing the 18K white gold aesthetic of the case. The deep blue 18K gold Arabic numerals, blue Breguet hands and blue date window add to the blue theme of the timepiece, connecting it beautifully to the Marine collection’s heritage.

The second model is personally my favourite, as it features a stunning 18K rose gold case with a beautifully contrasting black dial. While the Quai de l’Horloge guilloché motif is now presented in black, the motif is still visible at different angles, giving the watch a more elegant aesthetic with subtle, intricate details. The chapter ring has also remained black, presenting a cleaner dress watch appearance, with the 18K rose gold indices, hands, date window, and Breguet inscription taking the limelight on the dial. Black and rose gold is a beautiful combination, and it’s executed to perfection here.

The last model in this new series of Marine 5517s is the titanium edition, which presents the sportiest character of the three, while also having more detail on the dial. Even though the exterior is titanium, the dial is still made from 18K gold. The Quai de l’Horloge guilloché motif is presented in blue, however, this time with a gradient effect that gives it more character through the different colour variations. The chapter ring is also presented in blue and features 18K rose gold indices, matching the hands, Breguet inscription and date window.

The Calibre 777A Continues To Power The Marine

The movement sitting inside the new Marine 5517 references is the Calibre 777A. This isn’t new to this release, as it has powered the current generation of Marine 5517 models since its introduction. The Calibre 777A movement uses an inverted in-line lever escapement and a flat silicon balance spring, with the latter being particularly fitting for Breguet because it was an early adopter of silicon, while the material’s resistance to magnetism and low-friction properties make it fitting for the Marine collection.

The movement operates at 4Hz (28,800 VpH), while delivering a power reserve of 55 hours. The caseback reveals the exceptional finishing of Breguet, which in this case is deliberately tied to the nautical theme. The bridges aren’t simply given conventional Geneva stripes. They’re decorated with broad engine-turned stripes intended to recall the wooden planks of a ship’s deck. Above this sits the gold winding rotor, which Breguet states is inspired by a ship’s rudder.

Initial Thoughts

This may not be a complete revamp of the Marine 5517 collection, however, Breguet has addressed the part of the watch that arguably had the greatest opportunity for improvement: the dial. While previous models in the Marine 5517 collection featured a nautical theme on the dial with large rectangular indices, this new collection is more in line with the brand’s history, and personally, I love this direction. It brings back classic Breguet design codes, while introducing a stunning dial pattern with the Quai de l’Horloge guilloché motif.

This motif isn’t just used on the dial either. Each of the three models is presented on either a three-link bracelet that matches the model’s case material or a rubber strap that matches the dial colour. Breguet has given these rubber straps a texture that echoes the Quai de l’Horloge guilloché on the dial, beautifully extending the same design motif beyond the dial.

As someone who loves Breguet for its traditional craftsmanship and more elaborate watchmaking, this update makes the Marine more appealing because more of that traditional Breguet identity is now visible. While all three have very different personalities, it’s the 18K rose gold execution that stands out the most for me. The Quai de l’Horloge guilloché motif may be more subtle, but the dial execution is clean and contrasts beautifully to present a more elegant take on the new Marine 5517.

Reference: Breguet Marine 5517 18K White Gold Ice Blue (Ref. 5517BB/YA/5ZU Strap), (Ref. 5517BB/YA/BZ0 Bracelet)

Specifications:

Australian Retail Price: AUD $110,700 (White gold bracelet), AUD $67,400 (Rubber strap)

Availability: Available through Breguet boutiques and authorised retailers, or head to Breguet.com.au

Reference: Breguet Marine 5517 18K Rose Gold Black Dial (Ref. 5517BR/99/5ZU Strap), (Ref. 5517BR/99/RZ0 Bracelet)

Specifications:

Australian Retail Price: AUD $110,700 (Bracelet), AUD $67,400 (Rubber Strap)

Availability: Available through Breguet boutiques and authorised retailers, or head to Breguet.com.au

Reference: Breguet Marine 5517 Titanium Blue Gradient (Ref. 5517TI/Y9/TZ0 Titanium Bracelet), (Ref. 5517TI/Y9/5ZU Strap).

Specifications:

Australian Retail Price: AUD $41,400 (Titanium Bracelet), AUD $36,400 (Strap)

Availability: Available through Breguet boutiques and authorised retailers, or head to Breguet.com.au