A Celestial Tribute: Breguet Launches the New Marine Hora Mundi 5555 Variant

For the fifth chapter of its 250th anniversary celebrations, Breguet has unveiled a brand-new version of Marine Hora Mundi 5555, limited to 50 pieces. The timepiece pays tribute to horological craftsmanship with a dial crafted on two superimposed levels, one guilloché and the other sapphire. This special dial is inspired by NASA’s “Black Marble”, a nocturnal vision of the Earth. By opting for a night view, Hora Mundi 5555 celebrates a world in motion, where city lights remind us that the Earth never sleeps. Needless to say, the watch is a perfect companion for those who travel frequently. 

Presented for the first time in Breguet gold, this Hora Mundi 5555 variant features a newly designed dial adorned with phosphorescent enamel, an innovation currently under patent application. Each of the 50 collectors will have the opportunity to personalise the city disc, assigning their own selection of cities to the 24 time zones.

From Land to Sea

For its new Marine Hora Mundi 5555, Breguet is linking land and sea ― a dreamlike invitation to travel. It embraces its historical heritage, following in the footsteps of Abraham-Louis Breguet, who was appointed Watchmaker to the French Royal Navy in 1815. 

Driven by a perpetual quest for innovation, the Marine Hora Mundi 5555 variant emerges as a rare interpretation in an exceptionally limited series. At its heart lies a singular composition of artisanal mastery, seamlessly uniting artistic finesse with technical brilliance — a tribute to the sea and its boundless horizons.

Superimposed Dials

The new Marine Hora Mundi 5555 variant draws its foundation from the current collection, featuring a 43.9 mm case and the sophisticated 77F1 calibre, offering a pre-programmable instant-jump dual time zone, date, day/night indicator, and synchronised city display. Yet, the resemblance ends there. From its dial onwards, this Hora Mundi 5555 has been completely reimagined.

Its visual impact is immediate, distinguished by a deep, rounded effect born of an exclusive two-part construction. The first element: a gold base dial adorned with a gradient that transitions from sky blue to navy; it’s an evocative fusion of sky and sea, the very inspiration behind the timepiece’s creation. 

The base dial is meticulously hand-guilloché, etched with meridians and parallels. Though physically flat, it conjures the trompe-l’œil of a curved Earth. This illusion arises from the guilloché lines, which converge towards the four cardinal points, creating a striking sense of spherical roundness. This is the dial’s first visual dimension.

Its second dimension is depth. Designed to evoke a perspective from the thermosphere, as if the collector were gazing upon the Earth from space, this effect is achieved by overlaying the guilloché dial with a translucent sapphire crystal. 

Craftsmanship in Enamelling

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This sapphire dial brings together an unparalleled array of artistic skills. It is entirely hand-painted in three phases, on both sides. First, all continents are painted in miniature enamel. As the sapphire crystal is also flat, the contours of the continents are refined as they approach the flange, transferred by pad printing in transparent petit feu enamel. Breguet craftsmen then enamel within these lines. These continents are painted on the reverse side of the sapphire crystal. This is a particularly delicate exercise, since the craftsmen have to represent them in an inverted mirror so that they appear correctly once the sapphire crystal has been repositioned right side up. This layer of enamel paint is first fired at a very high temperature.

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Secondly, the craftsmen turn the sapphire dial inside out and paint a series of clouds on the front, adding realism to the composition. This cloudy layer is executed in enamel paint and fired over a grand feu. But while the contours of the continents are immutable, the clouds fluctuate ― just as they would on the surface of the Earth, floating above the continents. Here, Breguet painters have room for personal creativity. Each Hora Mundi 5555 will, therefore, be a unique piece, with a touch of magic and mystery floating on the surface of the oceans, shaped by the unique inspiration of each artisan.

Finally, the cities that light up at night are also represented. To make them glow at night, the most common option is to use Super-LumiNova®. However, Breguet has opted for a miniature phosphorescent enamel painting. It’s a handcrafted but highly technical creation. Needless to say, this innovation is part of Breguet’s 250-year tradition.

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To underscore the exclusivity of this 50-piece limited series, Breguet has imbued the Hora Mundi 5555 variant with distinctive details that set it apart. For the first time, the Marine case is crafted from Breguet gold, a proprietary alloy developed by the Maison. In this edition, the central lug is polished, creating a striking contrast with the satin-brushed surfaces. This interplay of finishes accentuates the richness and depth of the new Breguet gold.

The caseback features the distinctive double edging of Breguet’s special 250th anniversary guilloché, known as Quai de l’Horloge. Through the sapphire crystal, engraved with the commemorative logo shared across the anniversary collection, the intimate mechanics of the calibre 77F1 are laid bare. For the first time, its oscillating weight is crafted from Breguet gold, underscoring the exclusivity of this edition.

Adding a personal touch, each collector of the 50-piece Hora Mundi 5555 series may customise the city disc, making every timepiece uniquely theirs.

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