Although the watch year is still young, Breguet’s new Marine Hora Mundi might be the most impressive GMT watch of 2022. While this complication is often presented with refined craftsmanship depicting a world map on the dial, Breguet pulled out all the stops with this watch face. It offers an incredibly detailed interpretation of the topic by a harmoniously orchestrated play on materials and superimposed plates, which results in a stunning depth.

On the first gold base, the maritime line’s signature tiny waves created by traditional guilloche techniques lap gently against the shores of the displayed continents. A superimposed sapphire crystal pane, on which the continents with turquoise edges and the longitudes are depicted, builds the next level. Although small and filigree, each element clearly stands out from the ensemble. This also includes the sun and moon which appear in a window at 4 o’clock and provide the day-night indication. While the sun shines in bright pink gold, the nocturnal planet is rhodium-plated and appears in a mysterious gray.

High attention went also into the date indication below 12 o’clock. With its U-shaped tip, a retrograde hand points to the current date.

On the opposite side of the dial, the display of the time zones’ cities is positioned at 6 o’clock. A small anchor symbol references the selected city.

Well, the inner workings don’t fail to impress either. The instant-change dual-time mechanism with a memory function that was debuted some years ago in the Classique Hora Mundi and whose ingenuity is protected by for four patents allows to switch between two timezones instantly.

This technical feat is accomplished via the pusher and crown. Having selected the time and date of a desired time zone, the owner opts for the second city. The mechanism then calculates its time and date via of a complex system of cams, hammers and an integrated differential. Once set, simply pressing the pusher is enough to “travel” from one end of the planet to the other, all without disturbing the accurate running of the watch. 

The 43.9 mm-diameter case, available in white and rose gold, houses calibre 77F1 with a frequency of 4 Hz and a power reserve of 56 hours. This self-winding movement that consists of 384 parts is fitted with an escapement made of silicon and immaculately finished and decorated. Price: CHF 71,000.

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