While Breguet offers a number of different complex horological mechanisms, the tourbillon is arguably its signature complication, as it was first invented in 1801 by Abraham-Louis Breguet himself. Over the years, the tourbillon has often played a central role in Breguet’s catalog, and for 2023, the historic Swiss watch manufacturer has created two new tourbillon pieces that will be joining its Marine collection of sports watches. Available in either platinum or rose gold, the new Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577 is offered with either rubber or leather straps, and it is powered by an extra-thin, peripheral rotor movement with silicon components and a one-minute tourbillon.
The new Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577 is available in either 18k rose gold as the reference 5577BR/G2/5WV or in 950 platinum as the reference 5577PT/Y2/5WV. While the rose gold version is fitted with a slate gray dial and offered with the option of brown leather or rubber straps, the platinum version of the model receives a blue dial, and it is paired with leather or rubber straps in a matching shade of dark blue. Additionally, both strap options for the Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577 are completed by deployant clasps in either rose gold or platinum to match their respective cases.
As for the case itself, the new Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577 measures 42.5mm in diameter by 9.35mm thick, and it features a thin fixed bezel, a small set of crown guards, and the collection’s characteristic three-prong lugs extending from either end of the case. Sapphire crystals are fitted to both the dial side of the watch and its screw-on caseback, while the signed screw-down crown at 3 o’clock helps support its 100 meters of water resistance. Like all Breguet Marine watches, the collection’s signature case design offers an inherently sporty overall appearance, and this remains true, even when the watch is fitted with a tourbillon and an elegant off-center dial with Roman numeral hour markers.
As for the dial of the new Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577, the tourbillon itself is placed asymmetrically at the 5 o’clock location, although the entire dial and handset are slightly offset in the opposite direction to allow more space for the tourbillon. Since the case profile is round, the offset dial effect is subtle, although it results in a significantly more visually engaging design than if the brand had created a standard symmetrical dial. While symmetry is often a virtue in watchmaking, the offset dial is a very welcome feature in my personal opinion, as this is a solid gold (or platinum) timepiece from one of Switzerland’s premier manufacturers, and it features the brand’s signature high-horology complication.
The dials of the Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577 watches are crafted from gold, and both versions feature a sunburst pattern adorning their surfaces. However, rather than radiating outwards from the center like most watches, the focal point for the sunburst motif is the tourbillon located on the lower right-hand side of the display. The rest of the dial offers much of the same aesthetic that unites the majority of the Marine collection, with Roman numeral hour markers and the brand’s signature Breguet-style hands sitting just slightly off-center to correspond with the rest of the asymmetrically placed dial.
Since the Marine is the Breguet’s sports watch collection, the gold hands and applied hour markers receive luminous accents to provide them with better low-light visibility, and while the Marine Tourbillon 5577 undeniably benefits from these elements being luminous (at least from a function standpoint), I personally feel that non-luminous equivalents would have slightly better complimented the otherwise extremely refined and elegant appearance of the dial. That said, luminous hands and hour markers are some of the defining elements of the Marine collection, so I fully understand why they also appear on these new tourbillon-equipped models.
Powering the Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577 is the brand’s in-house Caliber 581 automatic movement. Running at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with a fairly generous power reserve of approximately 80 hours, the Breguet Cal. 581 measures only 3mm thick, which is achieved by using a peripheral rotor setup. For superior chronometry and resistance to magnetism, the balance spring and tourbillon carriage are crafted from silicon. Additionally, as you would expect from Breguet, the movement is expertly decorated with Geneva stripes, engravings on the peripherally-mounted rotor, and a compass rose engraved upon the cover for the mainspring barrel as a nod to the Marine chronometer inspiration for the collection.
Breguet sits right near the very top of the Swatch Group hierarchy, and terms such as tourbillon, peripheral rotor, and precious metal case are typically synonymous with rather hefty price tags. As you might expect, the Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577 is a fairly expensive piece, and it is accompanied by an official retail price of $151,500 USD when purchased in rose gold as the ref. 5577BR/G2/5WV or $166,900 USD should buyers opt for the platinum ref. 5577PT/Y2/5WV, and these prices are the same regardless of whether you get the rubber or leather strap. While Breguet produces a number of models that feature the tourbillon, most offer a relatively dressy and refined design, and the new Marine Tourbillon 5577 offers a way for collectors to enjoy the brand’s signature complication in a noticeably more relaxed and sporty overall package. For more information on the Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577, please visit the brand’s website.
