The Innovation
On June 26, 1801, the world of horology was forever altered with Abraham-Louis Breguet’s invention of the tourbillon. This groundbreaking discovery stemmed from Breguet’s realisation that the earthly gravitational pull affected the regularity of watch movements, primarily as timepieces during that era were predominantly worn vertically. The gravity-induced inconsistencies in rate propelled the horological savant to devise a solution by housing the entire escapement within a mobile carriage that completes a full rotation every minute. This ingenious mechanism allowed the errors to be consistently recreated and neutralised, while the perpetual alteration in the balance pivots’ contact point in their jewelled bearings enhanced lubrication, marking the birth of the tourbillon.
Fast forward over two centuries, the tourbillon remains a captivating testament to horological ingenuity, a tradition Breguet honours in its esteemed Marine collection.
The Movement
Encased within a 42.5 mm shell lies the self-automated Calibre 581, a slender movement merely 3mm in thickness, yet comprised of 330 meticulous components. Achieving such thinness was made feasible through the incorporation of a peripheral rotor. The balance operates at a frequency of 4 Hertz, boasting a remarkable 80-hour power reserve. In a bid to encompass modern advancements, the calibre is outfitted with a titanium carriage and a silicon balance-spring, a material revered for its resistance to corrosion, wear, and its imperviousness to magnetic fields. The intricately finished movement is unveiled through a sapphire case-back, with the barrel drum adorned with a compass rose, alongside various emblematic decorations of the Marine lineage, inclusive of a straight ribbed motif.
The Aesthetics
The dial of the newly introduced 5577 model is bathed in a sunburst pattern, rendering a slate-grey hue for the rose gold variant and a navy blue shade for the platinum rendition. The tourbillon, conspicuously situated at 5 o’clock, captivates the observer as its cage performs a full rotation in 60 seconds. To accentuate this mechanism, the chapter ring has been deliberately off-centre, while the luminescent hour-markers and the open-tipped gold Breguet hands enhance visibility.
The Heritage
A remarkable scientist and technician, Abraham-Louis Breguet’s fate became inextricably linked with the French Navy in 1814, upon his induction into the Bureau des Longitudes by royal edict. Tasked with addressing challenges tied to astronomical longitude determination at sea, Breguet’s expertise found royal recognition in 1815 when King Louis XVIII bestowed upon him the esteemed title of Chronometer-maker by appointment to the Royal Navy. Henceforth, the fleets of eminent explorers set sail equipped with Breguet’s timekeeping masterpieces. This novel timepiece, therefore, serves as a dual homage to Breguet’s profound contributions to both maritime navigation and astronomy.
