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Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
Lifestyle

Breguet's Marine Hora Mundi plays on perspective

Rose gold Marine Hora Mundi.

Technical and aesthetic feats meet in the user-friendly Hora Mundi, whose new versions enclose the world in a white or rose gold 43.9mm case.

The two models fall under the Marine collection, which celebrates Breguet's heritage in naval chronometers.

In 1815, King Louis XVIII of France appointed Abraham-Louis Breguet as watchmaker to the French Royal Navy. Thereafter, the success of royal expeditions was partially dependent on Breguet's timekeeping instruments.

The modern-day traveller can now rely on the new Marine Hora Mundi with a second-time zone display.

The cities corresponding to the different time zones are shown at 6 o'clock. A metallised anchor appearing above the window serves to determine the location and read its current time.

Breguet uses a play on materials and superimposed plates to build dimension and portray the globe on the sunburst and guilloché dial.

Representation of the sun and moon at 4 o'clock.

On the first gold base, the hand-guilloché waves lap gently against the shores of the continents while the sunburst dial base in abyssal blue further enhances the impression of waves.

An additional sapphire crystal plate is composed of metallised meridians and the continents are treated to horizontal satin brushing, while their coastlines are subtly outlined with a metallic turquoise border.

Finally, an outer flange supports the dial's various elements.

Positioned at 4 o'clock, the sun and moon are hand-hammered for a realistic representation.

Displayed through an aperture at 12 o'clock, the date features an additional retrograde hand ingeniously placed beneath the aperture dial and featuring a rounded U-shaped tip serving to encircle the date of each passing day.

An ancient decoration, the subtle finish referred to as brouillage has been updated with a matte yet shiny effect while discreetly facilitating reading.

Nocturnal legibility is ensured by luminescent material on hands and hour-markers.

Technically, the Hora Mundi took three years of development, which earned Breguet four patents.

Calibre 77F1 offers a power reserve of 55 hours.

The instant-change dual-time display is accomplished via the pusher and crown. Having selected the first city's time and date, the owner of the watch need only set the second city.

The watch mechanism then calculates the time and date by means of a clever system of cams, hammers and an integrated differential.

Simply pressing the pusher is enough to go from one end of the planet to the other, all without disturbing the watch's accuracy.

With a power reserve of 55 hours, the Hora Mundi is driven by calibre 77F1, visible through the sapphire crystal caseback.

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