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Breguet Marine Haute Joaillerie Poseidonia: fascinations of the sea

Posidonia oceanica is an aquatic plant essential to the seas. Breguet depicts the plant’s arabesques on the Marine Haute Joaillerie Poseidonia through the art of mother-of-pearl marquetry and invisible setting. The dial, set with 85 baguette-cut diamonds, appears to ripple across the Tahitian mother-of-pearl; the latter, depending on the light, appears either deeply coloured or more silvery. The skillful setting continues on the bezel, caseband, lugs of the strap, and the clasp of the buckle. The mechanical heart of the Marine Haute Joaillerie Poseidonia is the extra-thin self-winding manufacture movement – the caliber 591C.

Mother-of-Pearl and diamonds

For the Marine Haute Joaillerie Poseidonia, Breguet uses the art of invisible setting. The white gold of the dial recedes from view and becomes imperceptible behind the glint of the diamonds. The artisan selects each mother-of-pearl attentively to harmonise its iridescent pattern, unique to each gem, with the inset curves of the Poseidonia.

The gold Breguet hands indicate the hours and minutes. The tip of the second hand reveals the letter of the maritime code of signals. This is a distinctive feature of the Marine collection. The traditional baguette-set bezel facilitates reading: the distinct triangular diamonds mark each of the 12 hours. The sides of the white-gold case and the crown are fluted, alternating between polished white gold and baguette-cut diamonds. A briolette-cut diamond tops the crown, claw set with six baguette-cut diamonds. The crown protection is set entirely invisibly with 14 baguette-cut diamonds.

The setting continues to the clasp of the strap buckle; the for Breguet stands out against the slightly coloured metallic finish in the centre of the buckle.

Emeralds, rubies, and sapphires

To join the diamond and Tahitian mother-of-pearl, three other versions are offered with white mother-of-pearl marquetry: sapphire-set blue, ruby-set red and emerald-set green. Breguet composed the curves of the Poseidonia in different colours. It takes months of work to obtain the result that reveals a singular radiance of remarkable colours.

Mechanical heart

When it comes to the movement, the transparent sapphire on the caseback reveals the extra-thin, self-winding 591C caliber. Its bridges are engine-turned by hand with the Marine motif – inspired by the deck of a ship. On the bevel of the white-gold rotor, the sparkling diamond border contrasts with the intensity of the Tahitian mother-of-pearl. The words Horloger de la Marine are engraved on the rim of the caseback in white gold. This refers to the title of Chronometer-maker to the French Royal Navy bestowed upon Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1815.

Technical specifications

Case: Round case in 18-karat white gold. Sapphire-crystal caseback. Bezel, caseband, lugs and crown set with 1 briolette-cut and 123 baguette-cut diamonds, totaling approx. 6.64 carats. Diameter 35.80 mm. Thickness 10.46 mm.

Dial: Tahitian mother-of-pearl, set with 85 baguette-cut diamonds, approx. 2.56 carats. Individually numbered and signed Breguet. Open-tipped Breguet hands in gold. Central second hand, adorned with a in a reinterpretation of maritime signals.

Movement: Mechanical self-winding movement numbered and signed Breguet, cal. 591C. 111⁄2 lignes. 25 jewels. 38-hour power reserve. 18- karat gold rotor, adorned with Tahitian mother- of-pearl and set with 31diamonds, approx. 0.09 carats. Frequency 4 hertz. Silicon in-line Swiss lever escapement. Flat balance spring in silicon. Breguet balance wheel. 169 components.

Strap: Iridescent leather, fitted with a triple- folding buckle in white gold, set with 30 baguette- cut diamonds, approx. 0.7 carats.

Sapphire version: Combination of blue sapphires, amethysts, coloured sapphires, tsavorites, and diamonds.

Ruby version: Combination of rubies, coloured sapphires, and diamonds. Reference

Emerald version: Composition of emeralds, tsavorites, coloured sapphires, and diamonds.

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