ReviewBreguet Marine 5847 – Hands on review

From a brand that is known for releasing classic, conservative and decorative timepieces, this watch might be a surprise! A true diver’s? The specs would justify that. A luxurious timepiece? The 18k gold case speaks that loud! Breguet calls this a ‘Royale’ Divers watch but you’ll be surprised it has a lot more to offer. We’re going to review the Breguet Marine 5847 for you, to tell you why this model also strays from the typical offing’s Breguet has always been known for, yet delivers everything you would expect from them.

Inspiration:

Breguet’s Marine collection draws inspiration from the original designs created by Breguet himself for the French Royal Navy – after his appointment as their official Horologist in 1815. Carrying the successful legacy forward, the Marine collection over the years has raised the bar of professional diver’s watches.

A Mechanical Marvel:

The case measuring 45mm in diameter and 17.45mm in thickness is huge, masculine and crafted literally like a tank! Because the case is made of solid gold it adds to the weight, in fact, it is probably one of the heaviest timepieces I’ve had on my wrist, but having said that, the solid gold case is one of the main reasons behind the superior water resistance of this watch (Up to 3 bar or 300m). The two pushers on the right-hand side are there to assist you in your dives, and the lever next to the crowns locks the bezel into place and prevents it from moving. One of the noteworthy additions of this watch is the mechanical alarm, which Breguet has justified as a healthy addition to a conventional divers watch.

The mechanical alarm is a complication overlooked most of the time, evidently so as most watch brands haven’t embraced it in their movements for so many years. Though overlooked, it’s one of the more useful complications for a weary traveler, an overworked executive who might need a little reminder about his meeting or in this case, a diver who times his plunges. The Royale 5847 comes with an alarm device that can be switched on or off with the wave like pusher (also made in gold) located between 8 and 9 o’clock. According to Breguet’s extensive underwater tests, they came to a conclusion that sound, in fact, travels better through water than air (four times faster under than above water) so adding an alarm function would be useful if nothing else for the diver who times his plunges, i.e., the alarm will remind the diver when it’s time to resurface.

Legibility is one that should be a top priority in any watch and the Royale does justice to it even in the murkiest of waters or bad light. The minute markers and hands are coated with white luminous Super-Luminova while the alarm markers are in blue.

A Classic Breguet Dial:

Distinctly Breguet in every possible manner: Breguet style hands, hand applied Roman numerals to mark the hours, and the beautiful black rhodium guilloche dial the brand is ever so famous for. The applied Roman numerals are also in rose gold.

There’s a tiny alarm on/off indicator at 12 with a musical note in blue, that you can see when the alarm is switched on, a power reserve indicator (in blue and white) at 10 and a small date aperture at 6 o’clock. The case is complimented by a strong and durable black rubber strap with a double deployment clasp (not surprisingly, also in gold).

Trusted Calibre:

The watch is powered by an automatic Breguet Caliber 519R, a self-wound movement with an 18k gold rotor. You can, of course, admire the calibre with the see-through case back, well protected with sapphire crystal, and I stress on well protected because it’s strong enough to protect the mechanics, even at a depth of 300m.

The movement beats at a frequency of 28,800 vph with 36 jewels which give the wearer a good power reserve of 45 hours when fully wound, enough to power the time, date and alarm complications. But out of all Breguet calibres we’ve seen, this one stands out as one of the most eye-catching. The overall finish of the case back is just beautiful. Surely, they’ve left no stone unturned with the movement of this watch.

Conclusion:

Right from the finishing, detailing, legibility and movement – you get what you expect from Breguet. As a ‘good looking” watch, the Marine Royale Alarm doesn’t disappoint, nor does it as a ‘luxury timepiece’ with all the luxurious details and precious metals, and as far as the movement is concerned, they’ve checked all the boxes. The only downside we could think of is that it’s probably a bit on the heavy side, but we’ll excuse that because it accommodates many complications in an already solid rose gold case. But as a tool watch meant for its purpose, it does the job well.

Have anything to add to this review? Feel free to do so in the comments section below!

(Image courtesy: Breguet & Watchcollectinglifestyle)