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Breguet Marine 5817 Big Date - Review with pics!

75K views 64 replies 34 participants last post by  ccm123 
#1 · (Edited)
Breguet Marine 5817 review



The Breguet 5817 Marine is a watch that I have desired for quite a while. Its flitted about near the top of my wishlist for a few years now and I recently got the chance to pick one up on the secondary market for an excellent price. The watch, an early model from 2004, is itself is in very good condition with mostly the expected hairline scratches on the case. The clasp on the other hand has some rather more noticeable scratches but that doesn't bother me.

I've now had the watch for about 3 weeks and so I'll try to put across some thoughts though mostly this is about the pictures :)

Vital stats

Case: 39mm, stainless steel
Thickness: 11.82mm
Water Resistance: 100m
Indications: Hours, Minutes, Central seconds, Big date
Power reserve: 65 hours
Rate: 4hz (28,800 bph)

The Marine has a 39mm stainless steel case which may surprise some as it wears larger than that figure might suggest. Key to this are the rather large and aggressive lugs.

The overall design of the watch combines cues from classical Breguet dress watches with more sporting elements. For some people the effect is neither here nor there. However, fans of this watch such as myself find it to be a superb combination that creates a casual sports watch appropriate for daily wear but with a great deal of flexibility. I think smart casual is an ideal word to describe the watch on bracelet or rubber although on a leather strap it could easily be taken for a purpose built dress watch. In usage situations it probably overlaps the most with my 116520 Daytona.

I have always loved the detailing on Breguet cases and the Marine does not disappoint. The case is polished on all surfaces and features a double stepped bezel. The sides are fluted in the traditional Breguet fashion. It should be noted that the fluting is created by cold rolling onto the case before finishing by hand.

The crown screw in crown is signed with the B from the logo and protected by two interesting curved crown guards. The watch is rated to 100m of water resistance.

The crystal is uncoated but slightly domed which helps reduce reflections somewhat. It tops off the watch at a reasonable 11.82mm thickness.







The previous owner had it on a dark brown leather strap which did not suit the watch at all IMO. I switched it to the original black rubber strap (which was included). I think I will try to get the navy blue rubber strap which was originally made for the blue dial version as the dark blue should be a nice complement to the blued steel hands and markers

The strap is secured with a deployant clasp which itself is adjusted with an oversized tang and buckle and two large steel loops. Again I suspect this will evoke mixed feelings but I quite like it.

As with other Breguet watches the strap is held by a screwed bar instead of a spring bar. It's secure yes, but a pain to change straps it looks like. It took the dealer a good few minutes to switch the strap from the leather to rubber (although that included changing over the buckle hardware as well). If that were not the case I might consider the bracelet as option.

The lugs are welded onto the case and are quite large. However since they are shaped to fit the wrist, it is not a problem for me. On the wrist, it wears extremely comfortably and is a good fit for my 6.7inch wrists.





And now on to the star feature of the watch… the dial. Breguet's dials are made of solid gold and engine turned by hand on a rose lathe before being silvered.

Unlike most Breguet watches which utilise a few different guilloche pattern, the 5817 features only one. However this one pattern is a beautiful and mesmerising wavy spiral that plays with the light in many interesting ways. I am not kidding when I saw that I am regularly distracted by the dial when I am wearing this watch as I catch myself just staring and moving it around in the light :D

The chapter ring is stepped and detailed with circular brushing. The hour markers are applied Roman numerals and heat blued. The minute markers are on an outer track and include subtle luminous markers on the hours.

The hands are of course open tipped Breguet hands, a signature so closely associated with the brand that it's on the logo not to mention that even other watchmakers refer to them as such. In the case of the Marine, the open tips are actually filled with lume and are of course heat blued to match the hour numerals.

The big date is integrated into the chapter ring very nicely. The windows are nicely detailed and its placement means it does not disrupt the beauty of the centre of the dial. Thus the date is both highly legible and out of the way when not needed. The switchover is instantaneous at midnight.











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The watch is powered by the Breguet 517GG movement which is Breguet's version of the Frederic Piguet 1150. The 1150 is these days more closely associated with sister company Blancpain.

The movement is an ultra thin full rotor automatic movement with 65 hours of power reserve from double barrels. Breguet increased the beat from 3hz to 4hz for their version; the Blancpain versions deliver 100 hours with 3hz. Introduced in 2004, it unfortunately does not have the latest Breguet tech such as the silicon hairspring and escape wheel nor does it feature a free sprung balance (it is regulated by a Triovis fine adjuster). The date can be quick set from the crown but the movement does not hack.

The movement is however one of the more attractive full rotor automatics I've seen. The bridges are very shapely although the rotor obscures half of it at any given time (waving the watch lightly and letting the rotor spin freely gives a nice view though).

This picture of the Blancpain manual winding version of the movement shows the architecture quite nicely. The pic is from an article by Walt Odets on Time Zone and is worth a read. Lovely Blancpain 1106 Gets A New Back - Part 1 - TimeZone



When it comes to the finish my main frame of reference is the Glashütte Original Panograph, which is admittedly a more expensive manual wind chronograph.

A fuller examination of the GO movement can be seen here

Compared with the straight 45 degree cut anglage of the GO the Breguet edges are curved from top to bottom and more highly polished. The edges of the bridges are a delight to behold and gleam with a bright polish. There are a couple of sharp exterior angles but no sharp inward angles.









The screws are black polished and counter sunk (again with nice polishing on the sinks).



The gold rotor is decorated with engine turned guilloche like the dial and is shaped like a nautilus shell in keeping with the marine theme (did Patek miss a trick here?)

The plates of the movement are decorated in geneva stripes while the regulator is brushed and the mainspring barrels have a radial pattern.







I would be curious to compare the movement up close with something like the AP 15400 movement. In any case I believe it to be well finished although nowhere near as spectacular in overall terms as the Panograph (anglage notwithstanding, The Panograph has more flair and uses more techniques including extensive black polishing of steel parts ). Just as importantly as the minutae if finishing, the Breguet does simply look good through the caseback.

I have not conducted substantial accuracy tests but average rate over the course of daily wear on the wrist has consistently been between 1.5 and 6 seconds per day which is pretty good.

In conclusion I can say I am very satisfied with the Marine. It looks great on the wrist and is a no fuss and supremely comfortable daily wear. It is both refined and rugged and it has that Breguet style to boot.

Thanks for reading and viewing!

Next to my father's 7337

 
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#2 · (Edited)
Nice discussion. I have had this watch on my short list more than once. I always ended up getting another piece. I am still very interested in this watch. I love the dial, hands, and large date as well as the view of the movement from the backside. I like the way they designed the crown guards. I am not in position to buy a new piece in the immediate future but I have two in mind and this is one of two at the top of the list at the moment. My other possible move is to trade for my GO panoreserve--- I like it but i don't wear it that often. Not as comfortable as my other pieces. So something I am thinking through. But for now… will have it on my list for my next purchase perhaps late in the year or early next year.
 
#3 ·
Nice discussion. I have had this watch on my short list more than once. I always ended up getting another piece. I am still very interested in this watch. I love the dial, hands, and large date as well as the view of the movement from the backside. I like the way they designed the crown guards. I am not in position to buy a new piece in the immediate future but I have two in mind and this is one of two at the top of the list at the moment. My other possible move is to trade for my GO panoreserve--- I like it but i don't wear it that often. Not as comfortable as my other pieces. So something I am thinking through. But for now… will have it on my list for my next purchase perhaps late in the year or early next year.
Thanks! Yes there are so many nice details about the watch, the design is full of interesting and charming touches like the crown guards. Good luck with your purchase if you decide to go for it.
 
#7 ·
I think you had cover every details of this watch with accuracy, your passion for it is sweating between the lines, I enjoyed reading your review for its precision and overall your excitement and desire on that sublime Breguet Marine .

Enjoy if for many years to come.

PS : your father's watch is quite something too !
 
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#10 ·
Wow, the most professional review I found in the internet on the 5817ST! Thank you. I found a second hand one, from 2010 in a good condition which just had the maintenance by Breguet. I am planning to buy it soon. Are you still happy with yours after several months? Any update on the accuracy and the performance of the movement? Thanks again!
 
#13 ·
That's right. Breguet serial numbers are difficult to parse, but I think it was a couple of years old when I bought it. I bought it from a dealer that is an AD for a number of high end brands (although not for Breguet), and they said they had serviced it before I bought it. I believe them; I also bought my AP from them, and they have a certified watchmaker on premises to do service for their other grands (JLC, Omega, GO, Chopard, etc.).
 
#22 ·
The watch is powered by the Breguet 517GG movement which is Breguet's version of the Frederic Piguet 1150. The 1150 is these days more closely associated with sister company Blancpain.

The movement is an ultra thin full rotor automatic movement with 65 hours of power reserve from double barrels. Breguet increased the beat from 3hz to 4hz for their version; the Blancpain versions deliver 100 hours with 3hz. Introduced in 2004, it unfortunately does not have the latest Breguet tech such as the silicon hairspring and escape wheel nor does it feature a free sprung balance (it is regulated by a Triovis fine adjuster). The date can be quick set from the crown but the movement does not hack.
I believe there have been ongoing updates for this movement by F. Piguet/Breguet but they usually do it quietly.

1) The older ones with one letter serial # like yours, an "R", use triovis.
2) Sometime around 2010 they switched to a balance without the adjustment screw (free sprung? My "AH" is like that).
3) A short while after that they changed again, this time they replace the smooth wheel with weighted ones.
4) And finally, they started to use silicon in this movement last year.
 

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#23 · (Edited)
What a great write-up and outstanding photos. I looked at this watch just recently before pulling the trigger on my Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, and it was a very close second choice. I had owned an 18K Breguet Marine when they first came out (I think in the 1990s) when it was a bit smaller and did not sport the glass back, date or rubber strap. At the time I also had a lovely Breguet skeleton Reference 1320BA. They are beautiful watches, and are instantly recognizable. No one will mistake a Breguet for anything else. Enjoy your new acquisition and please keep us posted as to how it stands up to everyday use.
 
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#27 ·
Since this thread has been revived somewhat,can those of you lucky enough to have this watch tell me how casual you go with this?
You can go sportier if it has the metal bracelet. Darker dials (black/blue) are more casual than white ones but generally, it's a watch with lots of classical elements which probably won't work with shorts, unless you're after the Angus Young style... ;-)
 
#25 ·
I haven't bought the watch yet but I intend to wear it as casual as jeans t, bathing suit and pool..not beach; just don't like getting sand on a watch like this..just afraid the sand will not do the watch any good. Daytona is the beach watch.

i saw it next to the GMT. I preferred the big date. I think the GMT dial and the mix of Arabic and Roman numerals detracts from the watch. I also love the guilloche dial and the subdials of the GMT doesn't allow for as clean a dial.
 
#32 · (Edited)
My pic skills are weak but here the Marine next to a Classique that I own.

i held off because I was afraid that there would be too much overlap. The Classique is a pure dress watch and the Marine is what I'd call sport/casual.

the Marine will probably overlap with my SS white Daytona as far as wearing.

the Marine is thicker and has much larger lugs, hands and brighter applied blue numerals than the Classique.

the Classique appears gold in the pic but it is white gold and the colors are the same.

both have incredible and different guilloche dials.
 

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