As a fan of world time and an “on again, off again” owner GMT/dual time zone watches, I have a special fondness for Breguet’s Classique Hora Mundi, which stands alone in this well-explored segment of watchmaking complication as a unique, beautiful, and useful timepiece.
Introduced at Basel in 2011, the Hora Mundi reference 5717 came on the heels of Vacheron Constantin ’s Patrimony Traditonnelle World Time, and joined it as a top tier choice for those who like the world time complication in a wristwatch.
Case
Measuring 43 mm in diameter, the Hora Mundi is massive for a Breguet, especially one from the Classique collection. The model shown in this thread is rose gold, but platinum is also an option. The case showcases two of Breguet’s characteristic design hallmarks: the coin edge sides, and the soldered lugs.
One aspect of the more contemporary Breguet models that I appreciate is the security screw under the lugs that holds the pin screw in place.
The crown at 3 o’clock works in the traditional way. The crown at 7 o’clock is used to set the two reference cities. When pressed it will switch to show the time and date in those two cities.
Dial
While Breguet’s guillochage is one of the brand’s best characteristics, the artistic pleasure of the map of the world on the dial, a nod to tradition in so many world time watches, makes the turn away from Breguet’s traditional stylings worthwhile.
There is still a touch of guilloche on the dial framing the ring for the Roman hours and then the outer minute track.
While the watch in these photos is of the Western Hemisphere, two other options are available to Hora Mundi fans throughout the world: Europe/Africa in one case and Asia/Oceana in the other. One wonders if Breguet might have special editions in the future, with different treatments for the representation of the maps (local regions, enamel, etc)
The classic blued steel Breguet hands indicate hours and minutes while a baton hand sweeps around to show the seconds. The window at 12 o’clock shows the date in the city selected shown in the window at 6 o’clock. The date will switch to the correct day if the wearer toggles to view the time in another zone that is on the other side of midnight. Day and night are indicated by the moon/sun disk at four o’clock, and adjusts along with the date and city when the button at 7 is pressed.
Selecting a different city is also handled by the crown at 7.
Movement
Breguet has employed the automatic winding caliber 77FO in the Hora Mundi, and finishing is what you would expect from Breguet: outstanding.
The balance spring and escapement are silicon, keeping up Breguet’s momentum in using advanced materials to make more accurate and durable movements.
Conclusion
Breguet’s Hora Mundi should be on anyone’s shortlist for a World Time watch. It provides a unique interpretation on the traditional world time complication, giving the owner a cleaner canvas on which to read the time when compared with those that show cities in 24 (or 37 in the case of the Vacheron Constantin World Time) zones. It is easy and intuitive to set and use, and like every Breguet, a beautiful watch.
Bill
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