Manufacture Breguet announces the creation of a line that will incorporate the latest innovations from its Research and Development department. Named “Expérimentale”, it is initially being  introduced through a Marine wristwatch featuring an innovative and daring design. This timepiece crafted in Breguet gold is equipped with the very first high-frequency (10 Hz) tourbillon with a  magnetic escapement and delivering constant force to the balance. It is certified by the Breguet hallmark.

The first chapter in the brand’s new exploratory R&D line Demonstrator timekeeper Breguet No. 1252 associating a tourbillon regulator with the constant force escapement, sold in 1814 to the  Prince Regent of England.

R&D have been core to numerous Breguet creations for 250 years. This spirit was in – stilled by Abraham-Louis Breguet himself, who was responsible from 1775 onwards for most of the  watchmaking innovations of that era: the tourbillon, the perpé tuelle watch, the natural escapement, the constant-force escapement, the “obser – vation” seconds counter (which gave rise to the  chronograph), the shock absorber, the Breguet balance-spring with its ter – minal curve, the gong-spring (for chiming watches), the first wristwatch, etc.

To give shape to this approach based on continuous progress, the Manufacture decided to develop a collection in parallel with its existing ones and named Expérimentale.

This series of special timepieces pays trib – ute to A.-L. Breguet’s creations that all underwent an experimental phase.

This experimental collection is designed to showcase the brand’s latest technical and aesthetic developments. It offers a glimpse of what Breguet watchmaking will look like in the future. For  collectors, it is also an opportunity to be among the first to ac – quire high-end timepieces in strictly limited series, of which the scientific content will be developed in subsequent collections.

Expérimentale 1, pioneering by nature

While the first timepiece in this new collection marks the final chapter in Manufacture Breguet’s 250th anniversary celebrations, it also represents the first chapter of its future.

An inaugural creation whose purpose is to pave the way for the House going forward.

The Expérimentale 1 is not a spontaneous creation, stemming instead from many years of R&D work carried out behind the scenes and that has given rise to the current watches, notably the  Classique, Tradition, Marine and Type XX collections.

The Expérimentale programme aims to highlight this R&D shedding light on the entire field of horology through its work on materials, electromagnetism, vibratory mechanics and acoustics.  Science in the broadest sense of the term, connecting with design.

Highlighting remembrance

For this first instalment, Breguet has fulfilled two objectives. The first, fundamental goal underpinning all technical endeavours is the quest for precision.

The second is to build a bridge between legacy and the future. This approach is being rolled out as part of the House’s 250th anniversary celebrations. Highlighting the historical significance of the  Expérimentale 1 seemed an obvious choice.

These ties with the past are expressed by making this timepiece part of the Marine collection. The aim is to recall that, after his appointment to the Paris Bureau des Longitudes in 1814, A.-L.  Breguet was awarded the title of Horloger de la Marine Royale (Watchmaker by appointment to the Royal Navy) by Louis XVIII.

This distinction was the most prestigious a watchmaker could possibly receive, as the very notion of maritime horology required scientific expertise.

The Expérimentale 1 represents a continuation of this tradition, showcasing technical breakthroughs that are already shaping the future of Haute Horlogerie.

Inspired design

The Expérimentale 1 is based on several complementary aesthetic foundations interacting to form a unique and harmonious whole.

For this first opus, the designers drew inspiration from the history of the Marine collection, with L’Expérimentale featuring some of its codes: a sporty case, close-set central lugs, a rubber strap  (interchangeable for the first time), as well as utmost attention devoted to readability – notably enhanced by all-luminescent indications.

From a historical perspective, it echoes the aesthetic codes of Reference 3448, particularly in terms of its dial display and movement architecture.

Furthermore, the Expérimentale 1 echoes the Reference 1747 model created in 1997 to mark the 250th anniversary of A.-L. Breguet’s birth.

This establishes a natural connection with the Expérimentale 1, unveiled in 2025 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of the Manufacture that has borne his name since 1775.

Another obvious link is that the 1747 was the first wristwatch to feature a regulator display in Breguet’s recent history – and the  likewise regulator-type Expérimentale 1 is its legitimate successor.

The lineage dates all the way back to the authentic Marine Chronometer No. 104 by A.-L. Breguet. At the time, the great watch maker was exiled from France, where the Revolution was raging. The piece was started in the temporary workshop he had set up in Le Locle.

No. 104 was Breguet’s first known marine chronometer, just as the Expérimentale 1 is Breguet’s first pure R&D model; finally, No. 104 was the first to use Arabic numerals (extremely rare at the  time), which are also picked up on the Expérimentale 1.

The quest for precision
On a technical level, the choice of distinctive characteristics contributing to enhanced accuracy was just as obvious. Precision was and remains the driving force behind Breguet’s innovation. It was  the reason for almost all the innovations introduced by A.L. Breguet, a watchmaker who spent his  entire life perfecting the art of horology.

It should be noted that Breguet filed very few patents during his lifetime, as they were rarely needed at the time. Two of them did however leave an indelible imprint on their era.

The first was filed on 9 March 1798 and related to constant force, while the second registered on 26 June 1801 was intended to protect the tourbillon.

Two centuries later, Manufacture Breguet is following in the great watchmaker’s footsteps by pushing these two fundamental areas of endeavour up a further notch on the tourbillon and the  constant-force escapement.

Together with the magnetic escapement, they form the heart of the Expérimentale 1. Like A.-L. Breguet’s original creations, its components have been designed to bring real added value to the  product.

The Expérimentale 1 heralds a new era for watchmaking, in which the Manufacture will showcase the fruits of its watchmaking and scientific research.

Setting the terms of the horological equation

The quest for accuracy cannot be reduced to one sole problem with a single solution, instead combining at least three variables.

The first is the consistent amplitude of the balance. The latter is located downstream from the barrel, whose torque decreases as the power reserve is depleted.

It is therefore inherently very difficult for the balance to maintain a constant amplitude if the energy it receives is not consistent.

The second is the influence of Earth’s gravity, which particularly affects the entire regulating organ (balance and hairspring), thereby impacting its performance.

The third factor is shock resistance. All contemporary watches are subjected to accelerations that are multiples of the Earth’s gravitational acceleration expressed in “gs”.

More dramatically, they can be subjected to impacts – including those involved in simply placing a watch on a hard surface.

Every impact and every movement affects the regular running of the watch – and hence impairs its precision.

Forward-looking solutions
Setting out the terms of this horological equation serves to explain the three technical choices made by Breguet to resolve them. They are combined in a single solution that is as elegant as it is  ingenious: a 10 Hz tourbillon with constant-force magnetic escapement.

Magnetism serves to impart a stable impulse to the balance throughout the power reserve, as well as to decouple the impulse function from the rotation of the escape-wheel, the tourbillon  cage and the rest of the going train.

The high frequency enables the balance to return more quickly to its normal amplitude after being disturbed by an impact.

The tourbillon cycles through the different vertical positions that the watch can adopt in 60 seconds. It therefore naturally averages out the variations in rate due to gravity.

Breguet’s first-ever 10 Hz tourbillon with constant-force magnetic escapement

Since the early 2010s, the Manufacture has continued to perfect its mastery of the magnetic field. While this has now been extended to the escapement, its founding principle remains the same: to  create a carefully controlled magnetic field and interactions.

This involves two escape-wheels each equipped with a magnetic track, at the centre of which beats a pallet-lever with likewise magnetic pallets. The idea is to take cues from constant-force  escapements.

Below a certain operating torque, the tourbillon stops very quickly, while above this threshold, the balance oscillates at its maximum amplitude.

This new escapement also makes it possible to decouple the impulses transmitted to the balance from the rotation of the escape wheel and hence from the rest of the gear train. Unlike in a Swiss  lever movement, the inertia of the tourbillon cage has almost no influence.

By decoupling these two functions, Breguet has been able to create a tourbillon with a 10 Hz oscillator in such dimensions, also giving free rein to design choices, for example by offsetting its  balance from the cage’s centre of rotation.

Technical description of the tourbillon

Compared to most traditional tourbillons operating at 2.5 Hz, this represents a fourfold increase. This 10 Hz frequency is even significantly higher than most classic Swiss lever escapement  watches without tourbillons, almost all of which run at 3 or 4 Hz.

The 10 Hz tourbillon with magnetic escapement is therefore more stable and more accurate than most contemporary wristwatches.

The Expérimentale 1 wristwatch is certified by the Breguet hallmark in the “Scientific” category, meaning it has a guaranteed accuracy of +/- 1 second over a 24-hour period.

The construction of the escapement mechanism is also unusual. Between its two escape-wheels equipped with a magnetic track, an intermediate stop wheel ensures that the device does not suffer  any unwanted jumps.

Most of the other tourbillon components are non-magnetic, in order to avoid any interaction that could interfere with its smooth running. The balance-spring is made of silicon, the fixed fourth  wheel of LIGA (NiP12) and the other components of titanium or nivagauss.

Avant-garde aesthetics

The Expérimentale 1 is housed in a 43.5 mm-diameter Breguet gold case, a size inspired by the standards of the Marine collection.

In terms of design, the timepiece is inspired by the pocket watch No. 3448, picking up the latter’s key characteristics with a regulator style display and symmetrical movement while taking them to  a new level by merging front and back. The Expérimentale provides full visibility, thanks to a sapphire dial providing a view of the entire movement.

The regulator-type display features hours at 6 o’clock, offset minutes and seconds on the tourbillon at 12 o’clock.

Already tried and tested by A.-L. Breguet back in his day, this layout ensures greater legibility and also contributes to accurate timekeeping.

The Expérimentale 1 also features a patented twin barrel, like the Breguet no. 3448, but this time on two series-coupled levels, each consisting of a double spring separated by a sapphire spacer,  arranged on either side of the minutes axis at 3 and 9 o’clock respectively. This double-sprung mechanism serves to optimise energy management in relation to the space available.

Finally, most of the traditional characteristics of a Breguet watch are present: a double stepped fluted caseband, six close-set lugs – of which two are dedicated to the interchangeability mechanism  and the four others are facetted, alternating between sandblasted blued and satin-brushed finishes as well as a blue ALD-treated Breguet gold inlay – blue open-tipped hands enhanced with Super- LumiNova®, a secret signature on the sapphire dial and Breguet numerals.

Above and beyond these features, the aesthetic vocabulary of the Expérimentale 1 has been completely reinvented.

A 21st century creation

The first thing to note is the construction of the solid gold bridges, whose soft curves have given way to sharp angles.

Their surface is satin-brushed, while the angles are hand-finished and mirror-polished to accentuate the rigorous geometry of their design. Breguet gold, combined with the navy blue coating,  reveals itself in all its complexity with a blend of warmth, brilliance and intensity. The blue hue of the barrel springs is also a first for Breguet.

The sapphire dial rests on four gold pillars. It displays the hours, formed by three linked luminescent circles.

The large peripheral minutes track sur rounds the chapter ring at 6 o’clock, while the tourbillon appears to escape from its confines, sitting freely at 12 o’clock – two thirds inside the minutes  track and one third above it.
It is here, directly above the Breguet gold mainplate, that the Manufacture has chosen to place the Expérimentale 1 cartouche, symbolically crowning the entire composition – and more  particularly its 10 Hz tourbillon with a constant-force magnetic escapement. The latter consists of a large rounded-off polished bridge, with the small seconds dial resting at its centre.

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Breguet is far more than a name. It was a man with an incredible vision, a lineage, of avant-garde watchmaking, with instantly recognisable style – notably evident in the famous “Breguet hands” – that extends far beyond the Manufacture and is frequently copied. In this respect, the technological advances made by Abraham-Louis Breguet are as essential to contemporary watchmaking as his aesthetic codes – as is testified by the Classique 7235.

There is a historical irony that needs to be understood: the style invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet was anything but “classic” at the time, but instead profoundly disruptive and innovative. When he moved to Paris in 1775, clock and pocket-watch faces were dense, cluttered and brimming with baroque ornamental touches that were not necessarily unsightly but lacked both coherence and identity. Renaissance style was still clearly perceptible. English and French styles were distinct, while Swiss watchmaking had not yet found its feet.

Breguet went on to forge a universal watchmaking language, distinguished by finesse, elegance and legibility. It is timeless, as evident by the fact that its brilliance continues to illuminate the world of Haute Horlogerie 250 years later. A.-L.Breguet inspired neo-classical watchmaking and by himself distinguished the art of balancing the asymmetry of the indications on his creations.
Breguet’s approach to the dial reflected his technical inventions: comprehensive, unified, and consistent. He strove to improve horology from both technical and stylistic standpoints, eliminating anything superfluous and emphasising legibility. He proceeded by sectors, playing on distinct levels. Throughout a prestigious career spanning nearly 50 years of work, he maintained rigorous discipline and admirable constancy.

This is the style that is perfectly embodied in watch No. 5 delivered on 14 March 1794. An outstanding timepiece sold at the time to François Jourgnac Saint-Méard, a literary scholar renowned for his fine writing and was a contemporary of Breguet.
The Classique 7235 inspired by the No. 5 watch currently on display at the Breguet Museum on Place Vendôme in Paris.
It is not strictly speaking a reproduction, since the No. 5 was a pocket watch, a fact that entailed adjusting its proportions and creating a dedicated movement for this 250-piece limited edition.

A face, a signature

On the dial side, the timepiece echoes most of the complications of the No. 5 watch, as well as their general layout: two central hands, power reserve between 10 and 11 o’clock, moon phase at 2 o’clock and small seconds at 5 o’clock. At Breguet, complications have always been gracefully displayed on dials that are always different yet guided by the same sense of balance.
The small seconds, positioned between V and VI o’clock, is a nod to many of the house’s historical timepieces, on which the small seconds was rarely placed at VI o’clock. Sobriety and clarity never excluded a touch of whimsy.

New in-house movement

In 2025 Breguet created a new calibre to power the Classique 7235: the 502.3.DRL equipped with a silicon balance-spring. Even before these complications, it is worth noting that this is a self-winding mechanism which is significant, since the 1794 No. 5 watch was also automatic.
Back in the day, this aspect was a technical revolution. A.-L. Breguet is truly the father of the perpétuelle watch, the ancestor of the contemporary self-winding watch. In 1790, the great watchmaker mentioned that he had been “working on it for 25 years”, which suggests that he had already begun to develop it around 1775.
The Breguet Museum currently holds the oldest known “perpétuelle watch”: the Breguet 1/8/82, completed in August 1782 and the only one that can formally attest to Breguet’s precedence in this field. The Classique 7235 now pays him the tribute he so richly deserves.

Calibre 502.3.DRL is remarkable slim, since despite its three additional complications animations (alongside the hours and minutes), it is less than 4 mm thick, at 3.95 mm (for a 32.4 mm diameter).
This thinness is notably made possible by an offset oscillating weight, a layout that opens up space for optimised distribution of the watch’s components, contributing to a case that remains below 10 mm thick, at exactly 9.9 mm.
All of which ensures a perfectly harmonious fit with 39 mm case diameter, the most sought-after size among serious collectors. The curved lugs are the same as those seen on the Souscription watch unveiled at the beginning of 2025.

Peak finishes

To mark its 250th anniversary, Manufacture Breguet is steadily unveiling creations that place particular emphasis on finishing. The Classique 7235 is no exception. It is craft-ed in 18K Breguet gold. The same precious alloy also adorns the dial, which features a hand-guilloché “Quai de l’Horloge” motif, A.-L. Breguet’s historical address in Paris.
The small seconds and power-reserve sec-tor, as well as the dial rim, feature the same pattern, but in a circular rendering, making it easier to tell them apart.
They are separated from the straight guil-loché by satin-brushed inserts that give the dial volume and greater clarity. The moon at 2 o’clock is an exact reproduction of the one featured on the N°5 watch of 1794. It is also made of Breguet gold.

All these indications appear on a non-flat surface, since the Classique 7235 has a bevelled dial like that of watch No. 5. It is thinner at the edges than in the centre and while this difference amounts to just four tenths of a millimetre, it is enough to give the dial a slightly sloping profile at the edge of the chapter ring.
This enables a slimmer, lower bezel, ensur-ing a perfect junction with a spherical sap-phire crystal ensuring just the right fit on the caseband. For the first time at Breguet, the case middle is hand-guilloché with the “Quai de l’Horloge” motif, replacing the fa-mous fluting – meaning horizontally rather than vertically.
The large sapphire crystal on the back of the Classique 7235 reveals a bird’s eye view of the entirely hand-engraved movement.

Reserved by the Manufacture for its exceptional timepieces, this treatment offers a view of a so-called “Turgot” map depicting the Quai de l’Horloge, where the maestro’s workshops were located.

The authors of this most famous map of Paris at the time were Michel-Etienne Turgot (not to be confused with the eponymous minister) who commissioned this watch and Louis Bretez, a member of the Academy of Painting and Sculpture. It covered an extraordinary surface area of 2.49 m × 3.18 m. Nearly three centuries after its creation, its incredible ac-curacy continues to fuel the collective imagination surrounding the City of Light.

The Breguet N°5

Watch No. 5 was delivered on 14 March 1794. This was a pivotal period in the life of A.-L. Breguet.
Since 1789, his trade with neighbouring England had been growing and he travelled there three times in as many years. Returning to Paris after his first trip to London, Breguet witnessed the French Revolution first-hand. It was even the first time he went beyond his strict role as a watchmaker, taking a clear stand in favour of profound reforms of the regime. But times were difficult, especially for Breguet, who was experiencing some difficulties in getting his customers to pay him – and even though business was good for him as such, the political climate was becoming tense.

On 12 August 1793, Abraham-Louis decided to return to Switzerland to protect himself from certain abuses that were bound to occur. Watch No. 5 was thus created directly by himself and was then delivered a few months later by Thomas Boulanger, who had joined the company in 1783. He ensured its daily operation by corresponding closely with Breguet, who remained in Switzerland. The latter did not return to France until the end of May 1795.

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With the Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255 wristwatch Breguet unveils the fourth chapter of its 250th anniversary celebrations. The release date, the 26th of June 2025, is in homage to the 26th of June 1801 when Abraham-Louis Breguet obtained a patent for his invention of the iconic tourbillon. This exclusive watch will have a limited production run of only 50 timepieces.

The tourbillon at the heart of the movement and its history The Breguet manufacture possesses a unique expertise in tourbillons, inherited since A.-L. Breguet obtained its patent on 7 Messidor Year 9 of the French Republican calendar – i.e., 26 June 1801.
The House has never ceased to explore the infinite variations of this complication, but this is the first time it is presenting a “flying tourbillon” version. This interpretation also features a so called “mysterious” design, a construction that Breguet has mastered for many years.

Beyond honoring the master’s complication, this innovation also celebrates the very etymology of the word “tourbillon”.

The choice of the term “Sidéral” is no accident:

it evokes the world of stars, the precision of celestial movements, and the measurement of time by the heavens. It refers to astronomical time based not on the Sun but on the fixed positions of stars. It suggests a more rigorous, universe-oriented notion of time.

The presence of a tourbillon in a piece recalling Breguet’s astronomical developments also fits a historical context.

Indeed, the contemporary meaning of “tourbillon” closely aligns with its etymology: “something rotating rapidly in a circle”. However, in the 17th and 18th centuries, things were different.

At that time, mathematician Blaise Pascal broadened the meaning of tourbillon to denote a “material system animated with rotational motion” (1647, Descartes, Principes Philosophiques). Since then, the notion of tourbillon has been extended to planetary systems, hence its direct link to astronomy.

Breguet is part of the scholarly tradition of his century. However, his invention was significantly ahead of its time, because 224 years later the tourbillon remains the subject of countless developments, without its principle ever truly being surpassed.

Variations on a tourbillon

A.-L. Breguet (1747-1823) imagined the tourbillon towards the end of the 18th century, while being careful not to set out its definitive technical aspects. As a perpetual inventor, driven by an unending desire to advance the science of watchmaking, he was aware that he had forged a principle, not a finite, immutable device.

He himself experimented with numerous forms, altering its design, oscillation frequency, speed of rotation or escapement
(lever, detent or natural).

Tourbillon Breguet N°2567 sold in 1812

Breguet, which signed its watches “Breguet et fils” in the early 1800s, would itself devote more than thirty years to this project. Some forty tourbillons were produced between 1796 and 1829.

Today, by developing its first flying tourbillon, Manufacture Breguet is continuing in the spirit of the great watchmaker A.- L. Breguet by returning to the foundations of the tourbillon to offer a doubly different interpretation: flying and mysterious.

The flying tourbillon is a variant of the traditional tourbillon.
Its purpose (to compensate for the effects of gravity on the balance wheel by rotating the cage that houses it) is therefore unchanged. However, it is a much later development: its first creations date back to the early 20th century.

Unlike the traditional tourbillon, the flying tourbillon’s cage is supported only by its lower bridge, without an upper bar. It is thus held solely from below. Elevated above everything, one is captivated by its mesmerizing display.

Its design and construction are more complex, however, since the tourbillon cage is no longer supported by a pivot at the top, only at its base. This means it must be more solidly constructed, better balanced and more finely adjustable than a normal tourbillon. Back in 1801 A.-L. Breguet strove for robustness and precision, more than 200 years later the manufacture that bears his name is still pursuing these objectives.

A mysterious design

Breguet has accentuated the suspended effect of its first flying tourbillon, by adding the mysterious complication.
The mysterious complication consists of imparting a movement to an organ without it being visibly linked to the rest of the movement. It is often used for watch and clock hands, but any rotating organ can be involved, including the tourbillon, as seen on the Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255.

The mysterious tourbillon is a striking complication which has been mastered by Breguet watchmakers. The lower bridge and the lower support of the tourbillon carriage, are, for this model, made of sapphire glass with an anti-reflective coating, rendering them invisible.

The point of contact between the gears and the carriage is not visible; it is offset from the tourbillon cutout and therefore hidden from view by the dial.

Mysterious and flying

The Classique 7255 thus incorporates both a mysterious and a flying tourbillon. This results from the combination of a regulator with an invisible drive that extends above the movement.

Altogether, it creates a levitation effect and enhances visibility of the mechanism.

A tribute to astronomy

A.-L. Breguet, born in Neuchâtel on 10 January 1747, set up his own business in 1775. He opened his workshop on the Quai de l’Horloge on the Île de la Cité in Paris, his adopted home. In the world-famous French capital, the young Breguet studied at the Collège Mazarin with Abbé Marie, an eminent professor of mathematics. The two men would remain friends for decades, instilling in the future watchmaker a keen interest in astronomical studies.

The solid scientific background of his studies at the Collège Mazarin allowed Breguet to become an engineer ahead of his time. He would later join the Académie des Sciences (which was housed in the Collège Mazarin), as well as the Bureau des Longitudes in Paris, dedicated to perfecting various branches of astronomy.

During his lifetime, he worked with the astronomers Lalande, Biot, Bouvard, Nicollet and Cassini, as well as François
Arago, a young astronomer he met at the Académie, to whom he delivered an eyepiece astronomical counter (a counter that attached to an observation telescope).

Astronomical aesthetics

With the new Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255 Breguet has, for the first time in its history, chosen to create a dial with
aventurine enamel. A tribute to astronomy and the observation of the starry sky, its deep blue is punctuated with sparkling inclusions, shining like the stars that adorn the celestial vault.

The art of aventurine dates back to the early 17th century and has been constantly perfected ever since. For this model, Breguet chose to work it like grand feu enamel.

The glass must therefore be reduced to powder. The final compound must be finely calibrated – aventurine powder, for a perfect result, must have slightly larger grains than traditional enamel powder.

At least five layers of aventurine are necessary to make this dial, each layer must be fired in a kiln at over 800 degrees Celsius.

And each firing is highly sensitive and requires great precision: firing for too long, or at too high a temperature, can result in the dial being permanently compromised.

The dial of the Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255 combines the best of both worlds: the deep, solid blue of the enamelled
glass, and the sparkling randomness of the copper particles that represent the stars.

Given that each aventurine enamel dial is hand-crafted no two will ever be same, as such, all 50 examples of the Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255 are essentially unique pieces.

“Invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1801, the tourbillon remains one of the most complex complications in watchmaking.

Its mastery embodies the technical excellence to which the House of Breguet has remained faithful for more than two centuries.”

Gregory Kissling, CEO

Technical explanation of the tourbillon

The Manufacture Breguet has paid particular attention to the tourbillon in the Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255 in order to perpetuate the relevance of this precious invention with contemporary aesthetic and technical design codes.

It is raised to accentuate the depth of the device and the sensation of floating in the void – a metaphor for celestial bodies floating in the immensity of space.

The tourbillon has been raised so that it protrudes 2.2 mm above the plate, and 0.9 mm above the aventurine enamel dial. The whole device has a total height of 7 mm. In other words, it is the tourbillon alone that gives the calibre its overall height and equally determines the thickness of the case (10.2 mm). In the Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255, the tourbillon is king: the entire movement is built around it, and its proportions guide those of the watch as a whole.

To achieve this majestic effect, it was necessary to invent a new way of designing and creating the dial. It is comprised of different elements such as a gold base with a raised rim and a gold tourbillon bezel.

Such a design means that these elements have a secret technical function: They form raised walls of metal that close off the edges of the dial. These allow the aventurine enamel to be carefully built up throughout the enamelling process.
With the hour-marker, “Breguet” and “Tourbillon” appliques and the hour applied elements all gleaming with the warm glow of Breguet gold, the dial is not only a delight to behold but plays its own part in the “mysterious” complication.

Hidden behind it lies the mechanism that drives the tourbillon cage, giving the impression that the cage is floating, with no visible connection to the rest of the movement.

The Tourbillon Sidéral, decoration

The Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255 is crafted in Breguet gold. This proprietary alloy was unveiled during the first chapter of the 250th anniversary celebrations. Its warm, subtly pink hue is inspired by the gold used by 18th century watchmakers, including Breguet. It is composed of 75% gold, enriched with silver, copper and palladium.
Beyond its brilliance, it is distinguished by its resistance to discolouration and its stability over time.
For the first time, the recently unveiled Quai de l’Horloge guilloché is executed not only in a circular pattern on the case back and tourbillon support, but also in a linear fashion across the entire movement main plate.
This guilloche motif’s design is inspired by the delicate curves of the river Seine as it flows around the Île de la Cité and the Île Saint-Louis.
On the dial side, each piece is adorned with the brand’s secret signatures, complementing the many other traditional Breguet design codes such as the finely fluted case middle, the straight lugs and the Breguet “hollowed apple” hands. On the back, each piece is individually numbered from 1/50 to 50/50.

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True to the timeless spirit of the collection, the Classique 5177 and Classique 7787 combine the brilliance of two noble materials – platinum and “Grand Feu” enamel – with the technical expertise embodied by two tried-and-tested automatic movements: the Manufacture calibres 777 Q and 591 DRL.

Classique, platinum and “Grand Feu” enamel united for eternity

Platinum’s alluring brilliant grey color is sometimes mistaken for white gold or silver. However, many of its qualities distinguish it from other natural minerals and iron alloys, such as its weight, malleability and above all its high resistance to magnetism and corrosion, making it a symbol of eternity. It is also hypoallergenic, and its weight gives it a strong presence on the wrist.

The purity of the essential

Coated with intense black “Grand Feu” enamel – one of the most difficult colors to work with – the smooth, uniform faces of these new Classiques are adorned with a set of Breguet Arabic numerals and a discreet timer in powdered silver to create a slight contrast. The rhodium-plated “moon” tip Breguet hands indicating the hours, minutes, and seconds enhance the contrast. Following the habits and customs of 18th century watchmakers to guarantee the authenticity of a timepiece, these “Grand Feu” enamel dials reveal Breguet’s secret signature at the right of the center for the 7787 and between the center and 6 o’clock for the 5177.

Manufacture calibres: precision and reliability
Heir to the technical expertise initiated by its founder, A.-L. Breguet, in Paris almost 250 years ago, the Maison Breguet continues to equip its watches with innovative, precise and reliable movements developed at its manufacture in the Vallée de Joux in the Swiss Jura. The proof is in the self-winding mechanical duo that powers the Classique 5177 and Classique 7787, visible through the sapphire crystal casebacks.

The 591 DRL calibre: realism

This movement, clocked at 4 Hz and comprising 221 components, delivers 38 hours of power reserve once wound by its rhodium-plated 22-carat gold rotor adorned with hand-made “barley grain” guilloché. The addition of a pinion on the moon-phase disc enables it to offer a realistic display of the cycle, i.e. 29.5303498 days instead of the 29.5 days generally offered by this type of complication, and therefore closer to the 29.53058888 days of the actual lunar revolution. The difference is therefore limited to one day after 348.7 years.

The 777 Q calibre: the essential

Vibrating at the standard frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, this movement – assembled from 237 components – incorporates a flat balance-spring made from silicon, a material resistant to wear, corrosion and magnetism adopted by Montres Breguet in 2006. Its rhodium-plated 18-carat gold oscillating weight is decorated with a hand-engraved “starry mosaic” motif and an exclusive design that echoes the words “Breguet special edition” engraved on the weight. It powers a unique barrel that provides up to 55 hours of power reserve when the watch is fully wound.

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This new interpretation from the House of Breguet celebrates love with subtle red accents delicately scattered across its white mother-of-pearl dial. The flange is set with 66 hand-set rubies, complemented by a bezel featuring a myriad of diamonds and a crown adorned with a cabochon-cut ruby. Discreet red hearts mark the hours on an offset chapter ring. The hours and minutes hands follow their passionate path, perfectly complementing the alligator leather strap. Additionally, the lug and folding clasp are adorned with hand-set diamonds.

The movement

At the heart of its 33mm egg-shaped case, 180 parts form the 586/1 self-winding movement with its 38-hour power reserve and 3 Hz frequency. This calibre is equipped with a balance spring made of silicon, a material endowed with numerous properties. As well as being resistant to corrosion and wear, silicon is unaffected by magnetic field influences and improves the timepiece’s precision. Whether visible or invisible, the components are all meticulously hand-finished in the Breguet tradition. The sapphire-crystal back of the white gold case reveals its platinum oscillating weight, showcasing the Côtes de Genève decoration and bevelling on the mechanism.

A Queen’s watch

During her reign in Naples, Napoleon Bonaparte’s younger sister, Caroline Murat was a passionate supporter of the arts, acquiring over 30 Breguet watches and clocks. In an era when women wore watches as necklaces, Caroline Murat placed a bold and avant-garde order with Abraham-Louis Breguet: she desired a timepiece that she could wear on her wrist. Thus, in 1810 Abraham-Louis Breguet began to work on this one-of-a-kind timepiece: the world’s first wristwatch.

Conceived by a woman, created by a man this historic timepiece delivered in 1812, with undergoing repairs in 1849 and 1855, is documented in the Breguet archives, retracing the history and characteristics of this watch, which has since disappeared. This oblong creation with a silver guilloché dial was extremely dainty and included several complications including a minute repeater, a moon phase and a thermometer. Lastly a bracelet made of hair intertwined with gold threads allowed the timepiece to be worn on the wrist.

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A symbol of power, courage, nobility, tenacity and success, the dragon is regarded in Chinese culture as a supernatural creature with many talents… In its honour, the Manufacture has dedicated all of its skills into creating two exceptional timepieces.

Classique Double Tourbillon Dragon – 5345 Special Edition

Technical skills meet savoir faire

To counter the effects of gravity on the watch movements’ regularity, Abraham-Louis Breguet launched the tourbillon on 26 June 1801 and this horological invention has been a ceaseless source of fascination ever since. Over time, different variations have appeared in the brand’s collections, culminating in the unveiling of the first double tourbillon in 2006: a unique interpretation in which two tourbillons connected to a differential form, an integral part of the time display. The rotating central plate on which the two tourbillons are mounted sets into rotation the hours hand which serves as the upper bridge for one of the tourbillons and its extension as a bridge for the second. Coupled by means of differential gears determining the mean rate and driving the rotation of the entire mechanism, the two tourbillons are nevertheless independent of each other, each making one turn per minute via its own gear train and barrel.

This fascinating mechanism is brought to life by 749-component Calibre 588N1, a hand-wound movement with a 60-hour power reserve and a 2.5 Hz frequency. The full scope of Breguet’s expertise can also be admired through the sapphire crystal caseback. The allegorical decoration featuring a blend of guilloché and engraving required great dexterity on the part of the Manufacture’s artisans.
These two centuries-old arts are perpetuated at the Manufacture Horlogère nestling in the heart of the Vallée de Joux. The guilloché workshop is equipped with more than 30 guilloché lathes, some of which date back several hundred years. These are the machines that work the magic, deftly guided by the expert touch of the craftspeople who create different types of motifs by hand.
Drawing on their many years of experience, the engravers working nearby use a variety of techniques to create the varied motifs found on these timepieces. With the exception of binocular microscopes, the tools and techniques are the same as they were centuries ago.

A timepiece with many details

Today, the brand is highlighting a version in which a dragon twirls between the two tourbillons. The entirely hand-engraved gold dragon secured to the two barrel bridges is depicted clutching a pearl made of mother-of-pearl in its talons. Legend has it that this pearl possesses the sacred essence that gives the dragon its power. It is also said to represent sagacity. The creature symbolises the emperor as being one who rules his empire with wisdom.

The rhodium-plated gold rotating plate is hand-guilloché with a fan motif. The gold bridge below the mainplate features an anthracite galvanic treatment and guilloché-work with a Clous de Paris hobnail motif.
Luxury lies in the details: the Roman numerals and minutes track on the sapphire hour-circle are first laser-engraved and then coated with black varnish. The flange is engraved with 12 Roman numeral hour-markers, which are then filled with black varnish and represent the shadow of the numerals on the chapter ring.

Moreover, Breguet offers each client a one-of-a-kind timepiece, as the dragon’s shape and colour can be personalised as desired. The colour of the Roman numerals, the hands and the strap can also be chosen from a range of Breguet designs.

Classique Dragon – 7145

Eight-piece numbered limited edition

Dial adorned with artistic crafts

The full range of skills cultivated by Breguet’s craftspeople is visible in this new creation. Firstly, the crimson red dial featuring different shades between the chapter ring and the centre is produced using a technique rarely exercised today: Grand Feu enamelling. This age-old skill requires great virtuosity to master the vast palette of colours and create subtle and elegant nuances. To obtain this texture, the artisan applies a mixture of silica and oxides to the watch face. The dial is then fired several times in a very high-temperature kiln, where the enamel ignites and melts in contact with the heat. This is a very delicate operation, during which the dial could break at any time.

The dragon standing proudly on the dial is an entirely hand-engraved rose gold applique. The fantasy creature with its majestic posture keeps a constantly watchful eye on its pearl, made of natural white mother-of-pearl. The Roman numerals, minutes track and clouds are in a golden powder-pink hue. The chapter ring is punctuated by 12 discreet round gold hour-markers. Finally, the time is indicated by Breguet’s signature open-tipped hands.

A highly refined mechanism

Calibre 502.3 beats inside a 40 mm-diameter rose gold case which is one of Breguet’s thinnest at just 2.40 mm thick. The 162 components of this self-winding movement endow the timepiece with a 45-hour power reserve. It is equipped with a balance-spring and pallet-lever in silicon. The latter material has many properties: in addition to being resistant to corrosion and wear, it is insensitive to the influence of magnetic fields and enhances the precision of the timepiece. The gold oscillating weight that is hand-guilloché with a circular barleycorn motif can be admired through the sapphire crystal caseback.

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The Tradition collection actually takes its inspiration from one of the most significant pieces of Breguet’s history: the subscription watch. Purposefully simple and stripped-back, its fully visible movement unveils a perfectly symmetrical design. In the new Tradition 7597 model, it also features a retrograde date display, a complication that the watchmaker was one of the first to develop, and which it has bestowed on some of its most famous creations.

Adjusted in a fluted white gold 40 mm case, the 505Q self-winding caliber is equipped with a reverse in-line lever escapement with silicon horns, as well as a Breguet balance spring also in silicon. The gold rotor visible through the transparent caseback is reminiscent of that of the Perpetuelles, or first self-winding watches, further testimony to the ingenuity of the master watchmaker.

A perfectionist, concerned with both technology as well as aesthetics, Abraham-Louis Breguet designed a movement the modernity of which is still astonishing to this day. Crossing the centuries, his design is at the very root of the Tradition range: positioned in the center, the large barrel is topped by a symmetrically arranged gear train. As such, the center wheel at 8 o’clock triggers the oscillating mechanism of the same size at 4 o’clock.

This is equipped with the famous pare-chute invented by the master watchmaker, the ancestor of all today’s anti-shock mechanisms, and signature element of the Tradition collection. Another specific feature is the hour and minute dial that, eccentrically positioned at 12 o’clock and made of gold, is inspired by that of certain Breguet tact watches.

As such, the new Tradition 7597 features an hours chapter with Roman numerals, bordered by a delicate engine-turned Clous de Paris pattern, which serves as a backdrop for blued Breguet hands.

New for 2020

In the interests of balance, a retrograde date section is positioned between the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock and a skillfully curved hand indicates the date moving in the vertical plane, fitting in with the ultra-architectural movement. A patented mechanism provides for a fine adjustment of the date hand. The latter is multi-tiered, allowing it to fly over the movement components. At 10 o’clock, a screw-in corrector allows users to set the date safely.

The subscription watch, a masterpiece of simplicity Abraham-Louis Breguet was one of the most talented watchmakers of all time, the architect of technology innovations adopted throughout the profession, such as the gong spring for repeating watches (1783) or the tourbillon (1801). But while he has created some of the most complicated timepieces there are, he is also known for creating the simplest piece.

After having spent two years in Switzerland at the height of the French Revolution, Abraham-Louis Breguet resumed the management of his Parisian workshop on Quai de l’Horloge, on the Ile de la Cité, in the spring of 1795. His first step was to attract some new clientele. Therefore, he invented a watch that was both of the utmost simplicity and extremely reliable. He offered a subscription service for this.

This would go on to be a spectacular commercial success. Today his creations can be admired at the Breguet Museum in Paris and various other European museums; subscription watch number 947, sold in 1802, is on display in the Louvre Museum. Breguet used the caliber of the subscription watches to create the first tact watches, sometimes adding a little dial to them; this was the inspiration for the Tradition collection launched in 2005, which marked a return to this very typical architecture.

“The chronometer had been manufactured in Breguet’s workshops,to a level of perfection that goes without saying.” Jules Verne, Captain Antifer, 1894.

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