Montres Breguet and the Art of Watchmaking

Breguet is a proud partner of the London Concours and is delighted to present visitors an exclusive range of collections, which demonstrate the expertise and heritage of the Manufacture Breguet located in the Vallée de Joux, in Switzerland.

During the London Concours, visitors will have the chance to explore Breguet’s iconic collections such as the Reine de Naples inspired by an early bracelet watch A.-L. Breguet created for Napoleon’s sister Caroline, Queen of Naples and considered today as the first wristwatch of the history, the Marine a contemporary sporty interpretation of the timepieces used as scientific instruments, particularly in maritime navigation, the Classique exemplify the watchmaking ideals of precision, refinement and elegance and the Tradition with two exceptional novelties highlighting the diversity of the watch complications signed by Breguet.

The Tradition Collection

Featuring aesthetics that combine heritage with modernity, the Tradition collection launched in 2005 is the brand’s first line to present all the movement’s organs on the dial side, thus highlighting its inspiration drawn from souscription and tact watches. Launched in 1797, the souscription watch was equipped with a single hand for reading the hours and minutes. The design of this refined yet minimalist timepiece was avant-garde for its era, as was its concept, since a quarter of the price had to be paid when the order was placed.

The same calibre was used by Abraham-Louis Breguet to design the first tact watches presented a year later at the French Industrial Exhibition. At that time, poor lighting made it difficult to read the time on a dial. It was also not considered very elegant to consult one’s timepiece during social occasions. The founder of the Manufacture Breguet therefore created a model making it possible to read the time by touching, without removing the watch from the pocket. All the wearer needed to do was to check the time by touching the arrow or hours hand turning on the outside of the case and comparing its position with the raised hour-markers on the case band.

Tradition Quantième Retrograde 7597

The current Tradition collection picks up Breguet’s codes in a contrasting and contemporary manner. The new Quantième Retrograde 7597 delves into the origins of the company. From the shape of the bridges to the pare-chute shock-absorber system, as well as the size of the balance and the wheels. This new addition to the collection is arrayed in blue and paves the way for a resolutely modern, forward-looking design. It is a real eye-catcher with its symmetrical calibre architecture.

The legendary Tradition collection includes some of the best examples of Manufacture’s    watchmaking mastery such as Tradition Répétition Minutes Tourbillon 7087, a pioneering timepiece with new patents never previously seen in a wristwatch repetition mechanism, the Tradition 7097 with its signature guilloché dial and contemporary aesthetics, as well as ladies pieces marrying watchmaking expertise with the finesse of jewellery.

Ladies’ Tradition Models

Mechanical and feminine at the same time the Tradition 7035 and Tradition 7038 bear all of the hallmarks of the Tradition collection, including the offset dial, housed here at 12 o’clock. While the Tradition 7038 is easily recognizable by its off-center dial in Tahitian mother-of-pearl, brilliant-cut diamonds adorn the Tradition 7035. The movement is set around the central barrel, which can be recognised thanks to its rosette motif, by harmoniously placed traditional bridges, wheels, pare-chute, and balance wheel. The 18-carat gold chosen for the dial, plate and bridges are all set with different-sized diamonds in order to keep the visible material to a minimum. The result is unrivalled brilliance.

Expression of time’s elusive complexity, Tradition collection exquisitely captures the House of Breguet’s impeccable aesthetics and mechanical excellence.

Discover the Tradition collection: https://www.breguet.com/en/timepieces/tradition