Credits: Article and images by Martin Green @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2022/09/18/breguet-and-the-2022-classique-calendrier-reference-7337-it-brings-back-many-memories/
The year 1998 was a significant one for me, although it didn’t seem like it at the time. Still a teenager, my mother took me on the train to the Christmas market in Cologne, Germany. It was cold with a bit of rain, and we ended up in a large bookstore. Browsing there, I saw the ArmbandUhren Katalog for the very first time, a yearly German publication providing an overview of the collections of leading watch brands along with some very nice niche ones. Each chapter showed pictures of the brand’s watches alongside technical specifications. I began devouring that book on the train back home and I still go through it quite often.
One of the watches that made quite an impact on me back then was Breguet Reference 3330, which the book simply labeled “the Excentric.” How right that name was: this unique day-date with moon phase was unlike anything I had ever seen.
It largely comprised a small dial for the hour and minute display nestled in a sea of guilloche, or so it seemed since Reference 3330 was a modest 32.7 mm in diameter. The dial was also graced with three windows, one each for displaying the day, moon phase, and date.
Breguet Classique Calendrier Reference 7337
It was organized elegance, a tradition that Breguet perpetuates to this day with the Classique Reference 7337, recently expanded with the addition of two new models.
Color me crazy
Quite a lot has changed between Reference 3330 of the late 1990s and the modern Reference 7337 of today. Most noticeable is the change in size. While a little over 32 mm was very acceptable to wear as a dress watch nearly three decades ago, this is far less the case today.
Personally, I love these smaller watches because what they lack in size is very well compensated by their refined characters. The latter is something Reference 7337 has in spades, yet now in a more considerable, nonetheless perfectly elegant, diameter of 39 mm. This is still relatively modest but allows Breguet to work with larger windows for the calendar displays.
Breguet Classique Calendrier Ref. 7337 in white gold and pink gold cases
For the two new models in the collection, one in pink gold and the other one in white gold, Breguet opted for a blue background on the day and date disks. What seems to be a mere detail has quite an impact on the watches’ overall looks as this color contrast makes these functions more pronounced.
The guilloche dial of the Breguet Classique Calendrier Reference 7337
Breguet’s designers also chose a moon phase display that expresses the heavenly body more realistically, forgoing the traditional man-in-the-moon look. All of this gives Reference 7337 a contemporary edge – to the extent that I wonder what the white gold model would look like with a textile strap. I expect that it almost becomes a sporty proposition, or at least as sporty as you can expect from a quintessential dress watch.
Breguet Classique Calendrier Reference 7337 in white gold
Under the hood: Breguet Caliber 502.3 QSE1
Nothing has changed inside the case. These two new models continue to be powered by Caliber 502.3 QSE1, which runs at a 21,600 vph/3 Hz frequency, offers a 45-hour power reserve, and comes with contemporary features added to improve accuracy such as a silicon hairspring.
Back of the Breguet Classique Calendrier Reference 7337
A favorite element of mine is the rotor in 22-karat gold, which is decorated with a guilloche pattern that extends the luxurious feel of this watch to the rear. This movement also plays an essential role in keeping the overall height of Reference 7337 just under 10 mm, making the overall dimensions spot on for today.
Breguet Classique Calendrier Reference 7337 in white gold
While over two decades have passed since I first set eyes on the predecessor of this eclectic Breguet, it hasn’t lost any of its appeal. Breguet has cleverly evolved it with time without changing too much. The latest two models are a perfect example of this, making Reference 7337 once more a refreshing classic.
For more information, please visit www.breguet.com/en/timepieces/new-models-classique/7337.
Quick Facts Breguet Classique Calendrier Reference 7337
Case: 39 x 9.95 mm, pink or white gold
Movement: automatic Caliber 502.3 QSE1 with silicon hairspring, 21,600 vph/3Hz frequency, 45-hour power reserve
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; weekday, date, moon phase, age of the moon
Price: €46,100
You may also enjoy:
Emmanuel Breguet Talks Fakes In The Time Of Abraham-Louis Breguet And Much More
Breguet Marine Hora Mundi 5557: Instant-Change Time Traveler Now Has One Of Its Best Dials
Credits: Article and images by Martin Green @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2022/09/18/breguet-and-the-2022-classique-calendrier-reference-7337-it-brings-back-many-memories/
