Credits: Article and images by Raman Kalra @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2023/09/01/is-breguet-ready-for-a-comeback-and-if-so-how/
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Finally, the tourbillon. Arguably, one of the most coveted movement complications. Breguet was extremely capable when it came to mathematics and physics, understanding that the position of a watch led to variations in movement accuracy.
Tourbillon of the Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra Plat Anniversaire Ref. 5365
Pocket watches at the time were typically kept vertical (no surprise, they were kept in pockets!) and Breguet knew this was due to gravity distorting the balance spring. Obviously, offsetting gravity itself is not possible, so Breguet developed a mechanism that rotated the escapement about an axis once a minute. Thinking about how this works in 2023 is impressive let alone in 1801!
Several more inventions Breguet produced include off-center dials, keyless winding, and a constant force escapement. It is no surprise that the clientele of Breguet at the time were some of the most notable people in Europe, including royalty.
Breguet, the brand, was passed down to the decedents of Abraham-Louis Breguet and kept within the family until 1870. It was then sold to Edward Brown, a partner in Breguet at the time, and remained under the British family for just over a century.
Breguet Type XX from 1954
During that time, the most notable release was the Type 20 (Type 20 denotes the models for the military and Type XX were those made available to the public) in 1954 when the French Ministry of Defense was looking for a chronograph for its Air Force. The Type XX range remains part of the current Breguet collection in 2023.
Eventually, Breguet was sold to the Paris-based Chaumet brothers who came from a family of jewelers. In this period, Breguet moved to Le Brassus, a village in the Vallée de Joux, Switzerland. Daniel Roth, a notable watchmaker, was brought in and the watches produced became more reminiscent of the original Breguet pieces. Guilloche dials were brought back, Breguet hands were widely used, and the tourbillon was put into a Breguet wristwatch.
This period ended abruptly in 1987 when the Chaumet brothers were forced to sell. Between 1987 and 1999, the brand suffered. Quality dropped and the brand could not keep up with the other top watchmakers such as Patek Philippe. In 1999, Breguet was acquired by Nicolas G. Hayek, the founder of the Swatch group. As of 2023, the brand remains a staple under the Swatch Group umbrella. And it has regained some of its prior glory.
Why Are Modern Breguet Special?
The history behind Breguet is vast and that is one of the factors that makes Breguet so compelling today. However, as I mentioned at the start, there is still a lack of appreciation for the current pieces, so let us consider a few areas of modern Breguet that highlight just what is on offer.
Dial
As with any brand, Breguet has multiple dial designs on offer that range of styles, yet the attention to detail remains consistent throughout. One thing you will notice about Breguet is they focus on strong, yet simple, designs. Legibility was at the heart of what drove Abraham-Louis to use guilloche finishing on the dials, as well as the ability to create artistic patterns, and that tradition continues today.
It is so vital to Breguet, that they have previously referred to their expertise in this area as their second artistic craft after watchmaking.
A few of the rose engine guilloche team at the Breguet manufacture
The hand finishing is done by a dedicated that works using restored antique rose engine-turning machines. The finishing is applied to sections of the dial, case, case back and movements with designs created in-house that are innovative and provocative beyond what you would naturally imagine of a guilloche pattern. The result is quite simply beautiful.
Breguet Ref. 7137BBY59VU on the wrist
Breguet can add complications to the dial such as a power-reserve or small seconds dial and clearly distinguish between them with just the use of finishing difference.
Again, maintaining the philosophy of legibility and beauty. Even those time-only variants benefit as the center of the dials are found this way, with the outer chapter ring left brushed. What this all achieves is simple-looking watches that on closer inspection have an extraordinary amount of depth. I should say, not all dials are made this way, as there are references that use oven fired enamel (done in-house), but the design characteristic remains consistent.
Iconic blued steel Breguet hand
Beyond the guilloche finishing, Breguet continues to use other elements from its past on the dials today. The Breguet hands are a clear example, featuring the hollow moon tip as well as the classic Roman numerals found on most models apart from the Type series and Reine de Naples. There will be small differences and intricacies across different dial variants, but I’ll use the time-only Classique to help highlight a few of the finer details that you can come to expect from the brand.
The chapter ring is brushed and surrounded by a different guilloche pattern. The minute markers are perfectly positioned black dots with every five-minute marker being applied gold. As with all Breguet models, the dial has the hallmark characteristic of being numbered. This is something Breguet has always done as a nod to the artistry, craftsmanship and time behind each watch produced.
A-L Breguet introduced his secret signature to help foil fake copies of his watches (which was already a problem two hundred years ago)
Similarly, Breguet continues to use its secret signature on the dial. As Breguet became popular in the past, counterfeits began to appear, and Abraham-Louis Breguet wanted to find a way to oppose this. He did so by engraving a barely visible “Breguet” signature into each of the dials that can only be seen when the light hits in a specific way.
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Credits: Article and images by Raman Kalra @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2023/09/01/is-breguet-ready-for-a-comeback-and-if-so-how/
