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All the watch news, reviews, videos you want, brought to you from fellow collectors
Throughout the year, Breguet has unveiled a streak of timepieces celebrating its 250th anniversary. Through the releases, the haute horologie watchmaker has paid tribute to its legendary history and showcased its technical and artistic prowess, reiterating Abraham-Louis Breguet’s contribution to the watch world.
The celebrations began with the Classique Souscription 2025, which became even bigger with the timepiece winning the Grand Prix d’Aiguille d’Or at the GPHG. This was followed by the Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035, Type XX Chronographe Reference 2075, Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255, Marine Hora Mundi 5555, Reine de Naples 9935 and 8925, Classique 7225, and Classique 7235.
Lately, a few more timepieces have joined the party, featuring technical feats such as a 10 Hz tourbillon movement, the first water-resistant minute repeater, and a Grande Sonnerie pocket watch, as well as gorgeous decorations on the timepieces, including a new guilloché inspired by the Parisian island where Breguet’s first workshop was located surrounded by the Seine, Île Saint-Louis and Île de la Cité, and precious gemstones like diamonds and rare pearls.
Expérimentale 1
Breguet showcases its most advanced R&D with its new Marine watch - the Expérimentale 1 beats at an astonishing frequency of 10 Hz, earlier seen in Breguet’s Type XXII Ref. 3880 ST from 2010 and Classique Chronométrie 7727 from 2012. However, the Expérimentale 1 leaps ahead, bearing a tourbillon movement that beats at 10 Hz, with a constant-force magnetic escapement certified in the “Scientific” category of the Breguet hallmark, which offers a daily accuracy rate of ±1 second. A patented twin-barrel system delivers a stable 72-hour autonomy despite the high frequency. All this is powered by the hand-wound calibre 7250 with an 18K gold movement.
The timepiece arrives in a 43.5 mm × 13.30 mm Marine-inspired case with a double-stepped fluted caseband, hollowed lugs, blue ALD-gold inlays, and 100 m water resistance - exceptional for a 10 Hz tourbillon. It is capped with box sapphire on the front and flat sapphire on the back, which is engraved for the 250th anniversary, both glare-proofed and hydrophobic. A sapphire dial mounted on four gold pillars exposes the movement and adopts a Regulateur layout - minutes around the perimeter, hours at 6, and small seconds on the tourbillon at 12. All displays are luminescent, including Super-LumiNova® rings, hands, and the glowing blue “Expérimentale 1” plaque. The watch comes on a blue rubber strap with a quick-release and an 18K gold pin buckle.
Classique Minute Repeater 7365
The only minute repeater watch unveiled for the 250th anniversary celebrations, the Classique Minute Repeater 7365 is a limited edition of just 25 pieces. It is also the brand’s first water-resistant minute repeater, safe up to 30 metres. The watch measures 39 × 10.8 mm, with its case, bridges, plates, and patented gilded gongs all made of Breguet gold.
The watch introduces the new manual-wound calibre 1896 - replacing the long-running calibre 567.2 - with revised kinetics such as a new train, upgraded escapement, and reworked barrel yielding a 75-hour power reserve, the longest of any Breguet minute repeater watch. The full silicon regulation, including the hairspring, lever, and escape wheel, and a non-magnetic balance pivot, gives −/+2 seconds/day accuracy and up to 600 gauss magnetic resistance. The movement beats at a 3 Hz frequency
The repeater system incorporates white-gold gongs coated in Breguet gold that are fixed directly to the gold case, forming a rigid acoustic structure tested in an anechoic chamber under patent EP4012511 for harmonic balance, sound pressure, and strike duration. Water resistance is achieved by sealing the repeater slide, which is a traditional weak point for such complications.
The case carries a new anniversary guilloché motif, Quai de l’Horloge, extending between the lugs and onto the clasp. The dial is Bleu de France grand feu enamel, a first for Breguet, fired repeatedly on a white-gold base and fitted with solid-gold applied numerals and hollowed pomme hands. A.-L. Breguet’s signature appears at 12, while the secret signature is hand-cut into the enamel at 6 using a diamond-tipped pantograph. Visible from the caseback, the movement’s upper bridges depict the Quai de l’Horloge in Paris, while the lower is adorned with Vallée de Joux.
Finished with a French-blue alligator strap and Breguet-gold folding clasp, each watch and its presentation box are individually numbered.
Classique Grande Sonnerie Métiers d’Art 1905
The next exceptional timepiece for Breguet’s grand celebration is the Classique Grande Sonnerie Métiers d’Art 1905, a made-to-order pocket watch crafted in 18K Breguet gold. The case measures 56.5 mm in diameter and 24.1 mm in thickness, and is entirely hand-decorated with Quai de l’Horloge guilloché, a hinged back with Bleu de France enamel relief, and a 414 mm Breguet-gold hand-guilloché chain.
The pocket watch features a regulator-style display with grand feu enamel hours at 12 o’clock with visible and secret signatures, tourbillon seconds at 4 o’clock, central minutes, and striking hammers on the left lower quarter, set over horizontal Quai de l’Horloge guilloché with polished gold appliqués.
The back is also decorated with guilloché and enamel, and opening it reveals the hand decorations such as drawn lines, bevelling, stretching, and encapsulating. The striking barrel bridge features Petit Trianon guilloché, made for the 250th anniversary.
Inside is the new manual calibre 508GS, which beats at 2.5 Hz (18,000 vph) and can be switched between the grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie, silence mode, and minute repeater. Power reserves are 56 hours for timekeeping and 36 hours for the grande sonnerie.
Each piece is delivered in a presentation chest made from the last preserved wood of Marie-Antoinette’s 1681 oak, with Versailles-inspired marquetry and a Risoud tonewood resonance tray.
Reine de Naples: the Crazy Flower and the Perles Impériales
Closing the list are two of the most elaborately crafted additions ever made to the Breguet Reine de Naples collection - the Crazy Flower and the Perles Impériales. Both watches are crafted in 18K Breguet gold and powered by the ultra-slim self-winding calibre 586/1, which runs at 3 Hz, provides a 38-hour power reserve, and features a hand-guilloché platinum rotor decorated with the Petit Trianon motif.
The Crazy Flower, measuring 32.10 × 24.5 mm in the familiar oval case, is set with 116 baguette diamonds totalling 34.6 carats. Beneath the anti-reflective crystal, the flange carries 66 brilliant diamonds, while the multi-curved 18K gold dial is set with 206 inverted diamonds and framed by 20 baguette stones. Gold Breguet hands sweep across the curved surface below an 18K cartouche, and the caseback - engraved “BREGUET 250 YEARS” - displays the Quai de l’Horloge guilloché. In total, 436 diamonds amounting to 37.2 carats adorn the watch, which is paired with a champagne alligator strap and a triple-folding clasp set with 28 diamonds. Each Crazy Flower is delivered in a numbered red leather case and limited to 250 pieces.
The Perles Impériales introduces the rare Akoya pearl into the line. It is heavily jewelled, featuring diamonds across nearly every surface. The 32.8 × 26.4 mm case carries 24 brilliant-cut diamonds, while the bezel adds 23 larger brilliant stones totalling 4.1 carats. A further 15 brilliant diamonds are set under gold claws beside an Akoya pearl on the case flank. The flange holds 66 additional brilliant diamonds, and the crown is fitted with a 0.3-carat briolette diamond. On the opal dial, 211 brilliant- and pear-cut diamonds surround the off-centre hour circle, and the folding clasp on the secondary strap adds another 26 diamonds.
The watch comes on an 18K gold bracelet with a full central row of Akoya pearls, along with a champagne alligator strap fitted with a folding clasp set with 26 diamonds. Like the Crazy Flower, its sapphire back is engraved “BREGUET 250 YEARS” and reveals the guilloché work within, and it is delivered in a numbered red Moroccan-style case, limited to 250 pieces.
These two anniversary pieces are powered by the slim calibre 586/1, with a 3 Hz frequency and 38-hour autonomy.
What we think -
What a year it has been for Breguet! They truly pulled out all the stops for their 250th anniversary and delivered one superhit after another. The best part is that they stuck to their prowess of making high horology and retold their story of being a leader of the pack. Nothing less from the brand that was founded by the Godfather of Watchmaking. Chapeaux!
Throughout the year, Breguet has unveiled a streak of timepieces celebrating its 250th anniversary. Through the releases, the haute horologie watchmaker has paid tribute to its legendary history and showcased its technical and artistic prowess, reiterating Abraham-Louis Breguet’s contribution to the watch world.
The celebrations began with the Classique Souscription 2025, which became even bigger with the timepiece winning the Grand Prix d’Aiguille d’Or at the GPHG. This was followed by the Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035, Type XX Chronographe Reference 2075, Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255, Marine Hora Mundi 5555, Reine de Naples 9935 and 8925, Classique 7225, and Classique 7235.
Lately, a few more timepieces have joined the party, featuring technical feats such as a 10 Hz tourbillon movement, the first water-resistant minute repeater, and a Grande Sonnerie pocket watch, as well as gorgeous decorations on the timepieces, including a new guilloché inspired by the Parisian island where Breguet’s first workshop was located surrounded by the Seine, Île Saint-Louis and Île de la Cité, and precious gemstones like diamonds and rare pearls.
Expérimentale 1
Breguet showcases its most advanced R&D with its new Marine watch - the Expérimentale 1 beats at an astonishing frequency of 10 Hz, earlier seen in Breguet’s Type XXII Ref. 3880 ST from 2010 and Classique Chronométrie 7727 from 2012. However, the Expérimentale 1 leaps ahead, bearing a tourbillon movement that beats at 10 Hz, with a constant-force magnetic escapement certified in the “Scientific” category of the Breguet hallmark, which offers a daily accuracy rate of ±1 second. A patented twin-barrel system delivers a stable 72-hour autonomy despite the high frequency. All this is powered by the hand-wound calibre 7250 with an 18K gold movement.
The timepiece arrives in a 43.5 mm × 13.30 mm Marine-inspired case with a double-stepped fluted caseband, hollowed lugs, blue ALD-gold inlays, and 100 m water resistance - exceptional for a 10 Hz tourbillon. It is capped with box sapphire on the front and flat sapphire on the back, which is engraved for the 250th anniversary, both glare-proofed and hydrophobic. A sapphire dial mounted on four gold pillars exposes the movement and adopts a Regulateur layout - minutes around the perimeter, hours at 6, and small seconds on the tourbillon at 12. All displays are luminescent, including Super-LumiNova® rings, hands, and the glowing blue “Expérimentale 1” plaque. The watch comes on a blue rubber strap with a quick-release and an 18K gold pin buckle.
Classique Minute Repeater 7365
The only minute repeater watch unveiled for the 250th anniversary celebrations, the Classique Minute Repeater 7365 is a limited edition of just 25 pieces. It is also the brand’s first water-resistant minute repeater, safe up to 30 metres. The watch measures 39 × 10.8 mm, with its case, bridges, plates, and patented gilded gongs all made of Breguet gold.
The watch introduces the new manual-wound calibre 1896 - replacing the long-running calibre 567.2 - with revised kinetics such as a new train, upgraded escapement, and reworked barrel yielding a 75-hour power reserve, the longest of any Breguet minute repeater watch. The full silicon regulation, including the hairspring, lever, and escape wheel, and a non-magnetic balance pivot, gives −/+2 seconds/day accuracy and up to 600 gauss magnetic resistance. The movement beats at a 3 Hz frequency
The repeater system incorporates white-gold gongs coated in Breguet gold that are fixed directly to the gold case, forming a rigid acoustic structure tested in an anechoic chamber under patent EP4012511 for harmonic balance, sound pressure, and strike duration. Water resistance is achieved by sealing the repeater slide, which is a traditional weak point for such complications.
The case carries a new anniversary guilloché motif, Quai de l’Horloge, extending between the lugs and onto the clasp. The dial is Bleu de France grand feu enamel, a first for Breguet, fired repeatedly on a white-gold base and fitted with solid-gold applied numerals and hollowed pomme hands. A.-L. Breguet’s signature appears at 12, while the secret signature is hand-cut into the enamel at 6 using a diamond-tipped pantograph. Visible from the caseback, the movement’s upper bridges depict the Quai de l’Horloge in Paris, while the lower is adorned with Vallée de Joux.
Finished with a French-blue alligator strap and Breguet-gold folding clasp, each watch and its presentation box are individually numbered.
Classique Grande Sonnerie Métiers d’Art 1905
The next exceptional timepiece for Breguet’s grand celebration is the Classique Grande Sonnerie Métiers d’Art 1905, a made-to-order pocket watch crafted in 18K Breguet gold. The case measures 56.5 mm in diameter and 24.1 mm in thickness, and is entirely hand-decorated with Quai de l’Horloge guilloché, a hinged back with Bleu de France enamel relief, and a 414 mm Breguet-gold hand-guilloché chain.
The pocket watch features a regulator-style display with grand feu enamel hours at 12 o’clock with visible and secret signatures, tourbillon seconds at 4 o’clock, central minutes, and striking hammers on the left lower quarter, set over horizontal Quai de l’Horloge guilloché with polished gold appliqués.
The back is also decorated with guilloché and enamel, and opening it reveals the hand decorations such as drawn lines, bevelling, stretching, and encapsulating. The striking barrel bridge features Petit Trianon guilloché, made for the 250th anniversary.
Inside is the new manual calibre 508GS, which beats at 2.5 Hz (18,000 vph) and can be switched between the grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie, silence mode, and minute repeater. Power reserves are 56 hours for timekeeping and 36 hours for the grande sonnerie.
Each piece is delivered in a presentation chest made from the last preserved wood of Marie-Antoinette’s 1681 oak, with Versailles-inspired marquetry and a Risoud tonewood resonance tray.
Reine de Naples: the Crazy Flower and the Perles Impériales
Closing the list are two of the most elaborately crafted additions ever made to the Breguet Reine de Naples collection - the Crazy Flower and the Perles Impériales. Both watches are crafted in 18K Breguet gold and powered by the ultra-slim self-winding calibre 586/1, which runs at 3 Hz, provides a 38-hour power reserve, and features a hand-guilloché platinum rotor decorated with the Petit Trianon motif.
The Crazy Flower, measuring 32.10 × 24.5 mm in the familiar oval case, is set with 116 baguette diamonds totalling 34.6 carats. Beneath the anti-reflective crystal, the flange carries 66 brilliant diamonds, while the multi-curved 18K gold dial is set with 206 inverted diamonds and framed by 20 baguette stones. Gold Breguet hands sweep across the curved surface below an 18K cartouche, and the caseback - engraved “BREGUET 250 YEARS” - displays the Quai de l’Horloge guilloché. In total, 436 diamonds amounting to 37.2 carats adorn the watch, which is paired with a champagne alligator strap and a triple-folding clasp set with 28 diamonds. Each Crazy Flower is delivered in a numbered red leather case and limited to 250 pieces.
The Perles Impériales introduces the rare Akoya pearl into the line. It is heavily jewelled, featuring diamonds across nearly every surface. The 32.8 × 26.4 mm case carries 24 brilliant-cut diamonds, while the bezel adds 23 larger brilliant stones totalling 4.1 carats. A further 15 brilliant diamonds are set under gold claws beside an Akoya pearl on the case flank. The flange holds 66 additional brilliant diamonds, and the crown is fitted with a 0.3-carat briolette diamond. On the opal dial, 211 brilliant- and pear-cut diamonds surround the off-centre hour circle, and the folding clasp on the secondary strap adds another 26 diamonds.
The watch comes on an 18K gold bracelet with a full central row of Akoya pearls, along with a champagne alligator strap fitted with a folding clasp set with 26 diamonds. Like the Crazy Flower, its sapphire back is engraved “BREGUET 250 YEARS” and reveals the guilloché work within, and it is delivered in a numbered red Moroccan-style case, limited to 250 pieces.
These two anniversary pieces are powered by the slim calibre 586/1, with a 3 Hz frequency and 38-hour autonomy.
What we think -
What a year it has been for Breguet! They truly pulled out all the stops for their 250th anniversary and delivered one superhit after another. The best part is that they stuck to their prowess of making high horology and retold their story of being a leader of the pack. Nothing less from the brand that was founded by the Godfather of Watchmaking. Chapeaux!
