The Majestic Breguet Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035

A 250^th anniversary is already a exceptional achievement for a watch model, however a 250^th anniversary celebrating the undisputed horological star of the 18^th century, Abraham-Louis Breguet, is kind of one other. Pulling out all of the stops to commemorate this illustrious milestone, Breguet has launched a series of anniversary editions, together with the magnificent Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035 we launched in Could. A compact magnificence that distils 250 years of technical and aesthetic innovation, the 7035 is provided with some 21^st-century tweaks that the maestro would certainly have relished. As a person of the Enlightenment dedicated to growing new technological options, A.L. Breguet can be delighted to see the appreciation his improvements nonetheless produce at this time, however would most likely flip in his grave if he thought his model was completely devoted to slavishly recreating the previous. So, with out additional ado, let’s take a better look.

Breguet’s Tradition collection, launched in 2005, is impressed by A.L. Breguet’s historic Souscription and Tact pocket watches, not unlike the Classique Souscription 2025 that opened the festivities. Other than his mechanical wizardry, A.L. Breguet was a savvy businessman and got here up with the idea of subscription watches in 1796. A precursor of crowdfunding, a buyer might make a 25% down fee to finance the development of a comparatively strong and simple single-handed pocket watch at a modest value. Three years later, he launched one other crowd-pleasing Tact watch, that includes an exterior hand and markings on the case that allowed the wearer to seek the advice of the time by contact.

As a member of Breguet’s Custom assortment, the 7035 wears its coronary heart on its sleeve, so to talk. As a substitute of exhibiting among the authentic parts on the caseback, Custom fashions embrace a recent openworked strategy, revealing the bridges, wheels, escapement and barrel on the dial. Inspired by the symmetrical movement architecture of A.L. Breguet’s Souscription pocket watches, the mainspring barrel is positioned within the centre of the dial flanked by two fan-shaped bridges, one reaching over the massive steadiness wheel with its Breguet para-chute shock absorbing system at 3 o’clock and one other at 9 o’clock for the centre wheel of the going practice.

Nevertheless, this description of the format, one thing we’ve seen in earlier editions, such because the Tradition 7097 of 2015 and the unimaginable girls’s high jewellery version 7035, wouldn’t do justice to the watch. As a 250^th anniversary version, the Custom 7035 is a really particular watch.

Beginning with the visible affect supplied by the wedding of Breguet gold and Breguet blue, two in-house colors that elevate the aesthetic attraction of the watch. Breguet gold is a proprietary alloy (75% gold enriched with silver, copper, and palladium) developed to commemorate the model’s 250^th anniversary. Impressed by the gold utilized by 18^th-century watchmakers, the nice and cozy hue of Breguet gold is a far cry from brighter, flashier tones of gold, endowing the case with an exquisite vintage attraction.

One other interesting element is the compact case dimension. Not like different present members of the Tradition family with bigger diameters, the Custom 7035 boasts an ideal 38mm diameter, complemented by a peak of 12.6mm. Naturally, the “unmistakable indicators” of a Breguet watch are current with the basic fluted caseband and welded lugs with screw bars. And since basic Breguet watches have lengthy lugs, the 38mm diameter may be very welcome.

At midday, a wonderful blue hand-guilloché sub-dial floats above the symmetrical mechanical show. Hand-guilloché or engine-turned dials are intently related to A.L. Breguet, who launched them in 1786 to reinforce legibility and defend his watches towards counterfeiting. A brand new sample, Quai de l’Horloge, impressed by the River Seine because it meanders across the Île de la Cité (the location of Breguet’s workshops in 1755), is hand-engraved on the gold dial earlier than receiving the Grand Feu enamel remedy within the particular in-house Breguet blue tone.

Traditional Breguet Arabic numerals are used for the hours, that are highlighted in a contrasting silver tone that matches the dainty fleur-de-lys minutes observe and the inscriptions on the sub-dial. The wealthy Breguet blue tone is echoed within the blued screws used all through the dial and the retrograde seconds show to the left of the time show. Naturally, the 18k Breguet gold palms are quintessential open-tipped model palms developed by A.L. Breguet in 1783 together with the extremely legible Arabic numerals.

A specifically developed plating system has allowed the mainplate and bridges to disclose an analogous golden color to the 18k Breguet gold case. The wealthy golden panorama of the dial contains a modern bead-blasted end on the mainplate, a silky matte satin remedy on the higher floor of the bridges and a round brushed end on the barrel. The silver-coloured gears, the blued screws and ruby-red jewels distinction dynamically with the golden background.

No much less fascinating, the golden components on the reverse aspect, with modern satin-brushed bridges and a shot-blasted mainplate, spotlight the massive platinum crescent-shaped rotor. Referencing Breguet’s use of a heavyweight platinum oscillating weight in his revolutionary perpétuelle self-winding system, the rotor is a becoming nod to the grand horologist. Pivoting on a ceramic bearing, the rotor completes a 360° rotation. That is as far, although, as historic tributes go. The calibre 505 SR is a recent computerized motion that beats at 3Hz with a Nivachron steadiness spring and a central barrel for the 50-hour energy reserve.

The sturdy visible identification of this watch leaves little doubt as to its provenance. Honouring A.L. Breguet’s revolutionary mechanical options in a recent openworked setting, the Custom 7035 is like sporting a slice of watchmaking historical past in your wrist.

A restricted version of 250 items, the Custom Seconde Rétrograde 7035 retails for CHF 43,000 (incl. taxes) or EUR 50,400 (incl. taxes). For extra particulars, please go to Breguet.com.