The refined timepieces of the Breguet Classique line are all about accuracy and perfect readability. Stylistically inspired by the brand’s founder, they are distinguished by a wealth of fascinating technical and aesthetic details. The new Classique Quantième Perpétuel, offered in 39mm pink and white gold executions, is a beautiful example of this legacy.
It is a nod to Abraham-Louis Breguet’s so-called “perpétuelle watches,” which were equipped with an à secousses (moving) oscillating weight that reacted to the wearer’s body movements and thus automatically wound the mechanism as they walked. Legend has it that some of them were equipped with calendar functions and they were also among the first be adorned with guilloché dials. The new Classique Quantième Perpétuel combines all these ingredients into a sophisticated perpetual calendar, which also features some modern-day cutting-edge achievements, such as silicon technology.
The dial is adorned with a Clous de Paris hobnail pattern. Located between 1 and 2 o’clock, the moon phase has been designed to provide a strong sense of realism, notably thanks to its hand-hammered surface. It appears in front of a blue-lacquered sky with tiny stars as entourage. The day, date, and year indications are harmoniously placed at the base of the dial. A quarter-circle between 10 and 11 o’clock indicates the months via a retrograde hand, while the pointer date sits at 6 o’clock. The hours and minutes are indicated by the traditional eccentric “moon” tip watch hands in blued steel. The secret Breguet signature, created by the founder in 1795, appears between 11 and 12 o’clock as well as between 12 and 1 o’clock.
At just 4.5 mm thick, the self-winding 502.3.P caliber beating at a frequency of 3 Hertz remains one of Breguet’s thinnest. It is designed to provide a high level of performance despite its thinness. Its barrel is open, contributing to its slenderness while guaranteeing constant energy. Its gold oscillating weight is off-centered to provide maximum space for the movement’s main components, enabling it to be integrated to a minimum thickness. The surface is rhodium-plated. The 502.3.P is equipped with a flat silicon balance-spring and an inverted straight-line escapement with silicon horns. It offers a 45-hour power reserve.
Naturally, Breguet wants to showcase this genuine movement through an exhibition case back, which reveals a hand-engraved gold oscillating weight. It is on a rose engine with a circular barleycorn motif that mirrors the one on the dial. The bridges that are adorned with Côtes de Genève, and the mechanism also sports other finely finished components such as chamfered edges. This traditional craftsmanship is performed by the artisans in Breguet’s manufacture located in the heart of the Vallée de Joux.
Pricing for the Breguet Classique Quantième Perpétuel is marked at $80,200 for both executions.
To learn more, visit Breguet, here.