Baselworld/SIHH

Baselworld 2011: The big PuristSPro report --- Breguet

 

 


Breguet’s real highlight remained unseen by the public: only behind closed doors the first impression of an incredibly complicated watch could be gained. This timepiece is said to be even more complicated than the most complicated watch ever made by Breguet, the famous “Marie Antoinette”. The sensational watch had been commissioned by Nicolas Hayek before his death, but is - more or less - completed only now. However, since no official pictures exist yet, all that is known is the official designation: “Hommage à Nicolas G. Hayek”, Ref. 7887.

Instead, Breguet presented a really attractive novelty as leading piece this year, the “Classique Hora Mundi”, Ref. 5717. Behind this nice name hides the - in my opinion - most beautiful world time watch on the market. Aside its beauty, this world timer also features an absolutely brilliant mechanism, that permits instant and direct access to two different time zones, without having to switch through all other time zones between.

Already the first optical impression suggest size: 44mm diameter is a width superior to the average Breguet watch. However, this size is necessary to accommodate the complex time zone mechanism in the case. Unfortunately, I somehow managed to get most of my pictures of the Hora Mundi unsharp - did this great watch make me too nervous? So I borrowed some of my dear colleague Xavier's great pictures:


The most eyecatching feature of the Hora Mundi is the dial center, showing geographic depictions in solid 18k white gold. Three versions are available: the first, showing the outlines of the American twin continent, the second with Europe and Africa, and the third with Asia, Australia and Oceania. Also noteworthy is the striking execution of the water surface, with engraved waves, coated by transparent lacquer.

The day-night-indication is a work of art in itself: held on the dial by two blued screws, a beautifully engraved cloud gives free the view on either a sun made from yellow gold, or a rhodium-coated moon. The “sky” is made from blue lapis lazuli, with its tiny metallic inclusions appearing like stars in a night sky.


Of course the artistic execution is but a container for the watch’s real highlight, the brilliant timezone mechanism. A dial cutout at 6 shows the names of 24 cities, representing their appropriate time zones. By means of the crown at 8 it is possible to set the desired city/time zone, affecting the hour hand, day-night-indicator and date. If then the crown at 8 is pressed, all indications instantly reset to the previous values (city, hour, day-night, date). With the next pressure, the former timezone is shown again. This mechanism opens a new dimension in the category of worldtime watches, since it gets rid of the unnecessary change via all the time zones not needed.

Another design feature is the so called “lagging” date: since some years, watch designers enjoyed enlarging the date windows, offering the watch owners a choice of dates, among they may pick out the one they like best ... Anyway, this fashion lacks sense, but Breguet adopted a really cool variant, executed by another interesting mechanism. Unlike conventional watches, the date does not change instantly at midnight, but moves slowly during the day, starting at the left border of the date window frame, passing it, only to disappear behind the right border at midnight. To make it easier spotting the correct date, a blue metal ring accompanies the date number during the day, snapping back to the left border at midnight, marking the new day.


The Hora Mundi’s movement is meeting contemporary state of the art level in watchmaking, with an escapement completely made from silicium, and a power reserve of 55 hours.

Another novelty is the “Classique Moon Phases”, ref. 7787. This beauty, executed in classical Breguet style, is offered in 39mm as well as 36mm diameter. Thus it is a perfect choice for ladies and gents. Aside the moonphase indication at 12, there is a large power reserve display at 3. The moonphase window’s orientation needs some time to get used to, personally I do not consider it harmoniously. However, optimists will discover a friendly smile in it, which is good, since the moon itself appears to wear a scowl on his face.




The selfwinding movement of the 7787 is only 3 mm thick, which results in a rather small power reserve: despite two mainspring barrels and a low-friction silicium escapement, it is only 38 hours.

Very classy is the clean version of the “Classique 5177” with a handpainted enamel dial.


One of my all-time favourite watches by Breguet is the “Classique Ref. 7337”, which is unique because of the eccentric dial, with moonphase indication above, and windows for weekday and date to the left and right of the moonphase. I fell in love with this beautiful timepiece when I had my first Breguet catalogue, many years ago. Back then, the watch was very small, which is why I was glad to see it enlarged to 39mm diameter. This year, a case in 18k red gold is available. As has become Breguet standard, the selfwinding movement features silicium components, in this case it is the hairspring.


Within only a few years after its first presentation, the “Tradition” has become a true classic within the Breguet line. This year, the larger version with 40mm diameter is launched in three additional variants: the first has a red gold finish on the movement bridges, and a red gold case, the second and third variant have an anthracite colour movement finish, achieved by a platinum alloy, combined with either a red gold or a white gold case. Common to all three versions is the black dial with silver hands and numerals.


The bulky “Marine Tourbillon Chronograph ref. 5837” with 42mm diameter is presented in a platinum case. The dial, made from massive gold, is additionally coated with platinum.


Not all watches became more precious and elaborate: the ladies’ chronograph, ref. 8827, hitherto available only with diamonds, is now offered with red or white gold case, devoid of any gemstones. The main eyecatcher is a hand-cut white mother-of-pearl dial.


Another ladies’ model is the well-known “Reine de Naples”, now in red gold. 117 diamonds are located on the bezel, the dial consists of a combination of gold, mother-of-pearl and a single large diamond. The watch is powered by a tiny automatic movement with 40 hours power reserve.


The spectacular “Crazy Flower” was last year’s big novelty in Breguet’s “haute joaillerie” department. Its moving diamonds, that open and close like a flower, depending on the wrist movement, made it a highly unique and exclusive piece of jewellery. This year, the Crazy Flower gets a “little sister”, which features a much smaller amount of diamonds, and thus will be a lot cheaper, without losing the original’s fascination.


Closing the presentation of this year’s novelties are the sports chronographs: First, there is the well-known Type XXI, but now housed in a very elaborate case made from titanium, with polished and satinized surfaces. Applied numerals from rhodium-coated steel are replacing the luminous numerals of the older version with steel case. The skin-friendly titanium case makes the watch very light, which might compromise the expression of value, in the eyes of some. Altogether, though, this is a really nice watch.


Unfortunately, this is not what I can state about the next timepiece: Actually, the Type XXII had been presented last year already. This chronograph opened a new chapter in the history of watch technology by being the first mechanical timepiece to be equipped with a 10 Hertz movement. The balance makes 20 alternations per second, making it possible to measure timespans down to 1/20s of a second. Much more important, however, is the fact that a higher oscillation frequency of the balance results in a more stable performance and accuracy of the watch than can be achieved by systems with the common 28,800 or 36,000 A/h - in theory. Apparent characteristic of the Breguet 10 Hz movement is the extremely smooth movement of the chronograph’s second hand.

Yet Breguet failed to pack this groundbreaking movement into an adequate watch, however. Last year’s Type XXII remained a chronograph with weaknesses in a manifold of details. Consequently, the timepiece did not find its way to the dealers, and Breguet presents the final series production version this year.


Much to my regret, barely anything has been changed, compared with last year’s piece: the main object of criticism had been the fact, that the stop second hand did not circle the dial in one minute, but in thirty seconds. This alone would not be a real problem, if the wearer knew in which half-minute the second hand actually is, the first or the second one. Last year, Breguet had installed a tiny dial cutout at 12, that should indicate - practically illegible with the naked eye - this information.

The final version of this year got rid of this window, and instead marks the minute subdivisions on the dial with a red and a white half each. Depending on where the central stop minute hand is, the chronograph second hand is measuring the first or the second half-minute.


This is where the improvements end. What remains is the unpractical implementation of a second timezone: Whoever believes that the conspicuous subdial with the 12 hour markings at 6 to be an hour counter of the chronograph function, is wrong. It is the indication of a second time zone. By means of the crown (in the second pull-out-position), the main hour hand can be set forward and backward in hourly increments; a very good feature for longer trips, since it permits to quickly adjust the watch to local time. The subdial at 12 remains unchanged at the home time. Nice, but what is the 24 hours subdial at 3 meant for? This one is coupled with the subdial at 6 and shows whether the latter indicates day- or nighttime.


So why did the Breguet developer waste precious dial space for a 12 hours home time subdial, when the 24 hours subdial alone is fully sufficient to indicate the home time - just like thousands of other so-called GMT watches successfully practice it? The subdial tautology results in a  highly expensive chronograph that can only measure timespans up to 60 minutes.

 

Site Info.

Privacy Policy Cookie Policy