In the 1780s, Abraham-Louis Breguet achieved significant success with his perpétuelle watches, which featured a moving oscillating weight that automatically wound the mechanism based on the wearer’s body movements. These watches often incorporated a calendar mechanism, and it was during this time that Breguet experimented with guilloché silvered dials.
In 2023, Breguet pays homage to this historic achievement within its Classique collection by presenting a reinterpretation of the perpetual calendar in two variations of gold.
The new Quantième Perpétuel 7327 by Breguet embodies the essence of the brand: a timepiece that is user-friendly yet intricate in its craftsmanship. This captivating watch function, originating from the 18th century, displays the precise date, taking into account the varying lengths of months and the leap year cycle. To accomplish this, the movement requires a four-year mechanical “memory” equivalent to 1,461 days. The mechanism relies on a gearing system and a central lever, which drives the entire movement daily. This complex model comes to life through the assembly of 294 components.
Breguet aimed to create a lightweight and comfortable timepiece, and for this reason, the Manufacture opted for the Calibre 502 with an additional calendar mechanism. Measuring a mere 4.5 mm in thickness, the 502.3.P movement remains one of Breguet’s thinnest. It is designed to deliver exceptional performance despite its slim profile. The open barrel contributes to its thinness while ensuring consistent and powerful energy. The off-centred gold oscillating weight maximizes space for the movement’s main components, allowing for minimal thickness. This self-winding movement, rhodium-plated and operating at a frequency of 3 Hertz, provides a 45-hour power reserve.
The new creation by Breguet showcases a timeless aesthetic that reflects the brand’s distinctive features in a contemporary manner. The dial features a Clous de Paris hobnail pattern, and the moon phase, positioned between 1 and 2 o’clock, is intricately hand-hammered to create a sense of realism. The blue lacquered sky of the moon phase reveals stars subtly as the timepiece is turned. The day, date, and year indicators are harmoniously integrated at the bottom of the dial. A quarter-circle between 10 and 11 o’clock indicates the months using a retrograde hand. The hours and minutes are displayed by traditional eccentric open-tipped hands in blued steel. The secret Breguet signature, established by the founder in 1795, can be found between 11 and 12 o’clock and between 12 and 1 o’clock.
This new timepiece is available in 18K white or rose gold variations and is paired with a midnight blue strap for the white gold model and a mysterious brown strap for the rose gold version.
