The Manufacture has added two 3358 references to its Classique Tourbillon collection. These timepieces dazzle both with the beauty of their dials and the watchmaking mechanism they contain.
Starlit night – 3358BB/VD/986D0
The first model in white gold immerses us into dreams of starry nights. A shower of diamonds appears to glide over its pearled and varnished mother-of-pearl dial in midnight blue. To add depth, a flurry of gold stars adorns the dial: sandblasted, polished and some adorned with a diamond. The off-centered chapter ring at 12 o’clock reflects the brand’s DNA with Arabic numerals and rhodium-plated gold Breguet hands, while the serial number appears at 4 o’clock. The dial opens like a curved, polished arena at 6 o’clock to reveal the tourbillon in all its splendor. An imposing shooting star-shaped bar composed of 45 snow-set diamonds crosses the tourbillon. At its center, a blue spinel acts as a pivoting stone for the tourbillon carriage. Its fascinating operation can be observed on both the front and back of the watch. The sapphire case-back reveals a hammered base plate hand-engraved with Breguet’s name and the unique reference number of the movement. For added sparkle, the bezel and lugs are also set with diamonds, while the crown is embellished with a rose-cut diamond.
Stunning sight – 3358BR/8D/986D0
The rose gold case frames a dial adorned with 281 diamonds. The gems between 3 and 9 o’clock form elegant curves, while those inside the chapter ring are set using the snow-setting technique. The chapter ring at 12 o’clock is in natural white mother-of-pearl. The Arabic numerals and hands are aligned with Breguet’s own distinctive aesthetic codes devised
by its founder. Majestically positioned at the base of the dial, the tourbillon is integrated into a curved and polished oval-shaped aperture and enhanced by a rounded gold bar graced with 14 diamonds.
To enhance the tourbillon’s fascinating mechanism, its components play on grey and pink- coloured contrasts. Last but not least, the bezel and lugs are set with diamonds, in addition to the crown, which features a rose-cut diamond.
On this rose gold model, the sapphire case-back also enables the wearer to admire the hammered, hand-engraved decoration.
Movement
Housed in a 35 mm case – water-resistant to a depth of 30 meters – the two new Breguet timepieces are equipped with the 187 D movement, whose balance oscillates at a frequency of 2.5 Hz. This hand-wound movement is endowed with a 50-hour power reserve. Renowned for its robustness and precision, the calibre is equipped with a steel Breguet balance-spring featuring a hand-crafted Breguet terminal curve.
Both models are fitted with a glossy alligator leather strap in midnight blue for the white gold version and crimson red for the rose gold iteration.
Tourbillon
It was officially born on 26 June 1801 from the scientific and horologically inclined mind of Abraham-Louis Breguet. His starting point was the observation that Earth’s gravity was the enemy of watch movements’ regularity, since it causes variations in rate each time a watch changes position. To solve this problem of terrestrial gravity, the founder of the House of Breguet came up with the idea of installing the entire escapement inside a mobile carriage performing one complete rotation per minute. The errors were thus regularly reproduced and canceled each other out. In addition, the perpetual change in the balance pivots’ point of contact in their jeweled bearing ensured better lubrication. This reasoning marked the invention of the tourbillon.
Classique Collection
Featuring a design representing a blend of purity and refinement, the Classique collection faithfully illustrates the strong aesthetic of the brand’s origins. Above and beyond his talent as a watchmaker and inventor, Abraham-Louis Breguet was also one of the first designers. He devised and initiated the neoclassical style in watchmaking – an aesthetic vision that gave dials an avant-garde look while making the watch’s indications more legible. The two new Classique Tourbillon models pay tribute to the brand’s strong signatures.
