Breguet spent over two centuries perfecting the tourbillon – the complication that was made famous by Abraham-Louis Breguet.
The many tourbillons it has produced in its history are beautiful and well made. With such a pedigree, it stands to reason that Breguet’s tourbillons tend to look highly traditional, tending towards designs that correspond to technical seriousness.
That is what makes Breguet’s two new tourbillon watches for women such delightful surprises. Reine de Naples is often a place for aesthetic poetry, but the Classique collection has two new reimagined Classique Ref. These 3358 models sparkle with personality and are very different to existing Ref. 3358…
The white gold “Starlit Night”, reminiscent of a serene night sky, features a varnished blue mother-of-pearl dial, with the hours and minutes placed in an off-centered subdial with rhodium-plated gold hands. Within this dial are five applied white gold stars, and a serial number occupying the 4 o’clock position. Six of the larger stars are set with brilliant-cut diamonds. The one-minute tourbillon is the star of this watch. It can be seen through the aperture at the bottom dial. A shooting star bridge has been snow-set in 45 diamonds.
The Ref. The 3358BB/VD/986D0 is a 35mm x 9.43mm watch with additional diamonds in brilliant cut decorating the bezel and lugs. A rose-cut stone tops the crown.
Its rose-gold counterpart is the Ref. 3358BR/8D/986D0 “Stunning Sight”, and it lives up to its name with 281 diamonds blanketing the dial. Inside the mother-of pearl chapter ring are snow-set white diamonds. On either side, rows of graduated-diamonds seem to radiate. The bridge of the tourbillon is a rose gold curved band set with 14 diamonds, and a ruby as a pivot.
The sapphire caseback of either reference reveals a manual-winding, 2.5Hz 187 D movement with a 50-hour reserve. The hand-hammered base plate is engraved with the brand name, movement number, and “Brevet 7 Messidor An IX” — the year the tourbillon was patented according to the French Republican Calendar.
The “Starlit Night” gets a midnight blue alligator strap, while the “Stunning Sight” comes with a red one, both fastened by triple-folding gold clasps set with 42 diamonds. Water-resistant to 30m, the pair will be part of Breguet’s permanent collection, adding some contemporary dazzle to its stately lineup.
Movement: Manual calibre D 187 with tourbillon, 50-hour reserve
Case: Water-resistant up to 30m in 35mm white gold or pink gold
Strap: Alligators blue and red
Price: From USD 207.900
This article first appeared on WOW’s Festive 2024 issue.
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