Glow Up: Breguet’s Newest Tradition Seconde Rétrograde Gets an Elevated Makeover
For its monumental 250th anniversary year, Breguet has been pulling out all the stops. With this latest release, which takes this model to the next level by featuring a combination of the Maison’s proprietary precious metal and metiers d’art techniques, the brand keeps the momentum going.
By Cait Bazemore
Contributor
When a brand is 250 years old, a collection that’s just two decades old seems relatively young. However, as the name implies, the spirit of Breguet’s Tradition line is much older than its introduction in 2005 might have you believe.
The Tradition models pay tribute to Abraham-Louis Breguet’s very first creations, and today, we have the brand’s latest interpretation of its founder’s genius: the Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035.
Introduced last week, this new piece offers the collection’s trademark architecture with the Maison’s signature color codes, incorporating a blue enameled guilloche dial and warm 18-karat Breguet gold.
Origins and Evolution of Breguet’s Tradition Line
The distinct design language of the models within the Tradition line originates from a combination of the layout of the souscription pocket watch made by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1796 and a self-winding system derived from his “perpétuelle” watches.
Notably, the inside-out style of the collection places above the mainplate nearly all the major movement components, like the mainspring barrel, the bridges and wheels of the going train, and the balance wheel, for the wearer to admire on the dial side of the watch. To top it all off, an off-center sub-dial at 12 o’clock displays basic hours and minutes for a seamless read of the time.
A decade after the debut of the Tradition collection, Breguet decided to enhance the line by unveiling the Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097 at Baselworld in 2015.
This model bolstered the functionality with – you guessed it – the addition of a retrograde seconds hand, providing that ever so pleasing snap back to zero after a minute has passed. Its integration into the dial design was bold, with the seconds depicted in an arch-shaped scale that intersected the typical 12 o’clock sub-dial displaying the time.
Five years later, in 2020, Breguet added a slightly modified Boutique Edition of the Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097 to its catalog. This model features a contrasting blue dial displaying the time rather than the initial monochromatic silver, but otherwise maintains a similar design to the original.
Now, we get the most significant update yet to the Tradition Seconde Rétrograde family with an elevated composition combining the arts of guilloche and enamel with precious metal, as well as a newly refined retrograde seconds display.
The New Breguet Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035
In stark contrast to the previous versions of the Tradition Seconde Rétrograde, the new 7035 features a warm construction in the brand’s new alloy: 18-karat Breguet gold.
We first saw the introduction of Breguet gold in the Classique Souscription launched at the end of last month. The proprietary metal comprises 75% pure gold, enriched with silver, copper, and palladium (which is traditionally used as an alternate alloy in platinum jewelry and watches). The resulting “blonde” metal is remarkably brilliant and highly resistant to discoloration, ensuring long-term stability and an enduring finish.
The use of Breguet gold extends throughout the model. You’ll notice it prominently in the construction of the perfectly sized 38mm case and the plating of the mainplate and bridges, along with the finer details, like the open-tipped hour and minute hands and the buckle on the navy blue alligator leather strap.
The strap echoes the pops of color seen across the dial, from the blued steel screws to the hands and indices of the newly revamped retrograde seconds display as well as the showpiece of the model: the sub-dial.
At the base, Breguet starts with its proprietary gold alloy, which is given a hand-guilloche Quai de l’Horloge motif. To enrich the beauty and intricacy of this design, a bold translucent blue grand feu enamel is applied.
The additional depth added by the enamel color enhances the concentric pattern of the guilloche motif, creating movement and visual interest that plays off of the myriad of circular components around the dial. It’s like a dance that embodies the core of watchmaking: a give and take between the technical and artistic elements, resulting in a marriage of form and function.
Speaking of function, the retrograde display, discreetly positioned between 10 and 11 o’clock, gets an elegant redesign, swapping the bold arch-shaped scale that intersected the dial for a more minimalist and subtle execution. Powering the model is the Calibre 505SR.
Pricing & Availability
Breguet’s 250th anniversary celebration continues with the addition of the Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035, which is available today in a limited run of just 250 pieces. Pricing is available upon request. For more information, head over to Breguet’s website.