The Return of THE Breguet: The Maison Pays Tribute to Its Founding Principles with Two New Classique Models

Without a doubt, Abraham-Louis Breguet is one of the most significant figures in the history of horology. From a technical standpoint, his inventions continue to set the foundation for watchmakers today. In addition, when it comes to aesthetics, Breguet established a core design language early on.

In the span of over two centuries, a brand is inevitably going to ebb and flow – sustaining perfection with every creation is impossible. So, naturally, Montres Breguet has seen its fair share of successes time and time again. That said, of course, not every model can be a hit. Still, Montres Breguet has persisted for an impressive 250 years, despite the numerous ups and downs that come from being one of the oldest brands in watchmaking.

In this milestone anniversary year, we see Breguet rising toward yet another peak of design and technical excellence. The 250-year festivities kicked off in April with the launch of the Classique Souscription. The model draws from pocket watches created by Abraham-Louis Breguet in the late 18th century, notable for their oversized cases and enamel dials, as well as their distinctive solitary central hand that indicated the time.

Now, Breguet continues to embrace its incredible heritage and live up to its full potential by returning to its roots, as last week, we got two new Classique models – the Classique Régulateur à Pivot Magnétique 7225 and the Classique Phase de lune 7235 – that reconnect with the spirit of the brand’s prowess in both mechanics and design.

We begin by looking at Breguet’s latest technical achievements in the Classique Régulateur à Pivot Magnétique 7225. However, to fully grasp these achievements, we must first look back at one of the brand’s early developments.
 

While the tourbillon gets all the attention, the truth is Abraham-Louis Breguet pioneered many important elements of watchmaking that remain a focus today. However, very few of his developments centered on high-frequency mechanisms, even though they enable greater accuracy and rapid recovery from rating anomalies.

On one hand, this is because the very principle of the pocket watch (always in the same vertical position and therefore nearly immune to disruptive movements) did not require it.
 

On the other hand, there was not much the brand could have done back then, given the fact that the technical means available in the late 18th century did not yet enable progress in this direction, as the prerequisites for achieving higher frequencies (a more reliable escapement and sufficient power reserve) had not yet been met.

Fun Fact: While the first high-frequency movement for a wristwatch wasn’t invented until 1959, it would still take six years before the first watch equipped with a high-frequency movement was sold commercially in 1965.
 

In fact, Breguet’s first high-frequency timepiece did not appear in the brand’s catalog until 2008. Two years later, the Maison filed a patent for its magnetic pivot. Now, we get the next evolution of these innovations with the Classique Régulateur à Pivot Magnétique 7225, which presents a new interpretation of the magnetic pivot, combined with its high-frequency escapement, thus offering certified precision of +/- 1 second per day.

Next is a piece that embodies the fundamentals of Breguet’s design codes, the new Classique Phase de lune 7235. Once again, we must first look back into the brand’s archives and focus on an early design, the No. 5 pocket watch delivered on March 14, 1794, to François Jourgnac Saint-Méard, a literary scholar renowned for his fine writing.
 

On the dial side, the new Classique 7235 echoes most of the complications of the No. 5 watch, as well as its general layout: two central hands, a power reserve indicator between 10 and 11 o’clock, a moonphase at 2 o’clock, and a small seconds at 5 o’clock. An unusual position, placing the small seconds between 5 and 6 o’clock, is a nod to many of the Maison’s historical timepieces.
 

Powering this beautiful display of complications is a brand-new movement: the calibre 502.3.DRL self-winding movement, equipped with a silicon balance-spring. Another key feature of the 502.3.DRL is its impressively slim build despite its complexity, measuring 3.95mm thick with a 32.4 mm diameter.
 

This thinness is made possible by an offset oscillating weight and an overall layout that opens space for optimized distribution of the watch’s components. The result is a case that remains below 10.0mm thick, at exactly 9.9 mm, which works in perfect harmony with the 39.0mm case diameter.

These two new additions to the Classique collection are available today. Both models showcase the signature elements of Breguet’s 250^th anniversary celebration, with Breguet gold construction and the hand-guilloché “Quai de l’Horloge” motif on the dial.

The Classique Régulateur à Pivot Magnétique 7225 joins Breguet’s catalog as part of the current collection. Alternatively, the Classique Phase de lune 7235 stands as another anniversary limited edition, produced in a fitting 250 numbered pieces. For more information, including pricing, head over to the Breguet website.