Breguet’s Ladies Classique Tourbillon 3358 Prove that Technical Complexity and High-Level Gem Setting Can Coexist
Breguet brings together the best of high jewelry and high horology with two versions of its Ladies Classique Tourbillon 3358.
Abraham-Louis Breguet first developed the tourbillon in the late 1700s and went on to patent the mechanism in 1801. Since then, his namesake brand and the complication have been inextricably linked, and we’ve seen the tourbillon appear in countless watches over the past two centuries.
Now, Breguet brings together high-level gem setting, compact proportions, and the tourbillon in two stunning ladies’ models within its Classique Complications collection – who said women’s watches can’t be beautiful and complex?
As the name suggests, Breguet’s Classique Complications line represents the essence of the brand by employing Abraham-Louis Breguet’s neoclassical approach to watchmaking, one that focuses on eye-catching, avant-garde aesthetics without becoming overcomplicated and compromising legibility. And these two Ladies Classique Tourbillons fully embody this philosophy with a keen balance of form and function, bringing together the best of high jewelry and high horology.
Available in two iterations – the Stunning Sight and the Starlit Night – these additions to the Classique Complications family are ultra-feminine while putting Breguet’s watchmaking prowess on full display.
The Ladies Classique Tourbillon 3358 “Stunning Sight”
The Stunning Sight variant features a 35mm 18-karat rose gold case and a slew of diamonds throughout the design, resulting in a dial that upholds the beauty and femininity of the design while remaining easy to read, thanks to the choice of contrasting black and white colors.
First, you have a pavé dial with an astounding 281 diamonds. Then, at 12 o’clock, there’s a sub-dial with standard hours and minutes featuring a white mother-of-pearl chapter ring adorned with complimentary black Arabic numerals in the brand’s signature typeface. Within the chapter ring, you have diamonds in a classic snow setting.
Below, at 6 o’clock, the tourbillon takes center stage and gets its own dose of sparkle. Here, the complication is integrated into a curved and polished oval-shaped aperture and enhanced by a rounded gold bar set with 14 diamonds.
The gem setting extends to the bezel, lugs, and crown, giving the watch a cohesive jewelry look while not taking away from the beauty of the tourbillon.
The warm color scheme is complete with a crimson-red glossy alligator leather strap that nicely pairs with the rose gold build. Plus, there’s the added bonus of one last touch of bling thanks to 42 additional diamonds on the strap’s triple folding clasp.
The Ladies Classique Tourbillon 3358 “Starlit Night”
For the second version, the Starlit Night, we get a cooler-toned color scheme with a totally different look and feel, with its 35mm case rendered in 18-karat white gold and paired with a midnight blue mother-of-pearl dial. Moreover, this model gets a different yet equally stunning diamond treatment.
Fittingly, given this model’s name and theme, the dial is accented with white gold stars that are sandblasted and polished – some even get a touch of bling with a diamond accent. And while we get the same dial configuration with a register showcasing hours and minutes at 12 o’clock, the Starlit Night has a more monochromatic aesthetic than the Stunning Sight because the same deep blue mother-of-pearl used on the main dial extends onto the sub-dial. However, none of its legibility is lost due to the white Arabic numerals in the brand’s iconic script.
Meanwhile, at 6 o’clock, the tourbillon is showcased in all its glory within an oval aperture. Continuing the celestial theme, a shooting star with 45 snow-set diamonds stretches across the complication, giving the dial gorgeous movement and depth.
As with the Stunning Sight, the diamond embellishments on the Starlit Night extend to the bezel, lugs, and crown. his model and its more monochrome style is completed with a glossy alligator strap (which also has 42 diamonds set into its triple folding clasp) and comes in the same rich blue hue as the dial.
Both versions of the Ladies Classique Tourbillon 3358 are powered by the hand-wound calibre 187D movement, and, despite the addition of a tourbillon, Breguet has maintained accessible proportions and a slim profile, as each iteration offers a 35mm case that’s just 9.3mm thick.
Final Thoughts
In the world of watchmaking, there has long been a trend of keeping the technical complexity of women’s watches simpler than their male counterparts, with women’s watches often being pared back to basic, time-only pieces (with a date window thrown in on occasion).
In many instances, this trend has been justified using the argument that, in order to accommodate the particular calibre to power a complication or additional components to create a complication, more real estate is needed; thus, complicated watches require larger proportions that wouldn’t suit a ladies’ wrist.
With both variations of the Ladies Classique Tourbillon 3358, Breguet disproves these notions by executing two watches with the technical complexity of a tourbillon and with smaller proportions to suit a more modestly sized wrist.
Pricing & Availability
Available today, the Stunning Sight is priced at $153,600, while the Starlit Night is priced at $143,400. For more information, visit the Breguet website.
(Photography by Pierre Vogel)