New Traditionalists: Breguet’s Bold Take on Historic Watchmaking

For watch collectors, understanding the importance of Abraham-Louis Breguet is like an aspiring pianist learning their scales. You need to know the impact Breguet has had on the craft and culture of watchmaking from 1775 until now to fully appreciate all the color and nuance of today’s timepieces.

From a mechanical point of view, Abraham-Louis was the inventor of several complications, including the tourbillon and a striking gong mechanism that produced not only a clearer sound but was lighter and less bulky. He is also credited with creating the first wristwatch, which he made for Napoleon Bonaparte’s sister, Queen Caroline Murat of Naples, in 1810.

Aesthetically, he shook up design with the introduction of Breguet hands – long slender shafts that end in a circle or "pomme" near the tip and a needle-like point extending from the center of the circle – and easy-to-read Arabic numerals. Believe it or not, before then, hands and dials were so overly decorated that reading the time was its own complication.

Academically, I can and do appreciate all of Breguet’s contributions over the centuries. However, I must also admit that I haven’t been personally captivated by Montres Breguet… That is, until now, with today’s relaunch of the brand’s Tradition collection.

The Tradition collection was first launched in 2005. As the name implies, its mission was to bring Abraham-Louis’s technical innovations to the forefront by placing the mechanical architecture on the dial side. It was not the first line of watches to bare its bones. But it was a novel move for Breguet, and the collection became a cornerstone for the Maison.
 

An over-reliance on heritage can also make a brand feel outdated. Here, new movement finishes and new strap options have also been introduced to further find the balance between the brand’s history and its contemporary craftsmanship. Thus, with these new offerings, Breguet is talking about “tradition” in a way that reflects the expectations of 21st-century collectors.

These new Tradition models all feature symmetrical movement structures. There is something soul-soothing about observing the clear and legible layout of the mechanism, and the quality of its finishes.

At the top of these timepieces features an offset dial directly inspired by Abraham-Louis’ 18th-century Tact watch. While it’s a deep dive into the archives, it stays true, in spirit, to Abraham-Louis Breguet’s horological vision: to constantly advance his art and design.
 

The Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7037, for example, delivers what the brand calls in its launch notes “deliberate, unpretentious simplicity.” Housed in a 38mm white-gold case, this watch employs two hands for the hours and minutes, along with a small retrograde seconds hand. The updated display also features a largely open dial devoid of unnecessary decorations.
 

The hours dial at 12 o’clock, set against a white-gold background, has been crafted with white Grand Feu enamel instead of the previous generation’s guilloché dial. And Roman numerals have been swapped out for their Arabic cousins.

The real heartstopper is that, for the first time, the Tradition 7037 presents a movement (the Breguet 505 SR) that is entirely blue. The mainplate is finely shotblasted, the bridges satin-brushed, and the barrel cover hand-guilloché with a snailed pattern.
 

Another variant of the Seconde Rétrograde is the 7097, which is essentially the same as the 7037 but with a 40mm rose-gold case and a numbered and signed 505 SR1 movement with a charcoal grey barrel cover.
 

The Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7038 incorporates Breguet’s expertise with jewelry watches.

Nestled in an 18K rhodium-plated white-gold case is a bezel adorned with 58 brilliant-cut diamonds. It is also the first Tradition watch with an aventurine glass dial. In this edition, the movement is black. And the watch itself is set on a black satin or alligator strap for an extra elegant appearance.
 

To revisit the piano lesson analogy from the top of this story, these refreshed Traditions really hit the right notes.

For more information, including pricing and availability, check out the Breguet website.