Iconically Breguet: Recent Tradition Timepieces Continue the Brand’s Legacy of Excellence

Given the profound significance and history of Breguet watchmaking, the debut of the Tradition timepiece in 2005 might have read as a bit of poker-faced audacity at the time.

After all, if you consider the multitude of watchmaking inventions, contributions, and innovations attributed to watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet, plus the maison’s impressive catalog that spans over 251 years (both topics far too involved to do justice to here), introducing “Tradition” as a collection moniker just over 20 years ago was certainly taking on a very big bite.
 

However, the collection’s consistent approach to revealing the magic of Breguet watchmaking with increased reversed-movement visibility, without losing a whit of the external design cues that make a wristwatch unmistakably a Breguet, is exactly the justification for calling it an icon in our book – successfully bridging that important gap between classicism and modernity.

Not to mention that the Tradition has quickly carved out its own singular niche in the serious collector-verse. Let’s see how these superb releases fold right into the story.

While earlier last year saw the debut of a well-received, 18-karat Breguet gold execution of the visually dramatic Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035, more recent releases of the similar-looking Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7037 in an alluring blue dial on white gold (Ref. 7037BB/YB/5V6) and artfully sleek black dial on stunning 950 platinum (Ref. 7037PT/N9/5V6) only serve to underline the legitimate flexibility of the Tradition’s paradoxical classic-meets-modern canvas.
 

For both of these 38mm models, you can expect the symmetrical, harmonious, expertly finished inverted-movement highlights and bridgework details visible from the dial side, along with the ongoing visual drama of a jumping-back triangular retrograde seconds counter at 10 o’clock. However, for the white-gold reference, the abundant mainplate movement details are presented entirely in blue for the first time.
 

Set against a white-gold background, the offset 12 o’clock two-hand dial of the blue 7037 is crafted in traditional gleaming white Grand Feu enamel with Breguet Arabic numerals replacing the Roman indices of some earlier Tradition executions. Of course, open-tipped Breguet hands complete the effect in blued steel.
 

There is a new sense of forward-looking color unity with this timepiece, as the blue main plate melds nicely with the blue stitched-leather-textured rubber strap (a modern white rubber strap is also offered as an option), but the vibrant white-gold case and metallic movement components introduce some pocket-watch-y heritage balance to the mix.
 

The platinum-cased, black-dialed 7037 builds on even more monochromatic modernity with its jet-black dial plate treatment; in this version, a shimmering Grand Feu enamel dial highlights the off-set time-telling display. The 950 platinum case introduces precious modernity, while a black version of its sibling’s leather-textured rubber strap creates a decidedly technical element for the package.
 

Caseback views for both of the new Second Rétrogrades highlight not only the maison’s exquisite finishing work on the 505 SR automatic movement (which is rendered in either blue or black treatments, depending on the model) but also a distinctive half-moon-shaped oscillating weight, which comes in either 18K white gold or 950 platinum (again, depending on the model).
 

This rotor approach references the groundbreaking design concepts A.-L. Breguet pioneered as he laid the foundations for self-winding watches in the late 18^th century.

Another testament to the iconic status of the Tradition is the astounding elevation of a relatively straightforward GMT function when Breguet’s Tradition designers are at the wheel.

In the Tradition GMT 7067 (Ref. 7067PT/NM/5W6), which comes in a resplendent 40mm, 950 platinum case, the contemporary concept of a second-zone GMT hand is thoughtfully retconned into the dedicated, chromatically understated 8 o’clock home time display in black that matches the hue of the mainplate/dial.
 

Moreover, in a first for the Tradition collection, there is a version of the timepiece (the Ref. 7067PT/NM/5W6 01) that keeps the Breguet-style Arabic-numbers on the local time dial at the Tradition’s signature off-set 12 o’clock position but casts the 8 o’clock home time dial indices in Indo-Arabic numerals. Again, this combination references early customization work done by A.-L. Breguet in the arena of so-called “Ottoman watches” for the Eastern market.

Along with its own stitched-leather-textured rubber strap, the Tradition GMT is among the first in the collection to use the durable, modern material. However, shift your focus to the star of the show: the striking Grand Feu enamel green-gradient hour-and-minute dial display at noon, which is also a first for the collection.
 

If you have ever visited a dial-enameling workshop, you know how complex and potentially heartbreaking the work can be. But this perfect pine green-to-black central gradient, on a very small overall sub-dial surface, sets a high bar for the art. That green tone is picked up in the contrast stitching for the strap, by the way.
 

The caseback view of the manually-wound Calibre 507DRF numbered movement carries the same black-PVD coating of the dial-side mainplate, with the movement itself delivering a 50-hour power reserve.

While there was no edition-limitation information at press time, the blue/white-gold execution of the Tradition Seconde Rétrograde lists for $59,700, with its black/platinum sister retailing for $65,700.

Meanwhile, both Tradition GMTs detailed above list at $82,900. You can learn more at the Breguet website.