A novelty for the Breguet anniversary is the compact Tradition model with a retrograde second hand

Breguet has unveiled its second new product to mark the brand’s 250th anniversary. This is the new men’s model Tradition, which is characterized by a compact body and a beautiful combination of gold and blue color.

The Tradition collection was created under the direction of the late Nicholas G. Hayek as a tribute to the clock and subscription watches created by Abraham-Louis Breguet at the end of the 18th century. The first model of the collection was released in 2005 under the reference number 7027 and featured a mechanism modeled after antique manual-winding calibers. Only with the inverted design, which was visible from the side of the dial.

Over the past 20 years, the Tradition line has been actively developing, overgrown with new complications. It is enough to recall the reference 7097, a self–winding model with a retrograde second hand. As well as a 7077 chronograph and a stunning tourbillon with a fusee chain transmission, released under the reference 7047. The standard size for men’s watches in this line is 40 mm diameter.

At one time, a more compact model for men (Seconde Retrograde Ref. 7037) with a 38 mm case was also available in the collection. Later, it was discontinued and a similar model with the reference 7035 was released for a female audience. This year, Breguet returns the discontinued model and once again offers a compact men’s watch with a diameter of 38 mm.

The novelty brings back everything that was loved by the public in the old model. First of all, this is a classic 38 x 12.6 mm case with a grooved housing ring and welded lugs. It is made of a new Breguet Gold alloy, a warmer–toned yellow gold that is highly resistant to fading and resembles antique alloys with copper, silver and palladium in the composition. There are sapphire glasses on both sides of the case. The water resistance is 30 meters.

Another feature of the new model is the dial. As always in the Tradition collection, we are talking about a small dial, which is shifted to the “12 o’clock” mark. The dial plate is made of 18-carat gold and decorated with a Quai de l’Horloge pattern in honor of Breguet’s 250th anniversary. The pattern is inspired by the Cité Island, washed by the waters of the Seine, where the workshop of Abraham-Louis Breguet was once located.

The base of the dial is covered with translucent blue enamel Grand Feu. The minute scale on a bright blue background is marked with silver Arabic numerals in the Breguet style. The time on the dial is indicated by a pair of golden hands with Breguet apples. Seconds are counted by a retrograde blued steel hand located to the left of the dial.

The model is powered by the caliber 505SR, inspired by the mechanisms of antique Breguet pocket watches, which their great creator sold “by subscription”. The mechanism is equipped with a central rotor and is gold-plated in the color of the case. The rotor, which rotates 360 degrees, is made of brushed platinum and shaped like a crescent moon. The frequency of balance fluctuations in the mechanism is 3 Hz. The central winding drum provides the novelty with a 50-hour power reserve.

The watch is available on a dark blue alligator leather strap with a special anniversary case made of red leather. The issue is limited to 50 copies. The estimated cost of the watch is €50,400.