Breguet Classique 7147 “Grand Feu” Enamel – The Ultimate Refinement

Last year saw the debut of the wonderfully simple Breguet Classique 7147, an elegant entry-level piece with an eye-catching guilloche dial. Now, Breguet has done the seemingly impossible, and followed it up with an even more refined version. Presenting the new Breguet Classique 7147 “Grand Feu” Enamel.

The Breguet Classique 7147 “Grand Feu” Enamel

Before we talk about the new dial however, let’s quickly recap what makes the Brequet Classique 7147 such a great dress watch. Presented in a 40mm x 6.1mm 18k white gold or 18k rose gold case, it’s perfectly sized to be worn with a suit and tie, disappearing under your cuff as need be. Some may argue that the case is slightly too large for a dress watch but for someone my height (6ft+) this is just about as good as it gets. Thin but not too thin, comfortable on the wrist and drawing just enough attention to make its presence felt but without being in your face.

What really sets this new model apart from last year’s version of course, is the new “Grand Feu” enamel dial. Thoroughly traditional in every sense of the word, enamelling is slowly becoming somewhat of a lost artistic craft, with only a small number of brands able to claim mastery of this centuries-old technique. Breguet is of course one of them and boasts several “Grand Feu” enamel dial watches across its current collections.

For this new version of the Breguet Classique 7147, refinement is the name of the game. All superfluous details have been eliminated, leaving an exceptionally clean, highly attractive dial with that wonderful enamel finish that can only be achieved through multiple firings in an 800°C+ kiln. Once the dials are ready, Breguet’s famous numerals are delicately placed over the top, contrasting superbly against the milky whiteness of the enamel beneath.

Hours and minutes are of course indicated by traditional blued steel Breguet hands with an offset open tip, complemented by the small seconds discreetly sweeping around a 5 o’clock subdial. Rather than putting a separate track around the periphery of the sub-dial however, Breguet has chosen to recess it slightly, making it visually apparent from the first glance.

Inside is the self-winding calibre 502.3 SD, the same movement as the original Breguet Classique 7147 released last year (as well as the Breguet Classique 5140 it replaced.) Visible through a sapphire caseback, it is equipped with a balance spring in silicon and an inverted in-line lever escapement with horns made of silicon. Beautifully finished with a guilloche rotor and Geneva stripes, it offers a 45-hour power reserve.

As you would expect, the new Breguet Classique 7147 “Grand Feu” Enamel is presented on an alligator leather strap with a gold pin buckle matching the case. Pricing is set at EUR 21,000 in pink gold and EUR 21,500 in white gold.

Technical specifications of the Breguet Classique 7147 “Grand Feu” Enamel

• Case: 40mm diameter x 6.1mm height – 18k pink gold or 18k white gold – “Grand Feu” enamel dial – sapphire crystal on front and back – 30m water resistant
• Movement: Calibre 502.3 SD – automatic – 45h power reserve – 21,600 vibrations/h – hours, minutes, small seconds
• Strap: alligator leather strap with 18k gold pin buckle
• Ref. 7147BR/29/9WU (rose gold) and Ref. 7147BB/29/9WU (white gold)