Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Scintillating New References of the Breguet Classique Tourbillon 3358
Two glowing, gem-set models of Breguet’s classic tourbillon complication join the collection.
Abraham-Louis Breguet’s reputation as the greatest of all watchmakers was not a retrospective attribution. It was consolidated during his own lifetime thanks to the fact that he introduced more innovations than anyone else working in the field and developed a unique design language for his creations. Best remembered for his regulating device christened the tourbillon (patented in 1801), the watchmaker’s ingenious ‘whirlwind’ appears across the board at Breguet, including for women’s watches. Two new gold Classique Tourbillon 3358 references join the collection, designed to dazzle with their diamonds and generous view of the tourbillon.
The provenance of the two new Breguet timepieces is the Classique collection, reflecting the founder’s neoclassical design language that enhanced the legibility of his creations. Housed in 35mm gold cases with a large elliptical-shaped aperture for the tourbillon, both models are embellished with diamonds.
The white gold Classique Tourbillon 3358 with its blue mother-of-pearl dial captures the beauty of a star-studded night sky. In keeping with Abraham-Louis Breguet’s preference for off-centred displays, the Arabic hours and minute numerals are displayed in a disc at noon and indicated by classic eccentric “moon” tip hands in rhodium-plated gold. The central area of the disc features five white gold applied stars, and the serial number is inscribed at 4 o’clock. The rest of the blue dial is decorated with a flurry of different-sized stars, six of which are set with a brilliant-cut diamond.
The large oval aperture commanding the lower half of the dial reveals the one-minute tourbillon secured by a comet-shaped bridge with 45 snow-set diamonds and a blue spinel in its centre, acting as a pivoting stone for the tourbillon carriage. Attracting light to the 35mm white gold case with a thickness of 9.43mm are 70 brilliant-cut diamonds set in the bezel, lugs and crown. Always loyal to the “unmistakable signs” of Breguet’s design language, the white gold caseband is fluted.
Even more flamboyant is the fully paved rose gold model glowing with the light of diamonds set on the case, bezel, lugs, crown and dial. Using different gemsetting techniques, 281 diamonds grace the dial. At noon, the hours and minutes dial uses a snow setting while the two areas sweeping down from noon to embrace the oval aperture are beautifully set with graduated brilliant-cut diamonds diminishing in size as they reach the tourbillon. The chapter ring bearing the hours is crafted in white mother-of-pearl and indicated by rose gold Breguet hands.
Like the white gold Classique Tourbillon 3358, the case flaunts a fluted caseband and is set with 70 brilliant-cut diamonds, including the rose-cut diamond in the crown. The deep well for the tourbillon is polished, and the escapement is crowned by a rounded rose gold bridge set with 14 diamonds with a ruby pivot.
The sapphire caseback reveals the hand-hammered baseplate engraved with Breguet’s name, the unique number of the movement, and the year his tourbillon was patented according to the Republican Calendar (Brevet 7 Messidor An IX). The manual-winding 187 D movement has a frequency of 2.5Hz and a 50h power reserve. Robust and precise, the calibre is equipped with a steel Breguet balance spring with a hand-crafted Breguet terminal curve.
Availability & Price
The white gold Breguet Classique Tourbillon 3358 model comes with a glossy midnight blue alligator strap; the rose gold is fitted with a crimson red alligator strap, both with triple-folding gold clasps set with 42 diamonds. The white gold reference retails for EUR 152,500, and the rose gold for EUR 163,400 and both are part of the permanent collection. For more information, please consult Breguet.com.
