Breguet's newly announced Type XX is the ultimate flyback chronograph. So what did Breguet try to achieve with this model? Breguet CEO Lionel A'Marca explained to us.
Interview and text by Masayuki Hirota (Chronos-Japan)
Edited by Yukiya Suzuki (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2023 issue of Kronos Japan]
Type XX is designed to grow over time
"The new Type XX collection is inspired by the original 1955 model, but with a modern twist. Our intention is not to create a perfect replica of an earlier model, but to meet today's needs with a modern watch." Does that mean it's automatic and has a date display?
Born in Switzerland in 1967, he received his watchmaking training at the EHMP in Porrentruy, before working for various watch manufacturers in the Vallée de Joux. In 92, he joined Frédéric Piguet, which became part of the Swatch Group, and later transferred to ETA. He subsequently worked as a consultant within the group and also served as head of development at Blancpain. He became a board member of the Swatch Group in 2019 and has held his current position since 21.
"Chronograph users will want to know not only the current time, but also the elapsed time when using the chronograph, as well as the date. Therefore, we thought it was important to add the calendar in an appropriate position. It is important to remember that the primary function of the Type XX is the chronograph, and legibility should not be impaired. The development team also carefully considered the location of the date window, and decided that between 4 and 5 o'clock would be optimal."
An interesting feature is the integrated linear hammer that simultaneously resets the chronograph seconds hand, the 30-minute counter, and the 12-hour counter, allowing the new Type XX to operate the flyback with extreme precision, which is why I call it the pinnacle of flyback functionality.
"The purpose of the new movement is to provide users with high performance and robustness. New functions related to flyback and resetting are one example of this. In order to perfectly achieve this purpose, we devised a linear hammer with a flexible head, using innovative materials and dimensions. This ensures perfect resetting when the head of the hammer presses against the heart-shaped cam. However, the limited space inside the movement was a major challenge. To address this, we designed it to be thinner while still maintaining mechanical performance. In addition, to improve performance and provide robustness, we changed the ratchet-type automatic winding mechanism to a standard reverser."
The new Type XX has arrived with extraordinary perfection, but it seems this is just the beginning.
"The Type XX is designed to not only lay the foundation for the future, but also to grow over time. So there's nothing to prevent us from making an undated model, and there's plenty of opportunity to create new models, colors, sizes and shapes in the future."
The most flyback-focused chronograph ever made. The linear hammer, which can reset multiple counters simultaneously, has a spring at the tip, allowing for extremely accurate zero reset. This is the military version of the "2057," which omits the 12-hour counter. Automatic (Cal. 7281). 34 jewels. 36,000 vph. Power reserve of approximately 60 hours. Stainless steel case (diameter 42mm, thickness 14.1mm). Water resistant to 10 bar. Price: 2,585,000 yen (tax included).
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