Breguet is undoubtedly the most talked-about brand in the watch industry in 2025. Starting with the "Classique Subscription 2025," the numerous limited edition models released to celebrate the company's 250th anniversary have exceeded our expectations, in a good way. The latest additions include the "Classique 7235," which emphasizes design, and the "Classique 7225," which faithfully follows the tradition of ultra-precise timepieces. As CEO Gregory Kisling stated, "We won't rehash the past," both models are modeled after Breguet masterpieces, but have been highly refined to become modern luxury watches.
Photographs by Eiichi Okuyama
Masamasa Hirota (this magazine): Interview and writing
Text by Masayuki Hirota (Chronos-Japan)
Edited by Yuzo Takeishi, Yukiya Suzuki (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2026 issue of Kronos Japan]
"Classic 7235" is the ultimate in perfection and cohesion
This new model is a wristwatch reworking of the 1794 pocket watch "No. 5," which perfected the Breguet style. While the basic design follows the "Classique 7137," the details have been further refined. The center of the dial features a guilloched Quai de l'Horloge pattern. Features such as claw-foot lugs provide excellent comfort. Automatic movement (Cal. 502.3.DRL). 37 jewels. 21,600 vph. Power reserve of approximately 45 hours. 18K Breguet gold case (39mm diameter, 9.9mm thick). Water resistant to 3 bar. Limited to 250 pieces worldwide. Price: 10,945,000 yen (tax included).
Breguet, celebrating its 250th anniversary, has amazed watch enthusiasts with a series of stunning new releases. Befitting this commemorative year, each model elevates its past heritage. The company's seventh commemorative model is the Classique 7235. Its design is based on the No. 5 pocket watch, first sold in 1794. Vice President Emmanuel Breguet explains, "The No. 5 was the first time Breguet used guilloched dials." Given this history, when the company was relaunched under the Chaumet brothers, Breguet first released a wristwatch version of the No. 5, the Ref. 3130. This model quickly became a company icon, evolving into the 3137 with a transparent case back and the 7137 with a 39mm diameter.
The basic structure of the movement is the same as the Ref. 3130 from the 1980s. This was a masterpiece that combined an additional mechanism created by Daniel Roth, who was then employed at Breguet, with the thin automatic 71 movement made by Frédéric Piguet. While the basic design remains the same as the Ref. 3130, the latest model uses a highly antimagnetic silicon balance spring and features a hand-engraved "Turgot map" depicting the Quai de l'Horloge area where Breguet had its workshop.
This model, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the company's founding, inherits the 7137. While the design is the same as the 7137, the date display at 6 o'clock has been omitted and replaced with an offset small seconds hand. The case design has also been revised to an Empire style with claw-foot lugs, similar to the "Classique Subscription 2025." What is noteworthy about this model is the meticulous attention to detail. To match the case material, the dial is Breguet gold, and the movement's main plate and bridges are the same color.
In addition, the guilloched dial has been slightly sloped (!) and its outer periphery has been made 0.4mm thinner, emphasizing the three-dimensional effect and reducing the height of the faceplate. If the narrow faceplate seen on the classic No. 5 is one of Breguet's distinctive features, this is also a sign of a return to its roots. The Quai de l'Horloge pattern on the side of the case, created with a straight-engine guilloching machine, also emphasizes the 250-year history and the three-dimensional effect of this piece. The corners of the guilloched edges remain despite the case being exterior, likely because it has barely been buffed. Breguet sought to achieve the same intricate three-dimensional effect on the exterior as on the dial.
The watch's skillful packaging is a testament to the expertise of this long-established company. The strap, as always, is made of alligator leather with a bamboo-patterned pattern. However, a luxurious addition of round-patterned alligator leather has been added to the underside, and the use of a thinner interlining provides unprecedented flexibility. While this isn't to say that Breguet has neglected comfort in the past, the comfort of this watch and the 7225, which we'll introduce later, are a world apart from previous models. The cleverness of the packaging can also be seen in the color. The indices, logo, and other elements are a deep blue, matching the moon disc, hands, and strap. While black printing would have been acceptable for something this thin, the consistent color further enhances the watch's sense of unity. But who would have thought that Breguet, especially for a model celebrating its 250th anniversary, would change the color?
The Classique 7235 is a watch that takes Breguet's history into account while achieving the perfection and cohesiveness of a modern wristwatch. Next, we'll look at the modern Garde Temps, a super-precise watch that is a complete reinterpretation of the tourbillon, a mechanism unique to Breguet.
The Classic 7225: A reimagining of a historic icon
The tourbillon, which forces the escapement, the heart of a watch, to rotate, is, needless to say, invented by the extraordinary watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet, the founder of Breguet. He touted the advantages of this mechanism, such as its ability to cancel out the effects of gravity and prevent the escapement from running out of oil, but it cannot be denied that it was extremely difficult to produce. Breguet himself only created 35 tourbillons.
This new model is based on the No. 1176 from 1809. It features a small seconds at 2 o'clock, a power reserve indicator at 6 o'clock, and a flyback small seconds at 10 o'clock for measurement, as well as a magnetic pivot, making it the tourbillon of the 21st century. The new Breguet Seal guarantees accuracy of within ±1 second per day. Manual winding (Cal. 74SC). 54 jewels. 72,000 vph. Power reserve of approximately 60 hours. 18K Breguet gold case (41mm diameter, 10.7mm thick). Water resistant to 3 bar. Price: ¥12,617,000 (tax included).
One of the models equipped with this tourbillon is the Garde Temps (ultra-precision watch), No. 1176, from 1809. It was purchased by Count Stanisław Kostka Potocki of Poland. It is only fitting that he, who had developed Poland's education system under Napoleon, would acquire a Breguet watch, especially one of such precision.
Breguet, celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2025, has reimagined this historic icon into the Classique 7225 wristwatch. However, instead of a tourbillon, it features a magnetic pivot, which could be described as a "21st century tourbillon." By using a magnet to hold the balance in one direction, movements equipped with a magnetic pivot have almost no positional error. The company first incorporated this mechanism into the Classique 7727 in 2013, and then refined it before incorporating it into the 7225.
This movement revives the spirit of Garde Temps. The magnetic pivot holds the top and bottom of the balance with micromagnets with a residual magnetic flux density of approximately 1.3 tesla, canceling out the effects of gravity on the balance. Combined with a high frequency of 72,000 vibrations per hour, it achieves high accuracy of within ±1 second per day. It also features a simple 60-second flyback second hand, and the bridge is engraved with the current Lorient workshop logo.
An executive at Breguet who developed the silicon balance spring and magnetic pivot said, "The difference from the previous model is the magnet. By improving it so that the magnetic flux is concentrated in the center, we have further reduced position error. We have also improved productivity." He then explained the accuracy of the Classique 7225, adding that this was just for reference. "The balance swing angle is 270 to 290 degrees in all positions, and the accuracy is within ±1 second (actually, it's even better)." Breguet has revived the ultra-precise Garde Temps not only in appearance, but also in its spirit.
In conjunction with this, Breguet has also established a standard known as the Breguet Seal. While the full details are still unclear, an executive shared some details. He explained that the highly accurate "Scientific" watches are guaranteed to have a daily deviation of within ±1 second, the consumer-grade "Civilian" watches are guaranteed to have a daily deviation of within ±2 seconds, and the dress watch "Evening" watches are guaranteed to have a daily deviation of between -2 and +6 seconds. Additionally, models certified with the Breguet Seal are guaranteed to be magnetically resistant to a minimum of 600 gauss, or 48,000 A/m. "It was originally Hayek Sr.'s idea. We considered obtaining the Geneva Seal, but we decided to return to our roots, and under the leadership of our current CEO, Gregory Kisling, we devised and announced our own standards for accuracy and decoration." He cited screws as an example of decoration. "The Breguet Seal standard requires the screw grooves to have a beveled surface."
The Classique 7225, which proudly proclaims the 21st century Garde Temps along with the ambitious new standard of the Breguet Seal, is truly impressive, showing the depth of Breguet's talent and overwhelming strength.
