Directly inspired by the ingenious "Subscription" movement conceived by Abraham-Louis Breguet at the end of the 18th century, the "Tradition" asserts its unique individuality with its unique design, which allows the movement's mechanism to be seen from the front of the watch with an off-center dial. Since its launch in 2005, the "Tradition" collection has been enriched with a series of innovative models, and the latest model for 2020 features a bold retrograde date display. This new model also perfectly embodies Breguet's "tradition," which is always crafted with ingenuity.
The new model adds a retrograde date display with hands moving from 9 to 3 o'clock, adding to the Tradition's distinctive design, featuring an off-center dial on a movement with a large central barrel, the second wheel, and balance wheel arranged symmetrically on either side. Its consistent style and balance are exquisite. Automatic (Cal. 505Q). 45 jewels. 21,600 vph. Power reserve of approximately 50 hours. 18KRG (40mm diameter). Water resistant to 3 bar. Price: 4.1 million yen.
Text by Shigeru Sugawara
[First published in the November 2020 issue of Kronos Japan]
Masterpieces from Breguet Tradition
For a long-established company like Breguet, with a long history spanning two and a half centuries, it is extremely important to consider how to pass on its great watchmaking heritage while at the same time developing it for the future. Tradition is the foundation for this. From the authentic "Classique" to the sporty "Marine," there is not a single model at Breguet today that is unrelated to the Maison's tradition in terms of its mechanism, design, decorative techniques, or story. This is also true of the "Tradition" model, which was launched in 2005 and is truly named after "tradition."
Born from the bold idea of incorporating the unique structure of the "Subscription" movement invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet into the face design, the "Tradition" watch not only evokes a return to its origins at the end of the 18th century, but also expresses a new tradition that began with the 21st century. The unique face, which reveals an off-center dial and intricate watch mechanism, skillfully projects a historical style from the distant past, while at the same time creating a unique, avant-garde style as a modern transparent watch, which is truly outstanding.
The single-hand watch that Abraham-Louis Breguet sold by subscription at the end of the 18th century features a movement with a central barrel and a symmetrical second wheel and balance. The design of the "Tradition" was inspired by the "Montres à Tacte," a tactile watch that added a small dial to the same movement. The photo shows "No. 2292," sold in 1809 (owned by Breguet).
Breguet has furthered the evolution of tradition with its latest 2020 model, the Tradition Rétrograde Date 7597. The distinctive feature of this Tradition watch is the retrograde date, which displays the date repeatedly. This feature was added because there had never been a model with a date display before, but like the previous complicated models, Breguet's ingenuity is evident here as well. First, the retrograde display unfolds 180 degrees from 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock so as not to obscure the Tradition's distinctive movement. The blued steel date hand emerging from the large central barrel is cleverly bent to avoid overlapping with the second wheel and balance wheel on either side, resulting in a unique shape that further emphasizes the movement's three-dimensional structure.
A white gold model was also released at the same time. The blued steel hour and minute hands and retrograde date display hand stand out against the silver-finished gold dial with hand-engraved Clous de Paris guilloched pattern and the anthracite-finished plates and bridges. The automatic Cal. 505Q uses a silicon escape wheel, pallet, and balance spring. 45 jewels. 21,600 vph. Power reserve approximately 50 hours. 18KWG (diameter 40mm). Water resistant to 3 bar. Price: 418 million yen.
Retrograde calendar displays are no longer uncommon in modern complicated watches, but this is also one of Abraham-Louis Breguet's inventions. In fact, the double-faced repeater watch No. 92, which dates back to 1783, and the ultra-complex No. 160, famous as Marie Antoinette's watch, are examples of retrograde date displays incorporating a rack into a perpetual calendar with an equation of time display.
The modern evolution of tradition is also evident on the back of the watch. The anchor-shaped rotor is modeled after the weight mounted on the automatic winding mechanism of the Perpétuelle, invented in 1780. All of the distinctive features of this watch are genuine DNA that would make it meaningless for anyone other than Breguet to imitate.
