Breguet's 2020 New Release: The Classic Double Tourbillon 5345 "Quai de l'Horloge"

As a highlight of its 2020 releases, Breguet unveiled the new Classique Double Tourbillon 5345 "Quai de l'Horloge." The double tourbillon movement, which rotates the dial plate itself via a central differential, is fully exposed, beautifully blending complex mechanics with exquisite artwork. Each component is hand-finished, and the movement, visible through the case back, is engraved with the name of the Maison "Quai de l'Horloge," the Parisian building where Abraham-Louis Breguet spent his life.

Gold movement

　The movement, reminiscent of a delicately constructed sculpture, is completely exposed to the elements as it rotates around its axis once every 12 hours. The movement is equipped with two independent tourbillons, each rotating once per minute. This mechanism creates a dual rotation of the regulating device that is interlocked with one another, and the tourbillon bridge itself serves as the hour hand. Another distinctive feature is that the components that make up the movement are made of gold, just like the Grand Complications of the past. Although this tradition has now been completely lost, Breguet is working to ensure that it continues to be passed down at the Maison, as making gold components is a testament to the watchmaker's advanced skills.

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An invention that has stood the test of time for centuries: the tourbillon

　While 19th-century pocket watches were typically carried in a vertical position in a vest pocket, Breguet was working to invent a device that would eliminate the effects of Earth's gravity, which disrupts the isochronism of a watch. He came up with the idea of ​​housing a balance with a hairspring and an escapement (lever and escape wheel) in a movable frame that rotates. In 1801, Abraham-Louis Breguet linked the concept of the celestial system to this rotating mechanism of the carriage and escapement, giving it the name "tourbillon." This invention, ingenious in its principle and fascinating in its operation, has been cherished and passed down to the Maison Breguet, endowed with a special originality.

A clever mechanism

　The two tourbillons operate independently, each powered by its own barrel, while the balances are connected to a second pair of wheels that rotate within a central differential. This compound mechanism also allows the average rate of each tourbillon to be determined, and the plate on which the tourbillons are mounted is designed to complete one rotation every 12 hours. The minute hand is a classic centrally positioned hand. To ensure perfect time display, the entire mechanism is equipped with a system that minimizes gear play.

Artistic craftsmanship

　An even more unique feature of this model is evident on the case back. Completing the watch's aesthetic impact is an extremely detailed engraving, executed by the artisans of the Breguet Manufacture, depicting the facade of the building at 39 Quai de l'Horloge in Paris, where Abraham-Louis Breguet has lived since 1775. The motif, engraved in gold, is rich in intricate details, including a glimpse of the movement's gears through the building's window panes.