The Classique 9068 emphasizes the style of Breguet’s watchmaking art. Abraham-Louis Breguet set up a business in Paris in 1775. He was opposed to the baroque style then in vogue, lending his creations a surprising and pleasing sobriety. The Breguet style – neoclassical and characterized by mechanical reliability – attracted prestigious clients, including Queen Marie-Antoinette, and later the Empresses Joséphine and Marie-Louise, as well as the Duchess of Wellington.
Reflecting that same quest for simplicity, the dial of the new Classique model comes alive with white mother-of-pearl on a fine rose or white gold case with fluted sides in the Breguet style. 88 brilliant-cut diamonds illuminate the gold of the bezel and lugs of the bracelet. The crown – capped with a blue cabochon-cut sapphire or a ruby – is also fluted to ensure a better grip. The leather strap with dark blue satin effect is secured by lugs, welded for strength and curved for wearing comfort.
The Breguet Classique 9068 watch is powered by a self-winding mechanical movement, the 591A. This caliber is in line with the self-winding watches developed by A.-L. Breguet. At the time, several watchmakers were looking to solve the issue of automatic winding. Breguet was the first to find a reliable technical solution when he developed the oscillating weight. The sapphire-crystal caseback of the Classique 9068 reveals this ingenious component: in rose or white gold, depending on the model, and handengraved on a rose engine. Thanks to the talent of the artisans of the House of Breguet, experts in anglage, circular graining, and the cotes de Geneve, the caliber has been entirely decorated.
Signed Breguet Watch No. 3023, a small, quarter-repeating watch sold to the Duchess of Wellington in 1817, is on display at the Louvre. Two centuries apart, the same style continues to inspire the New for 2019 Classique line of Breguet. In 1783, for example, Abraham-Louis Breguet designed slender, open-tipped hands for improved readability. These characteristic hands are found on the dial of the Breguet Classique 9068 – blued or in rose gold, depending on the model. Always concerned with improving readability, Breguet chose to use Roman hour markers. A guillochage border, a specialty of the House of Breguet, subtly highlights the hours chapter. Finally, the dial also displays the name Breguet, as well as the individual number of the watch. The owner of the watch can have her name added to the Breguet register, which was started in the 1780s and has been updated continuously since, together with the description of her watch.
