The Type XX is a very particular watch for Breguet, on several counts. First of all, this piece launched in 1994 is the descendant of a very special and glorious one. Secondly, it had started disappearing from windows even though it was still officially available. Thirdly, it was the only truly sporty piece they had, which made it very cool to wear, much cooler than the rest of their very formal line-up. Last but not least, it was the most affordable of all Breguets for a very long time.
Let's start with the latter, price. Just grab any Breguet catalog from the early 2000s. Let's say 2004. A Type XX Aéronavale Ref.3800 (the one without date, the other version being the Transatlantique) retailed for 5,400 € on a leather strap. Indeed, this is an altogether different era we're talking about... The second most affordable piece was the 5907, a wee little 34 mm yellow gold piece which cost 8 825 €. And at the time, Audemars Piguet demanded 12 500 € for their Royal Oak Chronograph. So the Type XX was a real bargain. This is partly due to its movement, an automatic chronograph from Lemania (a manufacture later renamed Breguet). It relied on cams rather than a column wheel, which gave its pushers a soft touch. Used by Omega as well, it quickly became ancient and was very industrial in style to begin with. That last argument partly justified the fact that it came with a full back, as it was not deemed beautiful enough to be shown.
The Type XX was a sports watch, available in steel. It had its own bracelet, wide Arabic numerals, a flyback movement, a rotating bezel, the case was 39 mm thick, and it was manly, assertive...it was a million miles from every other Breguet. It was later replaced by the Type XXI 3810, which Breguet beefed up in every possible way with a larger, 42 mm case, wider numerals, larger hands, nobler movement, and an enhanced price tag. The Type XX always was an outlier.
Nevertheless, Breguet couldn't have done without this piece of heritage. The Type 20 (Arabic numerals for the military version, Roman for the civilian one we are discussing) is the only post-1830 Breguet to have a history, a pedigree, a significant existence. For over a hundred years, the brand remained in limbo, with a meager output and no noticeable success. Then it took on an invitation to tender by the French air force and it completely revived them. Type 20 is the official reference number of the tender, which defines a wrist chronograph meant to be the pilots' standard issue. Breguet wasn't the sole manufacturer (so were Dodane and Vixa) during the product’s lifetime, between 1955 and 1960, after which it was replaced by the slightly more modern Type 21. This model is therefore rooted in French watch history, although maybe less glamorously so than the Napoleon-era generals and the nobility on which Breguet has built its story-telling on. Yet there can hardly be a better endorsement for a sports watch than being chosen by active armed forces.
When Breguet released the Type XXI in 2016, the Type XX remained on the official catalog but was really progressively and discreetly discontinued. Soon after, amateurs started complaining that they couldn't get one from the brand. The thing is, by then, the Type 3800 didn't look like a 2000's watch, but very much like one from the '90s. And all of them were a far cry from the 1950's version worn in cockpits.
In order to reconnect with that original spirit, one must look to more recent history. In 2021, Breguet gifted a unique piece to Only Watch, a Type XX that bears a striking resemblance to its ancestor. This auction is known to be used by brands as a trial run, to test the waters before launching a new product. And Breguet has been mentioning the need to bring back the Type XX for years. We'll see about that.
In the meantime, the Type XX 3800 is no longer made, and is not that easy to find on the second-hand market. Breguet has moved on to a more expensive, more formal, and more precious production. They failed to insert their sports chronograph in the profound trend that is making many others very successful. But this used to be a cool watch, the symbol of a bygone era where odd pricing practices allowed one to buy a Breguet for less than 5k (which used to be the price of a two-tone Datejust). The watchmaking world has indeed changed a lot since then.
