The clear readability of all functions on the dial of his watches has always been very important to watchmaker Louis-Abraham Breguet. The dial was consistently designed to dedicate each feature of the watch enough space to pay sufficient attention to its function. These usually were focused on hours, minutes and seconds. But what to do when the brand today decrees itself to modernise in technique and design, trying to combine all its technical know-how into one watch but still preserving the tradition?
Much to see – the Classique Tourbillon Quantième Perpétuel 3797
With its Classique Tourbillon Quantième Perpétuel 3797 Breguet faced the challenge to fit hours, minutes, seconds and also dates, months and years onto the dial of a wristwatch without compromising the charm of the watch. Breguet found an attractive solution for this and created a third dimension by lifting the hours and minutes chapter to the foreground. After all, this is still the essential information for its wearer. This is done by an offset sapphire disc screwed onto the main sapphire glass dial. The big metallic Roman numerals are very distinctive for Breguet as well as the open-tipped hands which are in traditional Breguet blued steel.
Minutes and hours are displayed on an offset sapphire disc
Just above the hours and minutes disc is the semi-circular scale of the retrograde dates. Retrograde indications – which means that the hands jump back instead of continue running in a circuit way – are today a quite common function. But back in the days it was a highly complex complication.
Anchored in its roots – for Breguet a clear readability of all functions is essential
The third-dimensional design becomes even more appealing when looking at the tourbillon at 6 o’clock. It is gently bedded into the dial and thus strengthens the contrast between the offset disc and the tourbillon complication, which nearly merges with the watches movement. The bridge above holds the triple hand for the seconds, which are decorated in a very modest way. At some point Breguet needed to decide where they put their focus on not to overload the dial. It’s really well done!
The Tourbillon with bridge and triple hand for the seconds
At 3 o’clock you’ll find the month indication. The Classique Tourbillon Quantième Perpétuel 3797 has a perpetual calendar. Also here, the distinctive blue coloured steel hand points out the Breguet signature. A blue sun in the centre shows the leap years. Certainly something that Louis-Abraham Breguet would be fascinated by today, as he was not able to produce such complication (leap years were first introduced in wristwatches in the early 20th century) around the time he lived.
The Classique Tourbillon Quantième Perpétuel 3797 has a perpétuel calendar
Finally, a subdial for the dates is located on 9 o’clock with a snail cam makes the days hand jump instantaneously. The Classique Tourbillon Quantième Perpétuel 3797 is available in rose gold (159.100,- Euro) and platinum (173.000,- Euro).
