written by:
the eclecticum
published:
2025-04-24
categories:
Breguet, collectors, Novelty 2025, watches
Breguet – 250th anniversary (i): A queen is kissed awake!
The Classique Souscription 2025 – the first Breguet in years which makes one’s heart beat faster – and that says something!
Today, the historic, groundbreaking Souscription pocket watch is reborn as a wristwatch.
The idea behind this landmark piece:
“This watch is the link between what we wish to share of the history of Breguet and our desire to perpetuate this history going forward.”
Gregory Kissling (CEO, Breguet)
Before we begin, let’s recall what Breguet’s original Souscription watches were about:
“Launched through an advertising brochure in 1797, subscription watches were sold by Breguet on a subscription basis, and the firm required customers to make a down payment of a quarter of the price when they placed an order. Called subscription in the sales ledgers, these watches were reliable and affordable; they proved a great success, attracting a large new clientele. Some seven hundred were made … – over more than thirty years”
(Emmanuel Breguet, Breguet: Art and Innovation In Watchmaking; p. 50ff)
(Breguet Souscription pocket watch n° 1934 (1808); property of a collector friend of the eclecticum)
For a highly recommendable deconstruction of an original Breguet Souscription watch please visit The Naked Watchmaker!
A first encounter:
The face of the 2025 model is adorned with a dazzling white, grand feu enamel dial that faithfully reproduces the spirit of the timepieces once produced at the Quai de l’Horloge workshop, such as the No. 246, No. 324 and No. 383 watches.
The back is directly inspired by the architecture of the first Souscription watches signed by A.-L. Breguet.
Some historical contexts about Breguet:
“The celebrated Abraham-Louis Breguet, whose work is renowned for its long-running reliability never used fine teeth in his watch trains. To avoid their use in very small watches he sometimes included an extra wheel and pinion to reduce the ratios and enable the use of coarser teeth. The example of successful makers is always worth noting…“
(George Daniels, Watchmaking, p. 119ff)
(Breguet’s drawing and calculation of a watch drive train. Taken from: George Daniels: The Art of Breguet, p. 55)
“It is not the result of a giant step forward that the work of Breguet should be considered revolutionary; his ability was to formulate a unified approach to his subject, but at the same time develop a completely individual style. If the ingredients of his success have to be broken down into categories, a difficult task as they are all interrelated, then perhaps the three main areas can be singled out technique, style and marketing. In briefly considering each, it is important to remember that Breguet’s approach was fundamentally practical, and all his inventions and productions, however complex in construction or exotic in design, had a specific purpose. “
(The Art of Breguet, Habsburg Fine Art Auctioneers (auction catalogue), 1991, p. 12).
Timeline:
- 1783 design of the open-tipped hands known as “Breguet hands” and the Arabic numerals known as “Breguet numerals”
- 1786 first guilloché dials
- 1790 invention of the “Para-chute”
- 1793 A.-L. Breguet flees to Switzerland during the French Revolution
- 1795 A.-L. Breguet returns to Paris
- 1796 sale of the first “subscription watch”, a novelty launched the following year with the help of an advertising leaflet
- 1799 sale of the first “montre à tact”
- 1810 production of the first wristwatch
- 1830 manufacture of the first keyless winding watch
- 1933 move to 28, place Vendôme, which remained the company’s address until 1970
- In 1970 the Chaumet brothers, Jacques and Pierre – Parisian jewelers, acquired the brand in a period of instability (“quartz crisis”). They started with small series of watches. To restore the brand’s prestige the brothers hired Daniel Roth because of his reputation as a watchmaker and his open mindset to learning. In 1975 the company was handed over to Francois Bodet, an internal manager. In 1976 they relocated the workshops to Vallée de Joux. Over the next 14 years Roth and Bodet redefined the aesthetic of Breguet wristwatches with iconic elements such as engine-turned dials, coin-edge cases, and Breguet hands. Base movements used from Lemania and Fredéric Piguet. The Ref. 3050 – Classique Perpetual Calendar – was Daniel Roth’s first major release, followed by several ´Classique`references – all of them outstanding on their own and (still) desired by collectors of today. Neo-vintage Breguet plus early hallmarks of Roth’s approach to fine watchmaking makes the difference – take for example the Classique Tourbillon Ref. 3350 from 1988; a first for Breguet and only the second tourbillon in a wristwatch ever produced
- 1987 Investcorp and certain international investors acquired the brand. Unit sales had grown around ten times and Groupe Horloger Breguet was a growing and profitable group with around 460 associates. In the late 1980s the brand started to introduce quite a few ´Classique` models with complications like tourbillon, retrograde perpetual calendar, perpetual calendar equation of time, day and date, minute repeater, rattrapante chronograph, perpetual calendar chronograph and so on – all of them being impressive and unique
- The Swatch Group acquired Breguet in 1999 and under the leadership of Nicolas Hayek they invested serious money – “haut-de-gamme” is what he had in mind and Mr Hayek personally was deeply invested and passionate about Breguet. Money for the preservation of their heritage, research & development for new calibres and innovative watch technologies and facilities
We have seen lots of new watches – some of them outstanding – in the last 26 years, but to us it always felt like that something changed in 2010 when Nicolas Hayek passed. The leadership wasn’t the same afterwards and there were quite a few management changes. For whatever reason, they never unfold the full potential the brand deserves for its history and the solid investment done by the group – being one of the most precious names in fine watchmaking again and returning to the apex of the industry must be the goal!
And this brings us to the Classique Souscription 2025, a first novelty to start the festivities of the 250th anniversary!
Key features of the Classique Souscription 2025:
- Case: 40 x 10.8 mm, 18K Breguet gold, satin-brushed case middle, case back hand-engraved with ‘ Île de la Cité’ motif, water-resistant to 30m
- Dial: traditional white grand feu enamel dial, Breguet Arabic numerals and minute track in black petit feu enamel, individually engraved ‘Souscription’ text with serial number
- Hand: single open tipped Breguet hand, flame-blued and curved by hand, polished tip
- Movement: Calibre VS00 treated in gilded brass in the same shade as Breguet gold, numbered and signed Breguet, 16 lines, 144 components, 21 jewels, 12 blued steel screws 5.7 mm thick. Hand-wound. 3 Hz frequency (21,600 vibrations per hour). Patented NivachronTM balance-spring with Breguet overcoil. Single barrel. 96-hour power reserve (4 days). Finely shot blast finishing on plate and bridges. Ratchet wheel engraved in negative with a reprography of A.-L. Breguet’s conceptual writings about the Souscription line
- Strap: hand-patinised blue alligator leather strap and 18K Breguet gold pin buckle
- Dial, movement, case and presentation box carry the matching serial number (a first for ‘modern’ Breguet)
- Not limited but made on subscription base: on payment of (at least) 25% deposit, ‘your’ watch will be produced
Our first impression(s) after handling the new watch and taking some snapshots:
In the 70s Roth and Bodet redefined the aesthetic of Breguet wristwatches and so does Gregory Kissling & team in 2025. Even when we have seen only one (first) project it makes quite an impression – a good and promising one.
A radiant face with classic features …
A grand feu enamel dial at its best, representing simplicity and contrast – easy to read. At its centre is a unique, steel, open-tipped Breguet hand, which has been flame-blued (not oven heated like in most cases these days) and curved entirely by hand – plus mirror polished chamfer for additional refinement. The numbers and minute markers are in bold black (petit feu enamel), the same as the Breguet signature placed at 12 o’clock.
Depending on the light, the secret inscriptions “Souscription”, the unique serial number and the secret signature appear discreetly between the centre of the dial at 6 o’clock – individually engraved in an artisanal manner with a historical, restored diamond-point pantograph machine.
(Image © Breguet)
The Breguet numerals and the hand are looking like in the “good old days” yet contemporary and not outdated at all. Pure Breguet DNA, isn’t it?
A redesigned Breguet gold case …
A new gold alloy, Breguet Gold, combining 75% gold, enriched with silver, copper and palladium is a first for Breguet and a major feature without being loud. It’s warm, subtly pink hue is inspired by the gold used by watchmakers of the eighteenth century, and in particular the alloy Breguet himself used. Beyond its brilliance, it is distinguished by its resistance to discolouration and its stability over time, guaranteeing a pure, elegant finish. For sure we will see it more often in the (near) future in the collection of the brand.
The case, measuring 40mm in diameter and 10.8mm high, is of a new design, standing apart from other watches, with a particular attention paid to ergonomics – easily felt at hand and on the wrist, and addresses a major weakness we always noticed with Breguet cases: the long straight lugs made them sit awkwardly on our wrists. The typical Breguet fluting has been replaced by a delicately satin-brushed case middle that respects the style of the original timepieces, while the lugs have been curved to better fit the wrist and, as such, offer a more fluid appearance than the traditional straight lugs.
Slightly domed (something not to be missed) sapphire crystals on both sides and with anti-reflective coating inside. Take the opportunity and have a pointed light source tangentially hit the watch and you see how beautifully the top crystal disperses the light..
Look close to get all the details and even more important – try to feel it in person, as it makes a difference. The ´touch & feel’ is tempting, not to say addictive.
Yes, the case is different from what we know. Still, it will be recognisable as a Breguet by connoisseurs easily. Nice and refreshing move!
At the back the case is decorated with an entirely new type of (handmade) guilloché pattern unveiled this year, called Quai de l’Horloge. This new design is inspired by the singular curves of the Île de la Cité and the slender refinement of the Île Saint-Louis to create a harmonious rhythm that can be infinitely modulated. This new creation celebrates guilloché as a living art, sublimated by Breguet’s expertise.
A beating heart, of mechanical art …
The new handwound VS00 calibre in gilded brass in the same shade as Breguet gold. It beats at a frequency of 3Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour) and delivers a four-day power reserve using only a single barrel. The balance spring, a small, coiled spring that is at the heart of the precision timekeeping of the watch, is blued and features a Breguet overcoil. It is made from NivachronTM, a non-magnetic alloy essentially composed of titanium. This makes the movement more resistant to temperature variations, magnetic fields and shocks.
Side note: No silicon balance spring, because a Breguet overcoil would have been impossible and some glue would have been needed to fix it. The latter was a ´no go’ for that kind of watch for the new CEO – an encouraging statement!
The plate and bridges are finely shot-blasted (a finer grain actually than used for the Tradition movements!), a new decoration directly inspired by the movements of A.-L. Breguet. Brilliantly polished, blued steel screws and rubies further enhance the movement. At the centre sits the imposing ratchet wheel, which features an engraved inscription: the founder’s words, explaining the design of the Souscription movement and taken from his original advertising brochure, are faithfully reproduced in his characteristic cursive script.
If you feel reminded on the movements of Breguet’s Tradition line of watches then this is no coincidence as they share the same source of inspiration, the movements of the original Souscription watches. However, it pays to look closely even at minor aspects: the arrangement of the gear train is exactly like in the Souscription watches with the wheel stepping down one level after the other (like a staircase) as they go from ratchet wheel to the escape wheel – this is for aesthetic pleasure only and not part of the Tradition’s movements:
Even the shape of the wheel spokes is modeled after the original Souscription movements:
Once more, consistent design and a beauty to look at. The whole finishing approach seems to be above a major part of the recent collection with some lovely details – representing the extra-mile quite often missing at the power houses these days. It is competitive to what we expect to see from (some of the) independents? Yes, especially when think about the price of this watch – more on this later.
A new presentation box, between time and elegance …
Inspired by the red Moroccan leather cases once used by A.-L. Breguet to protect his precious creations, this box, in lightly grained calf leather, features gold hot embossing bearing the inscription “BREGUET 250 YEARS”, which is accompanied by the individual serial number of the timepiece inside.
Its soft, rounded silhouette designed with an aesthetic and “philosophical” concern shaped over time, marks a real difference from traditional watch boxes.
Summary and final words (for now):
We like what we see, to say the least, and we love the idea of a ´simple, not so simple` subscription watch with a single hand. It ticks a lot of boxes we like to see from the brand but also in the market of today. No, not just one more grand complication as some might have expected or just another adaptation of a “successful business case” like they did before. To us it feels like a new ´base model` to start with yet paying homage to the founder, plus adding (contemporary) benefits.
The watch is not a carrier of new technology (this will still (and hopefully!) come later…) – and is even in this aspect true to its original as well.
The Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 is an emotional piece, with lots of hand work involved and corners not cut. It invites to look closer, touch, let light play its part. The fact that is only has one hand is not only a reference to its ancestors, but here an essential conceptual highlight.
The watch seems to be highly competitive, even when we think about the price (slightly above € 50k). Yes, it is a lot of money for a watch in general. It’s more than just a watch – haut-de-gamme, haute horlogerie or fine watchmaking appear as monikers – but with substance! The spirit of the product feels like a “contemporary vintage watch” one might expect from one of the independents instead of a brand like Breguet and the like. Good value for the money comes to our mind, for once.
Is this the answer to the ‘generational problem of a traditional manufacture’ we posed in an earlier article? It certainly addresses the ‘traditional’ notion and adds the emotional component (sensible (!) handwork) to it which was clearly missing before. Hence, we might argue that in times of easily reproducible perfection on the one and an inflation (one has to say with some regrets!) of new independent watchmakers with very ‘confident’ price tags on the other hand this new Breguet could spell the way to emotionally attract new buyers to the brand and bring back previous ones.
The two great tasks ahead still are to radically revise the entire Breguet collection to be more in line with this promising concept and but moreover to translate an innovative spirit with the same emotional attraction.
Passion, genuine passion and a (new) face for the brand. With Gregory Kissling (CEO, since 1st of October 2024) at the helm, we expect (now) a major change for the best. From what we have seen so far and heard it seems he has a very clear approach for this unique brand, the power to do changes if needed (even in a group) … and doesn’t prevent an ´extra mile` to reach his goals.
That’s it for today and we are really looking forward to the next chapters of Breguet in 2025 and further!
PS: Did we forget the wristshots? Nope…!
Psst … it’s one of those few watches you wish to keep immediately. Be warned 😊!
‘the eclecticum’
Literature used:
- Breguet, Emmanuel (2015): ‘Breguet: Art and Innovation In Watchmaking’. ISBN 978-3791354675
- Daniels, George (1974): ‘The Art of Breguet’. ISBN 0-85667-004-9
- Daniels, George (1981): ‘Watchmaking’. ISBN 0-85667-150-9
- Habsburg Fine Art Auctioneers (1991): ‘The Art of Breguet’ (auction catalogue)
