Breguet Novelties At Baselworld 2016
Even though Breguet focused slightly more on women for its new models this year, we have to immediately start with something a bit more masculine and very impressive with the Tradition Tourbillon Répétition Minute ref. 7087. This watch had been presented as a prototype last year, but now we’ve just seen the finished version and one of the originality of the chiming mechanism is that the hammers are striking vertically on gongs set in the middle of the watch’s face. The bezel helps diffuse the sound and we can say that is chimes rather loudly (Breguet claims 70db at 20 centimeters). For the demonstration of this timepiece, we were in a room with quite some noise arounds us and never the less we could hear very distinctively the different chimes of this watch. Furthermore, the peripheral oscillating mass of this automatic movement let’s you really enjoy a full view of the intricacy of the Minute Repeater’s mechanism and it's chain system. And instead of having a sliding triggering mechanism on the side of the case of the watch, you will here find a "baillonette" pusher, something that we are definitely not used of seeing.
Still in the Tradition family, we saw for the very first a version fully dedicated to woman, the Tradition Dame 7038. Despite it’s high mechanical appeal, this watch is very feminine in its 37mm case with a silver frosted finishing of the base plate and bridges. The bezel is full set with diamonds and you will find floral motives on the center barrel visible on the front of the watch, as well as on the oscillating mass seen behind.
A new model of the the Type XXI ref. 3817, the aviation watch of Breguet, was also presented with its vintage feel to it and for the very first time in this collection the case back is open to let you see the movement. This watch comes in steel but the oscillating mass is in yellow gold.
Was also presented a new version of the Hora Mundi ref. 5727, a smart and practical worldtimer, which comes in a more traditional Breguet style in either white or rose gold, as well as a Classique Petite Seconde ref. 7147 and a Classique Dame, which comes in 8 different combination, with its moonphase display. And to finish this review, we were also introduced to a new version of the Reine de Naples, ref. 9818, which comes in a white gold case with a nice mother of pearl marquetry dial.
