In the 1780s, Abraham-Louis Breguet achieved great success with his perpetual calendar watches, which automatically wound the mainspring by vibrating a rotor in response to the wearer's physical movements. These watches often featured calendar mechanisms, and it was around this time that Breguet first produced guilloched silver dials. In 2023, Breguet celebrates this historic model by adding two gold models to its Classique collection, each offering a new interpretation of the perpetual calendar.

Courtesy of Breguet
Breguet's new Classique Perpetual Calendar 7327 embodies the brand's quintessential watchmaking: a watch that is both user-friendly and incredibly challenging to achieve. The perpetual calendar, a fascinating watchmaking mechanism that accounts for the varying lengths of months and leap years to accurately display the calendar, originated in the 18th century. To achieve this ingenious feat, the movement must incorporate a mechanical "memory" with a four-year cycle corresponding to 1,461 days. Perpetual calendar mechanisms are typically based on a 24-hour gear train and a large central lever that moves the entire mechanism daily. As a result, 294 individual components are required to bring this model to life.

Courtesy of Breguet
One of Breguet's primary objectives was to offer a watch that was light and comfortable to wear. The choice was made to use the Caliber 502, which incorporates a calendar mechanism. At just 4.5 mm thick, the Caliber 502.3.P is one of Breguet's thinnest movements, yet it is engineered to deliver high performance despite its thinness. The open-top barrel contributes to the slimness while also ensuring stable dynamics and a generous power reserve. The gold oscillating weight is positioned off-center to maximize space within the movement's main plate and minimize its thickness.

Courtesy of Breguet
This rhodium-plated automatic movement has a balance frequency of 3 Hz and a 45-hour power reserve. The movement also features a flat balance spring and the horn of the inverted straight-line escapement made of silicon. This material has many advantageous properties, including resistance to corrosion and wear, and is unaffected by magnetic fields, which contribute to the precision of the watch.

Courtesy of Breguet
The sapphire case back reveals the movement, adorned with Breguet's cherished decorative techniques: the circular barleycorn pattern hand-guilloched on the gold oscillating weight, the Côtes de Genève ornamentation on the bridges, and the bevelling and Côtes de Genève ornamentation on various components. These exquisite decorations are executed by the artisans of the Breguet Manufacture in the heart of the Vallée de Joux.


Understated Design
The dial of this new Breguet model is as captivating as its movement. Its timeless design expresses the brand's unique character in a contemporary style. The dial is decorated with a Clous de Paris hobnail pattern. The moon phase display, located between 1 and 2 o'clock, is designed to create a realistic effect, with the moon motif hand-hammered into the surface. The blue lacquer, evoking the color of the night sky, is mixed with sequins, subtly revealing the twinkling of stars depending on the angle of the watch. The day of the week, date, and four-year leap-year cycle are displayed in a balanced combination at the bottom of the dial. The 12 months are indicated by a retrograde hand that repeats along an arc from 10 o'clock to 12 o'clock. The hours and minutes are indicated by traditional Breguet hands in blued steel. The Breguet secret signature, created by the founder, is engraved between 11 and 12 o'clock and between 12 and 1 o'clock.

Courtesy of Breguet
The calendar display on the dial is corrected by pressing a dedicated pin on a button embedded in the side of the 39mm case. The corrector for the day of the week is located at 4 o'clock, the moon phase between 4 and 5 o'clock, the date at 6 o'clock, and the 12-month and 4-year leap year cycle at 9 o'clock. The time is adjusted using the crown at 3 o'clock.

Courtesy of Breguet

Classique Collection
Functional and representative of Breguet, the Classique collection remains faithful to the brand's highly distinctive aesthetic, rooted in its origins. Abraham-Louis Breguet was not only a talented watchmaker and inventor, but also one of the first watch designers, before the term was coined. When the Maison was founded in 1775, the Baroque style was at its height, but he pioneered and introduced the Neoclassical style to the world of watchmaking, with designs aimed at improving the legibility of watch displays and giving dials a daring new look. He invented the round-tipped perforated hands, the guilloched pattern and the off-centre dial – just to name a few of the new design features. The off-centre dial, which first appeared on pocket watches in 1812, has become part of the brand's DNA. Inspired by this earlier creation, the Classique Perpetual Calendar 5327 was introduced in 2004, adapting it for a wristwatch. The new 2023 model offers a contemporary and elegant reinterpretation of the original model, while remaining faithful to the strong character that characterises the Classic line.

Courtesy of Breguet
Courtesy of Breguet
The new watch is available in two finishes: 18K white gold and rose gold, with the white gold presented with a midnight blue alligator leather strap and the rose gold presented with a mysterious brown alligator leather strap.

Courtesy of Breguet
Courtesy of Breguet

For inquiries:
Breguet Boutique Ginza 03-6254-7211
Breguet Boutique Isetan Shinjuku 03-3352-1111 (main number)
Breguet Boutique Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store 03-6665-0143
Breguet Boutique Hankyu Umeda Main Store 06-6313-7863