BASELNEWS 2011Breguet shows the Classique 7787 Moon Phases watch
Still in the Classique collection, Breguet is presenting another new model, the Classique 7787 Moon Phases watch. This timepiece is distinctive in that it can be worn equally well by men or women, since it comes in two sizes (39mm and 36mm in diameter). It is proposed in two versions, each of which has a dial that is hand-engraved on a rose engine, one in white gold, the other in 18-carat red gold.
Two of the 18-carat red-gold models will also be available with a grand feu enamelled dial, including one version set with diamonds. This configuration will be sold only in pairs, in a box available exclusively in Breguet Boutiques and also containing a pair of cufflinks and a matching gem set pendant.
The Classique Moon Phases watch
The Classique Moon Phases watch has central hour, minute and seconds hands, as well as two complications: a moon phase at 12 o’clock and a power-reserve indicator at 3 o’clock. The power reserve is displayed by an elongated hand, which lends legibility and elegance. From a technical standpoint, the watch contains the Breguet Calibre 591 DRL, a self-winding mechanical movement only 3.02 mm thick, making it the thinnest in its class. It has a double barrel, which gives it a 38-hour power reserve, as well as a silicon escapement and balance-spring. Silicon is a material with many advantages: it is extremely light for better shock resistance, non-magnetic, and does not require lubrication.
From a technical standpoint, Breguet is at the forefront of technological progress. In contrast, its aesthetic philosophy with regard to this watch is to remain as true as possible to the timepieces created by its founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet. The Arabic numerals on the enamelled version are those created by the illustrious watchmaker for his first watches and clocks. Slender, legible and elegant, they are so representative of his style that today they bear his name: Breguet numerals. In another tribute to an in-house tradition dating back to before 1790, this watch has minute markers made of minuscule stars, with the fractions of five minutes marked by stylised fleurs-de-lis. The power-reserve scale is decorated with small arrows, inspired by those adorning the dial of pocket watch no. 92, dating from 1785. The dials all have a solid-gold base and, depending on the version, are hand-engraved on a rose engine or decorated with enamel. All of the guilloché work is done by hand, making use of ancestral knowledge that has been handed down at Breguet for over two hundred years. Like pieces from that time, the models being sold as a pair in a precious burr-elm box have enamelled dials made, out of respect for tradition, using the grand feu enamel technique. The Breguet numeral transfers are then applied. The diamond-set version available in the box has 96 full-cut diamonds totalling 0.72 carat.
The secret signature
In addition to the two timepieces, the box contains a pair of cufflinks for Him, and a pendant for Her. The cufflinks are made of 18-carat red gold. They have fluted sides, like the watch’s case middle. Their decoration consists of a miniature dial 14 mm in diameter, entirely handmade, with grand feu enamelling. The dial echoes some of the details of the watch enamelling, such as a numeral, the moon phase, or Breguet’s secret signature. The moon phase and the star are painted in real gold on a succession of blue enamel layers.
The pendant represents a red gold moon with two faces. A “night” side is paved with a snow setting, an original technique consisting of setting diamonds of different sizes so as to cover the maximum surface area. 93 full-cut diamonds are used in the snow setting, totalling 0.71 carats. The moon’s gentle curves are perfectly outlined by a border of 84 single-cut diamonds, i.e., cut with 17 facets. The “day” side of the pendant is pierced by three stars and reveals a hand-engraved Breguet signature.
All informations about the watch fair: BASELWORLD