Breguet presented during the 2016 edition of the Baselworld fair  a quite comprehensive new collection. I will not say that it is spectacular because there isn't inside a true new model or complication. But Breguet made sure that each pillar of its collection was positively impacted with a special focus on ladies' watches. If I could summarize the Breguet offer in a few words, I could say that it is the image of the fair: nothing really spectacular or new but some clever additions or changes. A kind of realistic approach in a difficult context.

Having said that, we shall not underestimate this 2016 offer. Because there is, despite the lack of true surprise, a premiere! Look at the Tradition Dame 7038: for the first time, the Tradiion becomes a Ladies' watch and I'm very happy to see this move.

I can imagine the objective behind the scene: to create a credible alternative offer to the Reine de Naples which remains, despite its success, a quite difficult watch to appreciate due to its egg-shaped case.

The Tradition Dame 7038 takes advantage of the usual assets of the 37mm Tradition to propose a very convincing watch. The specific decoration details remain very discrete yet clearly perceptible: the set bezel and the Tahitian MOP dial which bring a sophisticated refinement.

I also like the decoration of the ratchet and once again with a Tradition watch, the movement itself becomes the main point of focus and interest.

I liked this watch and I hope that it will seduce the ladies who enjoy to wear handwind watches.

Description of the Tradition Dame 7088:

Case in 18-carat white gold with delicately fluted caseband. Bezel set with 68 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 0.895 ct).
Crown set with a watch movement jewel.
Sapphire-crystal caseback. 37mm diameter. Welded lugs with screw bars. Water-resistant to 3 bar (30m).
Dial in Tahitian mother-of-pearl, engine-turned and offset at 12 o'clock. Individually numbered and signed Breguet.
Hours chapter with Roman numerals. Breguet open-tipped hands in gold.
Self-winding movement, numbered and signed Breguet. Retrograde seconds engraved on the movement face.
Cal. 505SR. 14½ lignes. 38 jewels. 50 hours power reserve. Inverted in-line lever escapement with silicon pallets. Breguet balance-spring in silicon. Balance frequency 3Hz. Adjusted in 6 positions.
Leather strap.

We stay with the Ladies' watches with the Classique Dame 9088. I've always had a soft love for watches with moonphase display without any date indication. They give the feeling to replace an useful complication by a poetic one and so they create a special relationship with time.

I wonder by the way why we don't see more often this kind of watches but for men... The IWC Portofino Moonphase, the 1815 Emil Lange are good examples that they may exist. Anyway, ladies have more opportunity to enjoy them like it is the case with this Classique Dame 9088 available in pink or white gold. It is also available under the 9087 reference in non gem set versions.

This 30mm watch features a balanced dial and lovely hands. The finishes of the enamel dial are flawless and Breguet demonstrates with this watch its skills in the creation of a ladies' watch.





Description of the Classique Dame 9088:

Case in 18-carat white gold with a delicately fluted caseband.
Bezel and lugs set with 66 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 1.04 cts).
Sapphire-crystal caseback. 30mm diameter. Welded lugs with screw bars. Water-resistant to 3 bar (30m).
Dial in “grand feu” enamel. Individually numbered and signed Breguet. Hours chapter with Arabic numerals.
Moon-age and -phase indicator, plus small seconds at 6 o’clock. Breguet open-tipped hands in blued steel.
Self-winding movement, numbered and signed Breguet.
Cal. 537L. 83/4 lignes. 26 jewels. 45 hours power reserve. In-line Swiss lever escapement in silicon. Silicon balance-spring. Balance frequency 3.5Hz. Adjusted in 6 positions.
Leather strap.

The Classique 7147 can be considered, if you prefer automatic movements, as one of the most reasonable and consistent way to enter Breguet world. Actually, this 40mm offers a lot of details which define the Breguet style. But the element I appreciate the most is the slightly off-centered second hand. It is so Breguet... and it breaks the symmetry of the watch and brings energy on the dial.




The watch is powered by the automatic movement 502.3SD with hairspring and pallets in silicon. It is funny to consider that this movement is a bit at the image of the dial: it features a guillochage of the winding mass and it is slightly off-centered too. The finishes are not at the same level than some brands like Patek or Lange but I find it very nice to observe and, once again, in harmony with the watch.

Due to the thin bezel and the light dial, the watch looks a bit larger than it is actually. But this large dial opening allows to fully appreciate the different guillochage styles.

Description of the Classique 7147:

Case in 18-carat rose gold with a delicately fluted caseband. Sapphire-crystal caseback.
40mm diameter. Welded lugs with screw bars. Water-resistant to 3 bar (30 m).
Dial in silvered 18-carat gold, engine-turned. Individually numbered and signed Breguet. Hours chapter with Roman numerals.
Small seconds offset at 5 o’clock. Breguet open-tipped hands in blued steel.
Self-winding movement, numbered and signed Breguet. Extra-thin (2.4mm).
Cal. 502.3SD. 12 lignes. 35 jewels. 45 hours power reserve. Inverted in-line Swiss lever escapement with silicon pallets. Balance-spring in silicon.
Balance frequency 3Hz. Adjusted in 6 positions.
Leather strap.

The main piece of the 2016 collection is of course the Hora Mundi 5727. We all know the Hora Mundi 5717 and this new version replaces the dials depicting the continents by the classic guillochage.

I will be frank with you: I MUCH prefer the 5717. I have the feeling that the watch loses a part of its charm and more seriously, the dial looks a bit empty now. I can understand the decision from Breguet to create an alternative at a more affordable price. But the beautiful continents were totally in the spirit of the watch which is, at the end of the day, a travel watch thanks to its very clever and complex second timezone display.

Of course, the Hora Mundi 5727 remains a great watch and the asset of the complication remains. But it is, from my perspective, the 5717 with something which was removed what it is not very satisfactory for me.

The Hora Mundi 5727 is powered by the caliber 77F0 based on the 777. Again, the pallets and the hairspring are made of silicon. I would have preferred, at this level of price, a gold winding mass even if the decoration style of the mass is nice to observe.

The 43mm case diameter becomes more perceptible with this version than with the 5717. It is due to the empty areas on the dial. As you understand it, I'm not convinced by this watch while I'm a great fan of the 5717 especially wth the Americas on the dial. Please note that the watch is available in white or pink gold.

Description of the Hora Mundi 5727:

Case in 18-carat white gold with a delicately fluted caseband. Sapphire-crystal caseback. 43mm diameter.
Welded lugs with screw bars. Screw-locked crown at 3 o’clock. Pushpiece-crown at 8 o’clock. Water-resistant to 3 bar (30m).
Dial in silvered 18-carat gold, engine-turned. Individually numbered and signed Breguet.
Hours chapter with Roman numerals. 24-hour indicator between 3 and 4 o’clock. City indication at 6 o’clock. Date aperture at 12 o’clock. Breguet open-tipped hands in blued steel.
Self-winding movement, numbered and signed Breguet. Instant time-zone jump with synchronised date, 24-hour and city indications.
Cal. 77F0 composed of base Calibre 777 with additional plate. 12 lignes. 39 jewels. 55 hours power reserve.
Inverted in-line Swiss lever escapement with silicon pallets. Balance-spring in silicon. Balance frequency 4Hz. Adjusted in 6 positions.
Leather strap.

The Type XXI 3817 is, from my own perspective, a very cosy evolution of the Type XXI thanks to its grey slate dial (with a touch of brown).

I find this evolution toward more refinement well done and credible even if we can regret that the roots of this collection are getting further. The work on the dial is convincing and I like some details like the finishes on the night/day indicator. Don't get wrong by this classic looking chronograph. The dial lay-out is quite unusual: the two main hands are the second hand and the minute hand of the chronograph. The subdial on the right is actually a night/day indicator. Sadly, a constant issue remains: the date window cuts the hours totalizer of the chronograph.




If Breguet improved the finishes of the dial, it is also the case movement side. The watch is powered by the caliber 584Q/2 and Breguet worked to enhance its perceived quality. Of course, the finishes are not at the same level than with a watch from the Classique collection. But at least the color of the winding mass brings a nice contrast with the movement parts.

This picture was taken without using my usual photography tricks. So the dial color is closer to its actual one. The 42mm case diameter is a good size for the watch. The quite thick bezel reduces the dial opening and the 42mm are consistent with the spirit and atmosphere of the Type XXI. Clearly, the Type XXI 3817 offers a quality improvement compared to some of its predecessors but I keep thinking that the date window is not mandatory.

Description of the Type XXI 3817:

Case in steel with a delicately fluted caseband. Sapphire-crystal caseback.
42mm diameter. Bidirectional rotating bezel. Rounded lugs. Screw-locked crown. Water-resistant to 10 bar (100m).
Dial slate grey, signed Breguet. Hours chapter with luminescent Arabic numerals. Day/night indicator at 3 o’clock. 12-hour totalizer and date at 6 o’clock. Small seconds at 9 o’clock. Central minute totalizer. Luminescent hands and dots. 
Self-winding chronograph movement, with “flyback” function. Numbered and signed Breguet.
Cal. 584Q/2. 131/2 lignes, 26 jewels. 48 hours power reserve. Inverted in-line Swiss lever escapement with silicon pallets.
Silicon balance-spring. Balance frequency 4Hz. Adjusted in 6 positions.
Strap in calfskin leather.

I would like to end the report with the Pink Gold version of the Tradition 7087 (Automatic Minute Repeater & Tourbillon).

The pleasure to see and handle this piece remains the same one year after the first discovery. I love its dial (or better said: its front) lay-out, the way the gong is designed and the see-through caseback which unveils a spectacular automatic movement which looks... handwind due to its peripheral winding mass.

To be honest with you, I shot a movie of this watch. But Breguet is still working on the sound quality. What I heard was already very positive. So I prefer to publish a movie of a fully operational piece to convey you a more accurate view about the sound quality.





Anyway, the view on the movement is a true eye-catching:

The 44mm case diameter is not a big issue here since the front elements almost fully occupy the available surface. The watch remains belanced even if it is not designed for small wrists (the visually straight lugs are rather long). The atmosphere given by the 7087 is quite unusual with a blend of watchmaking tradition with some very modern details. And it is when Breguet manages to combine these elements which seem to be opposite that it plays at its best.



So I hope to be in position to come back later this year about this watch with a final assessment of the sound quality.

Description of the Tradition 7087:

Case in 18-carat rose gold with delicately fluted case band. Double-paned sapphire-crystal case back. 44mm diameter. Welded lugs with screw bars. 
Dial in silvered 18-carat gold, engine-turned and offset at 1:30. Individually numbered and signed Breguet.
Hours chapter with Roman numerals. Breguet open-tipped hands in blued steel.
Self-winding movement with minute-repeater and 60-second tourbillon at 6 o'clock. Numbered and signed Breguet.Titanium baseplate and bridges.
Cal. 565DR. 16 lignes, 60 jewels. Magnetic strike governor. 80 hours power reserve indicator in an aperture at 12 o'clock. Bi-directional platinum winding rotor on the periphery of the movement.
Tourbillon bridge in titanium. Inverted lateral lever escapement with silicon pallets. Breguet balance-wheel on a Breguet silicon spring. Balance frequency 4Hz. Adjusted in six positions.

I would like to thank a lot the Breguet team for the warm welcome during the Fair.

Fx

 
This message has been edited by foversta on 2016-04-02 14:53:54