Breguet Finishing Allegations Debunked: Expert Opinion

Dr. Tabby, known as Spangles on WatchProSite, meticulously investigates a viral social media claim alleging a decline in Breguet's finishing standards. This article highlights Dr. Tabby's direct engagement with Breguet to verify the authenticity of these claims, offering a valuable lesson in substantiating online watch-related assertions. His work underscores the importance of critical inquiry in the luxury watch community, especially when evaluating brand integrity and craftsmanship.

This is a story about following up on a claim on the internet and it's also a story of folks at Breguet taking seriously a collector's concerns and doing their best to give a satisfying answer to questions. It was a very positive experience and I hope we can all have this sort of interaction with brands. 

A few months ago a former member here posted on his IG a claim that Breguet had dropped its finishing standards. Dramatically titled "The Decay of the Angel", this post put together two pictures of the 777Q movement found in the entry level time-only dress watch the Breguet 5177 as well as a base for more complicated models. 

As you can see in the second picture I've posted, the two movements appear to be different and the IG post claims, without evidence, that the one that lacks internal anglage is the new and inferior finishing style for Breguet. How does he know that? He doesn't! And he never tried to follow up. But collectors are used to being a little mistreated by watch brands. I think we get so used to it that we expect it somehow. And it was quickly reposted here on WPS, again without any attempt whatsoever to actually substantiate these claims. There were many frowns to be had in the replies, I guess it's satisfying to frown with friends--a shared experience of being disappointed by watch brands! We're a little funny that way.

And how to explain the two movements? I mean, other than actually asking Breguet about it. So, I did just that. And they took it seriously!

I wrote to the person I see at the NY Boutique, who forwarded my concerns up the chain. 

Here is what they said:

"We confirm that all Breguet finishings are done by hands, thus it might cause certain variations in the final results of timepieces.

Please find attached the image that was taken this morning on the identical reference. We can see the good quality of beveling work.

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the veracity of the images and information that circle in the social media."

They provided a picture of a newly manufactured movement, which is the first picture in this post.

Okay, so far, so good. Now, I also own a new 5177 (from last year), and it looks like what they've posted as well with internal anglage. But that's not the whole story and I wasn't done. What's with that picture of the movement without internal anglage?!? I asked the fellow on IG where he got that picture. It turns out it is a screenshot of Breguet's own Youtube video on the 5177!!! So, I wrote Breguet a second time and, once again, they took it seriously. 

It turns out that the video was done using a prototype movement and they did the digging to get the whole story and they provided a picture of 3 random newly produced movements to give more evidence of Breguet's work (the third and fourth pictures in this post):

"We thank you the client for his attentive observation, which was not evident for us, and after close verification we found the prototype movement was used for the shooting. It was done in order to be ready with digital content for the moment the time piece was launched. However, we would like to reassure you that House of Breguet do not compromise it’s quality of finishing. As previously mentioned, our finishings on components are done manually, thus, it could lead to unique pattern in each timepiece and have some variations. Nevertheless, House of Breguet never reduced or removed it from the discussed model, it’s not in our philosophy.

As to reassure you with our argumentation, please find enclosed 3 random movements that we took in production at our Manufacture in Switzerland. You can witness that edges are finished with beveling technique and it keeps its triangular shape. We would like to invite you to our Boutique and demonstrate you one of the timepieces so you can see it in real finishing."

To be fair to the fellow on IG, he also suggested to me that people verify by seeing for themselves--and I have! At the boutique, as on my wrist, the finishing is as in the pictures Breguet provided. This claim is debunked.

So, we all know cases and brands where things have gone differently, but I think following up with brands is the best way so that they know we care and we are watching and valuing quality when we see it. 

Now, what do YOU think? 

I'm interested in your take on this!