Breguet

Bob L.
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The Beauty of Breguet

Over the past many years, I’ve often been drawn to Breguet—its incredible guilloche and enamel dials, its beautiful cases with the signature ribbing, and its creative use of complications. Sometimes I’ve had Breguets in the collection; at other times, I have not. But in recent years, I’ve again found myself drawn to Breguet’s incredible work. For whatever reason—perhaps marketing issues or otherwise—Breguet has not become a “hype” watch, one whose demand outstrips it supply so dramatically that it is almost pointless to pursue purchase at an authorized dealer. And for collectors, that is a lucky thing, which has, perhaps in part, encouraged my renewed enthusiasm for the brand.

Highlighting two watches that, for me, exemplify why I enjoy Breguet’s work, the brand’s new Marine has really captured my attention. I loved the prior version of the Marine, with its big date and swirling center-dial guilloche. And when the current version was released, I was unconvinced by the quirky roman numerals and the connection of the case to the strap. But now, I am a convert. In particular, the white gold model features a remarkable wave pattern guilloche, which—just like real waves at sunset—sparkles as the wrist moves. It’s perhaps the nicest dial I’ve seen on a casual watch, and I’ve even grown fond of the numerals, which are especially impressive when the lume shines at night.



Another watch that has drawn me in is the super thin tourbillon model, housed in a simple, classic case with a clean enamel dial. While I enjoy the look of a tourbillon in action, I abandoned the complication years ago because it seemed sort of “esoteric” to me in a modern wristwatch. But I can’t deny that I enjoy watching a tourbillon in action, and in this version it creates a remarkable contrast to the otherwise austere dial. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course, but this one hits the spot for me.



Breguet may not have the charm of being an independent brand or the cachet of being unobtainable, but pieces like these really draw me to the brand and make me hope that it will continue to manufacture such beautiful watches for many years to come.

Bob