foversta
[PuristSPro Moderator]
20814
Baselworld 2011: Breguet
I found the 2011 Baselworld fair quite disappointing if we only look at
the novelties coming from the big players located at the groundfloor of
the Hall 1... except maybe from Breguet.
Year after
year, we really feel that Swatch Group becomes more and more ambitious
with Breguet and that the results have started to be more visible. This
2011 collection is a proof of this ambition: Breguet is a brand on the
move!
First of all, I would like to tell you that I
couldn't see all the new watches including sadly the Grande Complication
reference 7887. But the Breguet team did its best to show me all the
watches available in this very busy booth. It wxas not an easy
task! A big thank to them!
Let's start with
maybe the most impressive watch of the classique collection: the Hora Mundi (reference
5717).
When I read the press release, I
deeply regreted that the 5717 was not a classic worldtimer watch. I was
totally wrong. I think now that the watch is great because it is not a
worldtimer watch. In this year full of "Travel & multi
timezones" watches, Breguet had the will to unveil something different.
And it is at the end, the good option IMHO. After all, Vacheron already
presented an impressive worldtimer and it would have been difficult to
add an extra-value to this watch. With the Hora Mundi, Breguet defines
the most clever and useful dual timezone watch.
The
5717 is not a classic dualtime: you can program it. You select the
timezones of the two cities you wish to follow (for example Paris and
Rio) by displaying their local times. With the crown/pusher located at 8
o'clock you choose and program these two cities and after this step,
you can quickly switch from one city to the another one to display its
local time on the dial. Of course, all the data displayed on the dial
are in coherence including the date.
It is very easy
to operate this clever system which brings something innovating in this
world of travel watches.
3 dials are available:
America / Europe&Africa / Asia&Oceania: that's a very
good point. Breguet took this decision because they considered that the
whole world on the dial would have been too
confusing.
Movement uses the caliber 777 has a base.
This caliber has a silicon escapement, I would have prefered a classic
one, my trust is this type of escapement is not full for the time being.
Maybe it is a strange behaviour from my part but sometimes when you
have something in your head... it is difficult to change your mind.
Anyway, the watch, with its 44mm case is beautiful
and clever: in a few words, one of my fav watches of the fair. Case is
available in PG or in PT.
Let's discover now a new Moonphase watch:
the Classique Moon
Phases.
For me, this watch is a dream
which comes true. I love the Moon Phases watches without any date
display. I regretted many time that the watch inspired by the n°5 (the
3137) replaced the small second hand by a date
indicator.
Hopefully, the Classique Moon Phases is
unveiled ! The 7787 is available in two sizes (36 or 39mm) and with two
dials (guilloché or enamel). The layout of the dial is very different
from the 3137 and the Moon Phases display is located on the top just to
show that it is the key complication of the watch. The large power
reserve display brings dynamism on the dial. Maybe some would have
prefered it without.
Caliber is the 591 (Lemania
8810) and features a nice guillochage on the
rotor.
The 7787 also has a version with gems setting:
in that case, it becomes the reference 8788.
I was
seduced by this 7787: thanks to its central second hand, the dial is
less static than the 3137 one and its layout makes it very
attractive.
39mm case:
36mm case with gems setting:
36mm case:
Without any surprise, the Tradition 40mm (reference
7057) becomes available with the black electroplated 18K
gold dial combined with two cases (PG & WG) and with two types
of movement finishings (anthracite grey alloy and rose
goldplate)
I love the feeling of depth and the size
of the watch... and I would have prefered a different power reserve hand
location: I prefer to see it close to the dial like with the 37mm
version and not on the dial.
For the Ladies, Breguet presented this nice Marine Chronograph (reference
8827) based on the Lemania 1050: its white color and the
MOP dial work very together. Diameter is
34,6mm.
We stay with the Ladies' watch with this
PG with gems setting Reine de
Naples (reference 8918): I consider the Reine de Naples as
one of the most beautiful Ladies' watches of the industry: this version
is gorgeous. The watch is still powered by an automatic Lemania
movement.
We enter a new world with this Titanium Type XXI powered by
caliber 584 (Lemania Automatic chronograph): the watch is available with
a leather strap or with a titanium bracelet. It has a more "sportive",
more "all-road" design than the other Type XXI of the collection due to
its black bezel. I would have prefered it without the date window but
this Type XXI (reference 3810) is a very credible watch in this
segment.
With the Type XXI, far from the
collection classique of the beginning, I finish my report. As I said in
the first words of the report, Breguet was maybe the most active brand
amongst the top ones at this 2011 Basel fair. The 5717 and the
7787 are true beauties and I hope you will be able to see them soon at
your AD.
I would like to thank a lot the whole
Breguet team for the warm welcome
!
Fx
This message has been edited by foversta on 2011-04-04 14:45:12
Baselworld 2011: Breguet
