Breguet

Hi,

 

I would like to begin by saying how much I have enjoyed reading the posts in this forum. Whilst I am no expert, I consider myself a keen amateur.

 

I have a dilemma. Hence, I would be most appreciative for any insights / expertise that anyone could offer.

 

I am torn between purchasing either the Breguet Tradition 7027 YG, or the 5157 Extra-thin classique YG. Whilst I love them both, the choice is too difficult to bear. As a young individual about to embark upon a political career, unfortunately, aesthetics can have a significant [even detrimental] effect. My heart tells me to go for the 7027, which I believe personifies the essence of Breguet. As Nicholas Hayek so eloquently stated, “the message of breguet is that we are the perfect marriage between advanced technology, innovation and beautiful art. With Breguet, you have Beethoven and Einstein.” However, I am worried that the 7027, which can hardly be described as a stealth watch, may appear too pretentious, flashy or unbecoming for an aspiring conservative politician. Nevertheless, when I tried on the 7027, I fell in love.

 

The second choice, the 5157 extra-thin classique, also speaks in volume to me. I consider the 5157 as a timepiece that engenders elegant simplicity. Hence, my head tells me that the 5157 is the safe, but by no means inferior option. Similarly, much like the experience of wearing the 7027, when I tried on this watch I found it emotionally difficult to take off.

 

Any-how, I would be most appreciative for any insights that you may have.

 

Best,

 

Dav1

Hi Dav1,

Politicians in the US at least are notorious for wearing "everyman" watches, Timexes as often as not.  Thankfully Timex just came out with a  very attractive line of automatic watches if you want to go that route.  

I personally would not purchase either of the watches you mentioned thinking about what others might think, but I can certainly appreciate the practical considerations if you simply won't be able to wear it much.  In terms of wearability and understatement, the 5157 clearly wins, in all other regards, the 7027 wins IMHO.

The 5157 features the ultrathin automatic movement Cal. 502, so if timekeeping excellence is important to you, it's probably not the best choice.  It is much more finnicky and delicate than the manual wind Cal. 507DR so the chances of needing warranty repair or general service earlier are much higher as well.  The Cal. 507DR, aside from being beautiful, is an excellent timekeeper as well as being ruggedly overbuilt.  It is a new caliber, so perhaps will be even further refined over time, but the amount of R&D Papa Hayek put into it have resulted in a fantastic movement out of the gate from all reports (from watchmakers and owners).

For me, I'd purchase the 7027 without hesitation even if I could only enjoy it in the privacy of my own home and on rare nights out. 

_john

Dear John,

Many thanks for your post.  I was able to visit the Breguet boutique yesterday and have decided to opt for either the 5907 YG or the 3330 YG. Unfortunately, whist at the boutique, I was under the distinct impression that the sales staff lacked sufficient knowlege of the movements and calibres. Which do you consider to be more reliable?  

Best ,

DAV1

Hi Dav,

The 3330 also uses the ultra-thin cal. 502.  I don't mean to sound like I hate this movement or anything (I feel like I've been bashing it a little lately), but it's pretty far from a "work-horse" caliber and my priorities definitely lean towards chronometric precision and reliability these days.  I do quite like the movement and find it quite beautiful and elegantly designed, just not ideal for a daily wearer IMHO.

The 5907 uses the Piguet 1150 with the automatic bits stripped off and a tasteful rear-mounted power reserve installed in their place.  The movement is much more attracitve than the one they show on the Breguet website, as the one they show still has the bridges milled with rotor recesses (510DR), but the more recent versions of the movement "look" much more naturally manual wind.  I think the latest version is the Cal. 511DR, which if I'm not mistaken has a slightly longer power reserve (96 hours compared to 72 hours) and a lower beat rate (21.6 kvph vs 28.8 kvph).  Frankly I'd prefer the shorter power reserve as the higher beat rate makes the movement a little more consistent beteween positions, but I definitely prefer the flat bridges as opposed to the old style, so it's a trade-off worth making overall IMHO.

I hope I didn't confuse the issue with all the techy bits about the Ref. 5907 movement, in either and all cases I believe it to be more accurate and reliable (as a generality) than the movement in the Ref. 3330.  Of course the Ref. 3330 just screams "Classique Breguet" and that is pretty hard to resist regardless of any practical considerations.

_john

Hi John,

Thanks for the post. Just placed a deposit with the Breguet boutique for the 5907 YG. Also decided to go for the deployment strap. Unfortunately, I have to wait a few weeks before I can pick it up.

Thanks for the advice; most appreciative.

Best,

DAV

Dav1,

Learn from another Conservative caught in another place and time.
In 1963, a simple liaison between a politician and a showgirl seems to have wreaked havoc in British politics.
Note that neither JFK's liaison with an actress nor RFK's multiplicities affected their politics in USA.
And the French will never vote for a President who does not have a mistress!
How things have changed in the UK - now it is quite machismo to be called "5-times-a-night" ala John Prescott and David Mellor.

Lesson 1: Wear 'stealth sobriety' in public and "get kinky with it at home" - leave the La Tradition at home.

Or learn from a foreign Liberal......er.....Democrat Bill who "never inhaled".
Lesson 2: Wear anything you damn well please and just be a good at what you do.

Good luck!
MTF formerly of Essex

He didn't start wearing the watch collection out until his terms were up.

_john

nt

You know why:
If anyone then asks You why You wear a fine timepiece,You can always tell them what fine watches Mr Putin wears on his wrist
While republican US presidents with all their wealth behind them wear Timex,Mr Putin stands to Russia's old love for watches and shows his retrograde perpetual calendar.Interesting isn't it?
Well,votes work a bit different there too.

not  to be taken too seriously,
regards,
Lutz