Unalloyed refinement joins utter elegance to describe the new model, number 5967, now joining the Classique Collection by Breguet. A case in yellow or white gold, 41 millimetres in diameter, frames an hour track with Roman numerals over which glide blued-steel Breguet hands tipped with off-centred moon crescents. The transparent sapphire case back reveals a superb 15¾-line hand-wound movement enhanced with “Côtes de Genève” decorative ribbing.

One striking feature of the watch is its gold dial’s Art Deco-inspired array of sharp-angled cubes, a pattern entirely engine-turned by hand. This new decorative concept is an original design devised by the Breguet company’s engine-turning workshop. The art of engraving dials on a rose engine constitutes one of the brand’s signature features, unchanged since its foundation over 230 years ago. As a craft, it requires inordinate steadiness and an exactingly precise touch on the part of every Breguet engine turner, often trained in-house. Another unbroken Breguet tradition, secret signatures continue to be engraved between eleven and one o’clock on the dial.

Haute joaillerie minute repeater

Till today, the minute repeater ranks supreme among horological complications. Universally admired, its intricate construction has remained the preserve of a few master watchmakers with the skill and patience to fit and adjust its delicate parts. In 2008, Breguet came out with a new way of designing these technological marvels, fitting them with an entirely re-engineered movement incorporating new materials and featuring innovative positions for the gongs, gong holders and hammers. This patented technique is now featured in the Breguet minute repeater no. 7637 and its high-jewellery version no. 7639.

A new achievement of Breguet’s acoustic laboratory and of its master watchmakers, the Classique Grande Complication 7639, adds the prestige of baguette diamonds to the minute repeater function. The new and unique diamond setting on the dial is inspired by the legendary guilloché dials from Breguet and re-invents the famous “Clou de Paris” pattern. Ideal for conveying sound vibrations beyond the case, the diamond’s hardness and pureness further improves the watch’s sonority by reducing vibration loss to a minimum.

Following the lead of major sound-system specialists, whose loudspeakers now feature diamond conduction, Breguet has decided to introduce a fully diamond-set design whose setting is as perfect as the acoustic performance of its minute repeater. Watch 7639 emits a spectacularly pure sound that is certain to delight any connoisseur of Haute Horlogerie. Including its bracelet attachments, crown and dial, the case is entirely covered in invisibly set diamonds that turn the watch into a fabulous gem. Another highlight of this exceptional timepiece are the musically themed engravings on the movement, an expression of the Breguet craftsman’s creativity and expertise.

Source: TheWatchAvenue