Breguet

foversta
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Baselworld 2011: my visit at the Breguet booth

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 !

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