Breguet Classique Chronographe 5287
Breguet’s new reference 5287 Classique Chronographe honours a legendary movement by giving the calibre 533.3 – initially known as 2310 – a newly designed caliber.
Designed in the 1940s by Albert Piguet at the Lémania workshops, the calibre CH 27 movement blank quickly won a reputation for its endurance and reliability.
It drew the attention of highly regarded brands, which preferred to use it for their chronographs rather than undertake the gigantic task of developing their own movement. Its popularity ensured its further evolution into the highly refined calibre 2310.
While column-wheel chronographs are notoriously difficult to make in general, the calibre 2310 has been made with particular exactitude to avoid any risk of juddering or seizure.
Fine-adjustment screws set the right depth of engagement between toothed wheels, while a friction spring acts as a slight brake on chronograph hand to prevent it from juddering. Beyond its technical performance, the calibre 2310 also displays its exceptional finish to admirers through the sapphire-crystal caseback.
Such a movement has to have a case of classic design. The 5287 is stylistically different from Breguet 5247, which honoured dials in fired enamels.
This timepiece has a 42.5mm case in white or rose gold, with a dial displaying a central chapter of hours and minutes and the seconds with a double hand at 9 o’clock. The chronograph indications are an elapsed-minutes counter at 3 o’clock and the red central chronograph hand. A tachometer scale to calculate speed discreetly surrounds the Roman hour numerals.
The dial is engine-turned in a hobnail pattern in the centre and in a circular barleycorn motif for the double seconds. Snailing for the minutes counter and cross-hatching complete the dial decorations.
This chronograph on a leather strap is water resistant to 3 bar (30m) and has a power reserve of 48 hours. Once again the Breguet Company introduces something new: a triple-blade folding clasp that is so much more comfortable to wear.
Technical details
Model: Breguet Classique Chronographe 5287
Ref. 5287BR/12/9ZV
Case
18-carat rose gold with a finely fluted caseband
Sapphire-crystal caseback
42.5mm diameter
Welded lugs with screw bars
Water resistant to 3 bar (30m)
Dial
18-carat gold, silvered and engine-turned in four different patterns
Individually numbered and signed BREGUET
Hours chapter with Roman numerals
Small seconds at 9 o’clock and 30 minutes counter at 3 o’clock
Tachometer scale around the hours chapter
Breguet open-tipped hands in polished steel
Movement
Hand-wound chronograph movement
Numbered and signed BREGUET. Cal. 533.3, 12 lignes, 24 Jewels
Power reserve of 48 hours
In-line Swiss lever escapement
Breguet balance spring
3Hz frequency
Adjusted in six positions
Strap
Leather strap with a triple-blade folding clasp
Versions
Also available in a white-gold case: ref. 5287BB/12/9ZV.
Also available with a black dial in a white- or rose-gold case: refs 5287BR/92/9ZV and 5287BB/92/9ZV
