Introduced in 2005, the Breguet Tradition timepieces boast a unique feature: the movement components are showcased on top of the main-plate.
This year Breguet presents a new design version of the Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097 with a blue colored guilloche dial. This new timepiece will be exclusively available in Breguet boutiques.
This wristwatch, like the rest of the collection, inspired by the subscription watches, recalls the genius of Abraham-Louis Breguet who first invented these one-hand pocket watches in 1796. They were fitted with a special movement of great simplicity and sold by subscription: a down payment of a quarter of the price on order and the rest on delivery. A.-L. Breguet used the movements of his subscription watches to create his first tact watches.
The Tradition 7097 pays tribute to the beauty of the calibers of the subscription and tact watches by revealing the bridges, wheels, escapement, barrel and other components of the movement, which are usually hidden beneath the mainplate. Refined finishing enhances the visual balance displayed by the symmetrical bridges.
The bridges and mainplate are decorated to achieve a uniform, finely grained surface, which requires rare skill and faultless execution. The gold winding rotor borrows its shape from historical movements while the classic clous de Paris (hobnailing) guilloche pattern, executed by hand, highlights the blue dial in gold, positioned off-center at 12 o’clock.
This timepiece gets its name from the retrograde seconds hand at 10 o’clock. The hours and minutes are shown by Breguet-style open-tipped hands in rhodium-plated steel. In order to provide optimum readability and to highlight the retrograde seconds’ complication, Breguet watchmakers used a semicircle with a circular brushed finish superimposed on the dial.
To maintain the symmetry, the pare-chute is located at 4 o’clock. This Breguet invention, which protects the balance staff from shocks, can be identified at a glance as the emblematic feature of the Tradition collection. It is the forbear of all the shock-protection mechanisms in use in watch-making today, including the Incabloc system.
The 7097 reference features a 40mm white gold case that houses a movement with an inverted in-line lever escapement with silicon pallets and a silicon Breguet overcoil balance spring that guarantee exceptional precision.
Technical details
Model: Breguet Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097
REF. 7097BB/GY/9WU
Case
18-carat white gold with delicately fluted caseband
Sapphire-crystal caseback
40mm diameter
Welded lugs with screw bars
Water resistant to 3 bar (30m)
Dial
Blue dial in gold, engine-turned and offset at 12 o’clock
Individually numbered and signed Breguet
Hours chapter with Roman numerals
Retrograde small seconds at 10 o’clock
Breguet open-tipped hands in rhodium-plated steel
Movement
Self-winding movement numbered and signed Breguet. Cal. 505SR1
14½ lignes
38 jewels
50 hours power reserve
Gold winding rotor borrowing its style from Breguet antique watches
Straight-line inverted lever escapement with silicon pallets
Breguet overcoil balance spring in silicon
Balance frequency: 3Hz
Adjusted in 6 positions
Strap
Blue leather strap
Availability
Available in Breguet boutiques around the world
