Breguet Classique 7637 Répétition Minutes
With the new Classique 7637 Répétition Minutes model, Swiss luxury watch brand Breguet pays tribute to historic minute repeater watches created by Abraham-Louis Breguet.
First appeared in the 17th century, Minute repeater is one of the most venerable complications in watchmaking history.
This type of watches features a chiming mechanism, which produces acoustic indication of time on demand. In addition to chiming the hours, these timepieces also became able to sound the quarters and minutes.
In 1783, Abraham-Louis Breguet created the first repeating watches striking a spring blade instead of the bell-type gong used until then. Initially straight and placed across the back plate, these blades were later coiled around the movement. They offer the advantage of considerably reducing the thickness of chiming watches, while emitting clearer, more harmonious sounds.
This invention proved as useful as it was popular and was adopted by many watchmakers of that era. The founder of Breguet was also behind a number of quarter, half-quarter and minute striking mechanisms.
The Maison now presents the Classique 7637 Répétition Minutes wristwatch inspired by the minute repeaters made by Abraham-Louis Breguet.
On the black grand feu enamel dial, the Breguet Arabic numerals, the minutes track and the Breguet logo are highlighted in a powdered silver colour. The hours and minutes are displayed by open-tipped gold Breguet hands. Lastly, the minute repeater is activated by means of the dedicated slide at 9 o’clock.
The rose gold case measures 42 mm in diameter and it houses Calibre 567.2, whose balance oscillates at a frequency of 2.5 Hz.
The entirely hand-chased mechanical hand-wound movement can be admired through the sapphire crystal caseback, as can the hammers made of polished steel.
In addition to the aesthetic expertise of the hand-crafted decoration, this movement is ingenious in terms of the positioning of the gongs, gong-holders and hammers. The gongs are fixed to the case middle instead of the plate. As a result, they vibrate directly and transmit sound more effectively. Additionally, the gongs are crafted from gold to produce a harmonious sound quality with a wealth of partials (overtones).
Since the case is also made of gold, the components share the same acoustic impedance, thus providing better sound transmission and performance – a feature that has been duly patented by Breguet.
The new Classique Répétition Minutes in rose gold comes with a black alligator leather strap secured by a gold triple-blade folding clasp.
Within the same range, the watch is also available in white gold, with a grand feu enamel dial and alligator leather strap, the latter two elements in midnight blue.
Model: Breguet Classique 7637 Répétition Minutes, Reference 7637BR/2N/9ZU
Case
18K rose gold
Diameter: 42 mm
Thickness: 12.25 mm
Dial
Black grand feu enamel, Arabic numerals, secret signature
Movement
Hand-wound, entirely chased by hand
Functions: hours, minutes, minute repeater
Calibre: 567.2
Frequency: 2.5 Hz
Power reserve: 40 hours
Components: 358
Strap
Alligator leather strap, gold triple-blade folding clasp
