Breguet - Classique Extra-Plate 5157

Timeless aesthetic is a proper definition for the new Breguet Classique Extra-Plate 5157 unveiled at Baselworld 2018 last month.

The distinctive Breguet style is perfectly represented by this rose gold ultra-thin timepiece.

The 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour) self-winding Calibre 502.3 movement with silicon balance spring and 45 hours of power reserve is housed in a 38 mm x 5.45 mm case with delicate fluting on the caseband.

A perfect frame for the silvered gold engine-turned dial bearing the traditional “Clous de Paris” hobnail style.

Engine-turning is an engraving technique favoured by master watchmakers from the 16th century onwards. Initially used to enhance watch cases, it was soon adopted by A.-L. Breguet for dials. They are hand-crafted according to ancestral methods, and the finesse of the resulting details still stems from jealously kept production secrets.

Engine-turning is done as it was in the past on a rose engine (for circular decoration) or a “straight-line” engine (for linear motifs), and is still a distinctive hallmark of a Breguet timepiece. More than merely decorative, a guilloché pattern offers the advantage of suppressing the reflection of light on metal dial plates.

On this Classique Extra-Plate watch in rose gold, the time is shown by the traditional Breguet open-tipped hands in blued steel. With their circle motifs hollowed out in eccentric fashion, they add irresistible elegance to a watch. Designed by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1783, they became an immediate success demonstrated by the fact that the term ‘Breguet hands’ soon entered the vocabulary of watchmaking.

Breguet’s secret signature is engraved on either side of the 12 o’clock numeral. A.-L. Breguet introduced it when he realised that his creations were being counterfeited. This signature remains a true token of authenticity.

The Breguet Classique Extra-Plate 5157 (ref. 5157BR/11/9V6) is matched to an alligator leather strap with pin buckle and has a price of Euro 18,600. breguet.com