Breguet is far more than a name on a dial — it is the embodiment of one man’s extraordinary vision.
Abraham-Louis Breguet was not only an inventor of mechanical marvels, but an architect of modern watchmaking language itself. His work, at once technical and poetic, continues to inspire horologists and collectors across the world.
The instantly recognisable ‘Breguet hands’ — so often emulated but never equalled — are a lasting testament to his mastery of form and function. The Classique 7235, with its refined geometry and harmonious symmetry, reflects the timeless principles that Breguet himself established more than two centuries ago.
There is a fascinating paradox at the heart of Breguet’s legacy. What we now revere as the very definition of classicism was, in its own time, profoundly avant-garde.
When Abraham-Louis Breguet arrived in Paris in 1775, horological design was dominated by ornate and cluttered dials, steeped in baroque excess. These watches were decorative, certainly, but they lacked clarity and cohesion. The French and English schools were stylistically distinct, while Swiss watchmaking had yet to find its voice.
Breguet changed all that. With a refined sense of proportion and an eye for legibility, he stripped away the superfluous and redefined beauty through simplicity. His creations spoke a new language — elegant, logical, and effortlessly balanced.
Breguet’s genius lay in the way he unified technical innovation with aesthetic refinement. His approach to dial design reflected the precision of his engineering: every element served a purpose, every surface had intent.
He introduced layered dials, guilloché textures, and off-centred indications that drew the eye with subtle asymmetry. The result was an entirely new visual identity — one that made time not just visible, but beautifully comprehensible.
This integration of art and science was revolutionary. Breguet’s designs became a universal template, influencing generations of watchmakers who continue to borrow from his visual vocabulary today.
Over a career spanning nearly half a century, Abraham-Louis Breguet maintained an unwavering discipline — a commitment to innovation guided by restraint. His watches were never ostentatious; they were intelligent, poetic expressions of precision.
That same philosophy endures at the Manufacture today. Each Breguet timepiece is a dialogue between past and present — a continuation of the ideals that once transformed horology itself.
Two and a half centuries on, Breguet’s brilliance still illuminates the world of Haute Horlogerie. His legacy is not frozen in time; it moves with it, shaping the very rhythm of watchmaking excellence.
On the dial side, the timepiece echoes most of the complications of the No. 5 watch above (delivered on 14 March 1794), as well as their general layout: two central hands, power reserve between 10 and 11 o’clock, moon phase at 2 o’clock and small seconds at 5 o’clock. At Breguet, complications have always been gracefully displayed on dials that are always different yet guided by the same sense of balance.
The small seconds, positioned between V and VI o’clock, is a nod to many of the house’s historical timepieces, on which the small seconds was rarely placed at VI o’clock. Sobriety and clarity never excluded a touch of whimsy.
In 2025 Breguet created a new calibre to power the Classique 7235: the 502.3.DRL is a self-winding mechanism equipped with a silicon balance-spring. It is is remarkable slim, since despite its three additional complications animations (alongside the hours and minutes), it is less than 4 mm thick, at 3.95 mm (for a 32.4 mm diameter).
To mark its 250th anniversary, Manufacture Breguet is steadily unveiling creations that place particular emphasis on finishing. The Classique 7235 is no exception. It is crafted in 18K Breguet gold. The same precious alloy also adorns the dial, which features a hand-guilloché “Quai de l’Horloge” motif, A.-L. Breguet’s historical address in Paris.
Technical Specifications:
Key Features
Classique 7235 with moon phase in 18K Breguet gold, power reserve and small seconds, Calibre 502.3. DRL, 3 Hz and 45-hour power reserve, 39 m-diameter case in 18K Breguet gold, hand-guilloché “Quai de l’Horloge” caseband, dial in 18K Breguet gold adorned with the same guilloché, Roman numerals on the chapter ring, Arabic numerals on the moon phase, small seconds and power reserve, Breguet blue steel hollow-tipped hours and minutes hands, blued steel seconds and power-reserve hands, alligator leather strap. Numbered 250-piece limited edition.
Case
18K Breguet gold
39 mm in diameter
9.9 mm thick
Hand-guilloché “Quai de l’Horloge” middle
Spherical crystal glare-proofed on both sides
Caseback engraved with the inscription “BREGUET 250 YEARS”, anti-reflective on both sides along with anti-fingerprint coating and glare-proofed
Hand-guilloché caseback with “Quai de l’Horloge” motif
Caseback hand-engraved with 1/250 to 250/250
Water resistance to 3 bar (30 metres)
Dial
18K Breguet gold adorned with guilloché “Quai de l’Horloge” motif
Roman numerals on the chapter ring
Arabic numerals on the moon phase at 2 o’clock, small seconds at 5 o’clock and power reserve at 10:30
Breguet blued steel hours and minutes hands
Blued steel seconds and power-reserve hands
Hand-guilloché Breguet cartouche
Indications
Hours, minutes, seconds, moon phase, power reserve
For more information please visit Breguet