Manufacture Breguet announces the creation of a line that will incorporate the latest innovations from its Research and Development department named, ‘Expérimentale’.
For 250 years, research and development have been the heartbeat of Breguet, a philosophy established by Abraham-Louis Breguet, the most prolific innovator of his era. From 1775 onward, he pioneered many of the foundations of modern horology, the tourbillon, the perpétuelle (self-winding) watch, the natural escapement, the constant-force escapement, the observation seconds (precursor to the chronograph), the shock absorber, the Breguet overcoil, the gong-spring, and even the first wristwatch.
In honour of this experimental spirit, the Manufacture has created a new, parallel line, the Expérimentale Collection. Its purpose: to debut cutting-edge technical and aesthetic developments—a preview of Breguet’s future.
The Expérimentale 1 marks the final chapter of Breguet’s 250th anniversary celebrations—yet also begins a new cycle. It is not a sudden creation, but the culmination of years of quiet R&D behind the Classique, Tradition, Marine, and Type XX lines. The Expérimentale programme explores four research pillars, advanced materials, electromagnetism, vibratory mechanics, and acoustics—science directly applied to horology.
In this context, placing the first Expérimentale piece within the Marine collection is deliberate. It recalls the moment in 1814 when A.-L. Breguet joined the Paris Bureau des Longitudes, and was later appointed Horloger de la Marine Royale—the highest honour for a watchmaker, requiring scientific mastery.
For Breguet, precision has always been the point of origin. Every major breakthrough from Abraham-Louis Breguet—from the tourbillon (patented 1801) to the constant-force invention (patented 1798)—was driven by a single obsession: measurable, repeatable accuracy. Two centuries later, the Expérimentale 1 continues these same two research lines, now pushed to unprecedented levels through the tourbillon, constant-force, and magnetic escapement that sit at the heart of this new model.
Since the early 2010s, Breguet has led the industry in the controlled use of magnetism—once a sworn enemy of mechanical watches. In the Expérimentale 1, these studies culminate in a new magnetic escapement architecture featuring:
- Two escape-wheels, each with a magnetic track
- A central pallet-lever with magnetic pallets
- A controlled magnetic field governing energy flow
This system takes inspiration from constant-force concepts. Below a defined torque threshold, the tourbillon stops immediately; above it, the balance runs at full amplitude.
By decoupling the impulses to the balance from the rotation of the escape-wheel, the design eliminates the inertia penalties typical of a Swiss lever escapement. As a result, Breguet has built:
- A tourbillon beating at 10 Hz (compared to the classic 2.5 Hz)
- A tourbillon faster than almost all non-tourbillon Swiss lever watches (3–4 Hz)
- Exceptional stability and accuracy
The Expérimentale 1 is certified under the Breguet Hallmark in the “Scientific” category, guaranteeing ±1 second per 24 hours—a metric normally associated with laboratory chronometry, not wristwatches.
To protect the mechanism from unintended magnetic effects, the movement relies on a strategic mix of modern materials:
- Silicon balance-spring
- LIGA NiP12 fixed fourth wheel
- Titanium and nivagauss components
- Non-magnetic architecture for all parts surrounding the tourbillon
An intermediate stop wheel between the magnetic escape-wheels prevents accidental jumps—critical at this frequency.
The Expérimentale 1 is presented in a 43.5 mm Breguet gold case shaped by the Marine collection’s proportions. Its design draws heavily on pocket watch No. 3448, adopting a regulator-style display and a perfectly symmetrical movement, now revealed in full through a sapphire dial that exposes every component. The layout places the hours at 6 o’clock, with minutes and the tourbillon seconds at 12 o’clock—a configuration used by A.-L. Breguet himself for superior clarity and precision. A patented twin-level barrel system, featuring double springs separated by sapphire and positioned at 3 and 9 o’clock, optimises energy delivery within the movement’s compact architecture. Traditional Breguet signatures complete the piece: a double-stepped fluted caseband, six sculpted lugs, blue ALD-treated gold accents, blued open-tipped hands with Super-LumiNova®, a secret signature on the sapphire dial and classic Breguet numerals.
The Expérimentale 1 introduces a new visual language for Breguet, beginning with solid gold bridges that replace traditional curves with sharp, architectural angles. Their satin-brushed surfaces and mirror-polished bevels emphasise this geometric precision, while the combination of Breguet gold and deep navy coatings creates a striking blend of warmth and intensity. Even the blue barrel springs are a first for the Manufacture.
The sapphire dial is supported by four gold pillars and displays the hours through three interconnected luminescent circles. A wide peripheral minutes track frames the chapter ring at 6 o’clock, while the tourbillon at 12 o’clock appears to break free of its boundary, positioned partly within the track and partly above it. Directly over the gold mainplate sits the Expérimentale 1 cartouche, symbolically crowning the composition and highlighting the centrepiece: the 10 Hz tourbillon with its constant-force magnetic escapement, held in place by a polished, rounded bridge housing the small seconds display.
Technical Specifications:
Breguet Expérimentale 1
E001BH/S9/5ZV
Key features
First piece in a new line dedicated to forward-looking Haute Horlogerie
First constant-force magnetic escapement
10 Hz tourbillon used as the main timekeeping basis
Regulator-type display inspired by the Breguet No. 3448
Breguet hallmark-certified in the scientific class (+/- 1s/day)
18K gold movement
Case
18K Breguet gold
Diameter 43.5 mm
Thickness 13.30 mm
Double-stepped fluted caseband
Hollowed-out close-set lugs with blue ALD-treated gold inlays
Crown with blue ALD-treated sandblasted gold inlay
Upper glass: box-type sapphire crystal, glare-proofed on both sides, hydrophobic
Lower glass: flat sapphire crystal, engraved with the 250th anniversary inscription, glare-proofed on both sides, hydrophobic
Water resistance: 10 bar (100 metres)
54 components
Dial
Sapphire dial glare-proofed on both sides
Regulator-type display: hours at 6 o’clock, offset minutes, seconds on the tourbillon
Gold applied chapter ring and seconds ring enhanced with Super-LumiNova®
Minutes track enhanced with Super-LumiNova®
Expérimentale 1 blue ALD-treated applique enhanced with Super-LumiNova
Breguet signature at 9 o’clock
Individual number at 3 o’clock
Secret signature at 11 o’clock and 1 o’clock on the minutes track
Open-tipped hands enhanced with Super-LumiNova®
Blue ALD-treated titanium seconds hand with Marine-anchor counterweight
Indications
Hours, minutes, seconds on the tourbillon cage
Movement
Caliber 7250, numbered and signed Breguet
Thickness 6.3 mm
33.8 mm wide, 15 lignes
6.3 mm thick
Movement certified with the Breguet hallmark in the Scientific category
18K gold Breguet movement blanks
Manual winding
Two series-coupled barrels with four blue springs
266 components
37 jewels
72-hour power reserve
Resistance to magnetic fields up to 600 gauss
Tourbillon
Constant-force magnetic escapement
Grade 2 titanium escape-wheel
NiP12 pallet-wheel
10 Hz frequency, 72,000 vibrations/hour
Breguet balance with flat silicon hairspring, non-magnetic balance-staff
Grade 5 titanium tourbillon blanks
Weight: 0.60 g
74 components (cage)
13.7 mm in diameter (cage)
5.45 mm thick (cage)
Strap
Blue rubber with tool-free interchangeability
Interchangeable 18K Breguet gold pin buckle
Breguet gold weight
104g
Warranty
Five-year international warranty
Limitation
75 pieces
Price
RRP CHF320,000.00
For more information please visit Breguet