Breguet

WHL
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The Breguet Classique 7727 Chronometrie

I want to thank Stewart (docsnov) for the opportunity to take some photographs of his new Breguet Chronometrie, ref 7727. It is an outstanding watch and he has my congratulations on having added it to his fine collection.

The 7727 was first shown at Baselworld in 2012, and then again with some minor aesthetic changes at Baselworld in 2013. Moving from prototype to production has no doubt been a challenge, and production pieces have been coming out of Breguet’s Le Sentier facility at a slow trickle. I saw a white gold example at the New York boutique in May and this rose gold piece was the first I saw at an AD. I hope more of you will get the chance to experience it in person in the near future at a Breguet dealer near you. In the meantime, please enjoy the photos and some of my thoughts on this timepiece.

Historically speaking there have been many challenging factors, both internal and external to the movement, that watchmakers have had to deal with in creating regulating organs for their movements: pivots, lubrication, shock, temperature, and magnetism to name a few. All can effect timekeeping in undesirable ways.

With the Classique 7727 Chronometrie Breguet has employed some innovative thinking and advanced materials to limit these potential negatives. Watch houses have been incorporating silicon components in their watches for over a decade now, and the advantages of the material, especially with escapement parts, have been real. Silicon components require less, if any, lubrication, and with regard to external factors, are resistant to temperature changes and magnetic fields. Their use also has allows for Breguet to step up the beat rate to 10 Hz, or 72,000 VPH (twenty beats per second), which allows for a more accurate timekeeping and quicker recovery from shocks. Traditional materials cannot step up to such a high beat rate.

The surprising innovation of the Chronometrie is the use of magnetic pivots to hold the balance staff in position. The theoretical benefits of this is that the balance will keep the same amplitude no matter what position it is in, making for a more accurate timepiece. Breguet claims much tighter timekeeping tolerances for the Chronometrie compared with standard production watches: -1 sec/day to +3 sec/day is the tolerated range, and amplitude should be a consistent 300 degrees in all positions.

The timing machine that I have access to could neither read the high beat rate of the Chronometrie not determine the amplitude, so I cannot verify Breguet’s claims. I will leave it to docsnov to report on the general level of accuracy of his 7727.

The case of the 7727 is 41 mm in diameter, and the only options are rose gold and white gold. The signature fluted case band and soldered lugs are present here as on all Breguet models:

The silvered18K gold dial has a number of engine turned finishes on it. I especially appreciated the 40 wedges of the 2 seconds hand, which match the 40 beats that the watch makes in those two seconds it takes to make one rotation:

Watching that small hand fly around is one of the amusing and charming aspects of the watch. I don’t think I would ever tire of it.

The watch has a 60 hour power reserve

The cock to hold the pivot on the main plate side is incorporated into the dial, helping to keep the thickness of the watch nicely proportional to the diameter, and also bring a technological look to timepiece.

Regardless of the technology employed, the look of this watch is unmistakably Breguet. I admire how the brand honors both the aesthetic tradition and innovative spirit that A-L Breguet defined for his watches over two hundred years ago. Bravo!

Bill

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