These two timepieces are part of the Breguet Tradition watch collection. This is not to be confused with Breguet’s Heritage watch collection. Easy to mix up those two of course. Breguet’s notoriety started long ago and for good reason. Having personally inspected antique Breguet pocket watches I can attest to their excellent design and quality. They really were something ahead of their time. Today’s Breguet brand under the Swatch Group attempts to retain the magic and aesthetic of traditional Breguet movements with pieces such as this reference 7047BR (7047) and 7067BR (7067).
Back before I had a decent flash and macro lens for my camera I wrote about the Breguet 7047 watch here. If you read that article you’ll notice that I wasn’t too keen on the watch because of the finishing. Two years later I find myself handing the same watch with a different finishing and my feelings are totally different. Little changes to the way a surface is done can have a huge effect on what a watch looks like. The 7047BR is back in my good graces, and thankfully so. It is hard to sneer at a piece with a fusee and chain transmission. I just think that those are too cool.
As I look at these pieces a sadness comes over me. Why you ask? Well because I can just hear a bunch of sleeze-tongued acolyte-minded fashion-types gushing reprehensibly at how amazing watches in the Breguet Tradition collection are. It is true that the watches are amazing, but those people don’t know why. These watches are easy to enjoy visually, but I sort of want them to be more underground, because it takes a true education and long understanding of horology to appreciate timepieces of this caliber. Whatever, if you have the money buy whatever you like. Just know what you are getting.
That is a strange element of the luxury world. Too often the types who really appreciate the goods can’t afford them. Those that can often don’t have the incentive to become educated. This isn’t like a complex machine that requires a class to operate. Not at all, this is a machine with one little crown that a genius or moron could ostensibly operate. So what reason aside from sheer curiosity would your regular Joe M(B)illionaire have for reading the dribble watch companies author to sit alongside pretty pictures? Not everyone can have the watch bug right?
Anyhow, let’s get into these pretty pieces. The highly domed sapphire crystals on the Tradition watches act as a display bubble making for a nice view of the innards that you can see from the top and sides. Breguet designed the movements so that the mechanics are mostly top, versus bottom-mounted. That makes the caseback windows a bit lacking when it comes to seeing stuff, but at least you understand why. The rear of the Breguet 7067BR watch does have a power reserve indicator. That is nice.
Speaking of the 7067BR, (does that bloody “BR” really need to be there?), it’s a dual time zone Tradition model with a beautiful design. The case is all Breguet with its fluted side and customary looking lugs. The case is 40mm wide and available in 18k white or rose gold. Inside the watch is the Breguet caliber 507 DRF manually wound movement. I love the frosted anthracite gray surfaces. The movement has two times, a day/night indicator for the reference time, and a power reserve indicator. It has 50 hours of power reserve and silicon balance spring. Of course it is nice to have the escapement on the dial so that your eyes are treated with regular movement.
The visual balance of the Tradition 7067 is delightful. It all works together and there is a lot to see. The many finishes on the dial really help it standout as a high-class luxury item. The 7047BR model is a different beast altogether even if it looks similar at a glance. This piece is much higher-end because it has a tourbillon and fusee and chain transmission. Those two little features add an easy $100,000 to the price – with the price of a Tradition 7047 watch being about $150,000. Does that make the 7067 feel like a relative bargain?
Just 1mm wider than the 7067, the 7047’s 41mm width looks happy in 18k rose gold. This metal with the particular frosted anthracite finishing on the movement is the sexiest skin I have seen for this piece. That black machine-engraved off-centered dial just looks so good with the rose gold case and polished elements in the movement. This really is a piece for the king connoisseur who likes to see his spinning whirlwind escapements and tiny bicycle chain style power transmission systems. These two complications are actually age-old. I wonder if the same type of guy got kicks from it 200 years ago. How sweet would it be to get a nerd-prime watch lover from today with one from back then? Would they still complain about watch case sizes?
Inside the Breguet Tradition 7047BR watch is a Breguet caliber 569 manually wound movement with a 50 hour power reserve. The large diameter balance wheel in the tourbillon is done in titanium, and the balance spring is once again in silicon. I really do enjoy that Breguet makes many of its balance springs in silicon these days. These two watches in the Breguet Tradition collection are beautiful, but please don’t compliment them just because you think it is cool to do so. Get to know these classy dames first… then you can compliment their derrieres.
