Although the idea may seem much newer to some elements of the enthusiast community, the truth is that the watch industry’s trend toward vintage-inspired, heritage-driven reissue watches is nearly as old as the vintage watch collecting phenomenon itself. While vintage luxury watches began to be seriously appreciated and collected in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, by the middle of that latter decade, brands were already beginning to capitalize on the excitement with new, retro-styled takes on classic archival pieces. With that in mind, that means that the first iterations of the vintage reissue craze are approaching 30 years old — old enough to qualify as vintage references themselves. How, then, should today’s enthusiasts view this first crop of vintage-inspired reissue references in the modern market? Are these stuck in a limbo between older “true vintage” models and more desirable modern references, or could the now-vintage reissue boom of the ‘90s offer an ownership sweet spot between older, more fragile options and an often soulless modern watch landscape? There’s perhaps no better way to examine this question than with one of the finest, most charismatic vintage-inspired timepieces from the initial ‘90s boom: this circa 1996 Breguet Type XX ref. 3800.
For those who might not be familiar with the Breguet Type XX ref. 3800, it’s important to give this military-style pilot’s chronograph a bit of context. Back in 1952, the French military developed the Type 20 design standard for pilot’s chronograph watches, mandating (among other things) a highly legible matte-black dial with Arabic numerals, a flyback chronograph movement, a rotating bezel, and accuracy within +8/-8 seconds per day. These were strenuous standards for their day, intended to bring the aviators of the French Air Force and French Navy in line with the new demands of the burgeoning Jet Age, but a handful of watch brands took up the design brief to develop iterations for military use. Breguet, with its long-standing associations with both aviation and the French government, was a natural partner for this, and the brand continued producing military-issue examples of the Type 20 (along with a few thousand Type XX-marked civilian models) from early 1953 until 1960. Among military watch collectors, the original Breguet Type 20s stand as some of the most desirable, attractive, and technically impressive chronographs ever built, and decades after the line went out of production Type 20s were still revered by Breguet aficionados.
By the mid-1990s, however, Breguet was not the same government-supplying bastion of the watch industry it had been in the middle of the 20th century. After an extremely rocky decade in the ‘80s, which saw the brand offloaded by previous owner Chaumet amid ongoing struggles from the Quartz Crisis, the revered historic marque ended up in the hands of Investcorp S.A., a private equity firm based in Bahrain. Often, a private equity takeover can be a death knell for a legacy brand, but Investcorp saw the value in revitalizing the Breguet name, and as the sporting spearhead of this new campaign, the firm turned its attention to Breguet’s most sought-after military design: the original ‘50s-era Type 20. By 1995, the ref. 3800 Breguet Type XX “Aeronavale” was ready to take on the first wave of vintage-inspired releases from the watch industry, to be joined by the date-equipped ref. 3820 “Transatlantique” in 1997. From its introduction until its discontinuation in 2018, this generation of the Type XX family remained one of the most popular, accessible offerings in Breguet’s lineup, developing a devoted cult following over 23 years in production.
This particular Breguet Type XX ref. 3800 is a reasonably early example but remains a crisp and charming showcase of what makes these watches so fascinating. At 39.5mm wide, the stainless steel case is a solid midsize option for many wrists, thanks especially to its relatively short, downturned lugs. However, the 14.8mm overall thickness does give this design a solid wrist presence. Despite the design’s utilitarian-military roots (and the more simplistic execution of the ‘50s Type 20s), the ref. 3800 is still a Breguet, mixing serious functionality with the brand’s familiar elegance and refinement. Rather than a simple, functional brushed or matte finish, the entire case is mirror-polished, from the elegantly domed bezel insert to the slender unchamfered lugs. Of course, the real star of the show here is the brand’s signature fluted case side motif. While it may have originated on more delicate, dressy models, it imbues what would otherwise be a rather straightforward pilot’s watch case with a classical flourish for a timelessly luxurious feel on the wrist. Although this example misses out on some of the early-production ref. 3800 quirks, including the gold-capped screw-down crown and the 200-meter depth rating, this watch still maintains the short-lived unidirectional 12-hour bezel, as opposed to the more common bidirectional option. The engraved, black-filled bezel insert continues the Type XX’s elevated, classy approach to pilot’s chronograph design, with soft, airy Arabic numerals punctuated only by small dot markers at five-minute intervals. For the solid, polished caseback, Breguet opts for a simple, text-only military-style engraving, but still adds a touch of opulence here with a mix of typefaces. A 100-meter water resistance rating also helps to make this Breguet an impressively capable all-purpose tool watch.
Like the case, the dial of this Breguet Type XX ref. 3800 marries military-inspired utilitarian functionality with a classical sense of refinement and elegance. Every element here is thoughtfully balanced and embellished just enough to maintain the brand’s traditionally ornate sensibilities. Given that this is a primarily printed dial, much of this comes down to Breguet’s choice of line weights and typefaces. While the Arabic hour numerals are broad and easy to read at a glance, Breguet uses an antique-feeling serif font for these numbers to add a sense of solidity and old-school refinement. Likewise, the lollipop central chronograph seconds hand features a subtle, almost Art Nouveau-esque bulging taper along its length. Of course, the baroque Breguet script emblem at 12 o’clock is a highlight, but the printing of the three subdials is nearly as impressive. Both the 9 o’clock running seconds and the 6 o’clock chronograph hours display feature light, carefully balanced printed lines and numerals, and the slightly oversized 3 o’clock chronograph minutes register takes things further with a pared-back, graphic scale. Interestingly (and more than a little counter-intuitively), this is not a 15-minute register as it might appear at first glance. Instead, this subdial offers a 30-minute scale, with printed markers at two-minute intervals and larger lumed hashes every six minutes. Coupled with the teardrop-like pointed leaf hand, it’s a clean, open display and a showcase for this model’s unique patina.
As this is an early-run example, this particular Breguet Type XX ref. 3800 uses tritium lume, which has aged to a rich, even khaki tan. By the late ‘90s, Type XX models were all equipped with more stable Super-LumiNova, so finding a well-aged example with these sorts of warm tones is no easy feat. More than just warmth and careful graphic design, though, what really elevates the presentation of this dial is its use of texture and layering. The hours track is gently recessed, allowing both the outer minutes track and the central dial segment to catch changing light independently, while the subdials are recessed slightly further and topped with an extremely fine, tight azurage pattern. The main dial surface itself is an ultra-fine-grain matte black, lending the dial a luxe, satiny feel in certain conditions.
Inside the Breguet Type XX ref. 3800 beats the Lemania 1350-based Caliber 582 automatic flyback chronograph movement. Although purists may balk at the lack of a fully in-house movement inside a brand as prestigious as Breguet, the Caliber 582 exists in a sort of gray area. In 1992, Lemania was purchased by Breguet’s parent company Investcorp S.A., and by the introduction of the Type XX ref. 3800 in 1995, the movement house was fully run as a subsidiary of Breguet. Semantic arguments about pedigree aside, the Caliber 582 is a fascinating snapshot of the state of chronograph manufacturing in the mid-‘90s. On the one hand, this is an integrated flyback chronograph design, which is still a rarity among modern manufacturers. Overall performance figures are solid, if unspectacular by modern standards, including a 48-hour power reserve, a 28,800 bph beat rate, and unspecified but generally near chronometer-grade accuracy. However, it’s difficult to imagine a marque of Breguet’s stature using a cam-actuated chronograph in this day and age, instead of the more complex and prestigious column wheel. Furthermore, the Caliber 582 is robust by Breguet standards, but still far from bulletproof. With that said, these are still far more easily and affordably serviced movements than nearly anything else in the Breguet pantheon — in fact, this particular example will be undergoing servicing through our friends at Feldmar Watch shortly after press time.
Naturally, the original strap for this ‘90s-era Breguet Type XX ref. 3800 is long since gone, but an aftermarket strap in oxblood leather complements the warmth of the dial patina handsomely. While it may not have the original strap, though, this example does have its original presentation box, which might well be one of the most dramatic and attractive boxes in watchmaking. Rather than the usual polished wood or leather, Breguet leverages its aviation roots to create a unique wing-inspired display for the watch. Crafted of bead-blasted aluminum and studded with bright golden rivets, the Type XX’s box emulates the cross-section of an airplane wing with a broad front-facing display window to showcase the watch when it’s not being worn. It’s an intersection of clever themed design and craftsmanship that few watch boxes aim to capture even today, and it’s the only box in my personal collection that I proudly display on a shelf rather than in storage.
With the first vintage-inspired reissue watches approaching 30 years old, it’s now entirely possible to own a vintage timepiece that itself aims to capture an older era in horology. Does owning one of these first-generation reissues stack up against either their older counterparts or a modern reinterpretation? If this Breguet Type XX ref. 3800 is any indication, then this initial crop of vintage-inspired watches is a deeply underappreciated market segment in the modern community, especially as ‘90s-era vintage timepieces are currently becoming a larger part of the collecting landscape.
