GEARED TOWARDS SIMPLICITY
This reference, diffusing an atmosphere unique to the manufacture, proposes a complication which is practical on a daily basis and can be easily adjusted via a screwed corrector using a patented mechanism.
The Tradition collection comprises watches boasting the same distinctive feature, a fully-visible caliber. With the Quantième Rétrograde 7597, Breguet unveils a new ode to fine watchmaking with a timepiece which center stages a breathtaking engineering scenography. On its off-centered hand-guilloché dial, a couple of blued steel hollow moon-tip hour and minute hands hover over Roman numerals. One of the manufacture’s classical signatures. Below, we discover the large barrel flanked by a symmetrically-set gear-train: center wheel at 8 o’clock, oscillating weight poised at 4 o’clock. In the lower part of the piece, a scale composed of odd numbers is used as a marker by a retrograde date. This scale is animated by a fine blue hand. To set it, a specific pusher placed at 10 o’clock invites to increase the date ever-so easily.
All this time data is driven by the selfwinding 505Q caliber, protected by an elegant 40 mm-diameter case, available in white or rose gold. Even though the gold oscillating weight is infused with the style of historic movements, the energy-transmitting components are totally up-to-the-minute: reverse in-line lever escapement with silicon horns and silicon Breguet balance spring. This device delivers autonomy of at least 50 hours once fully wound.
The Tradition Quantième Rétrograde 7597 is worn on an alligator strap clasped by an ardillon buckle.
Price: CHF36,900 (rose gold) – CHF37,700 (white gold) breguet.com
By Dan Diaconu