Mechanical Poetry
Breguet presents a dazzling tribute to its enduring legacy of precision and artistry.
By The Time Place Magazine
The influential Abraham-Louis Breguet invented the complex and poetic tourbillon in 1801 to counteract the effects of gravity on a watch’s movement, ensuring greater accuracy. More than two centuries later, this groundbreaking innovation remains a pillar of haute horlogerie, now reimagined in the dazzling Breguet Classique Tourbillon 3358, a timepiece with masterful gem-setting techniques showcasing the tourbillon beautifully encircled by gold and diamonds.
In a nutshell, the Breguet Classique Tourbillon 3358 transforms timekeeping into a spectacle of light and motion, showing a spectacular marriage of technical brilliance and artistic savoir-faire. A mesmerising snow-set diamond dial glistens at its heart with an organic, seemingly random arrangement of brilliant-cut stones, creating a luminous canvas for the signature Breguet numerals and blued steel hands. Intriguingly, the diamonds are also expertly arranged in close-knit rows to mask any trace of the supporting metal, and the gemstones elevate the timepiece’s appearance into a stunning visual tableau.
Framing this celestial display is an iridescent mother-of-pearl ring at 12 o’clock, which ensures perfect legibility. At the same time, ribbons of diamonds radiate outward, emanating from the elegant tourbillon at 6 o’clock. Housed in a refined 35 mm 18-carat white gold case—further adorned with diamonds along the bezel, lugs, as well as a rose-cut diamond for the crown—the timepiece then intricately showcases the delicate cadence of its movement against a backdrop that glimmers magnificently, enthralling everyone who sees it and leaving a lasting impression.
At the core of the Breguet Classique Tourbillon 3358 lies the calibre 187D, a hand-wound movement meticulously crafted in Breguet’s L’Orient workshops in the Vallée de Joux, Switzerland. This finely tuned mechanism beats at a traditional 2.5 Hz (18,000 vibrations per hour), and is comprised of 187 components and 21 jewels. Once fully wound, it delivers a substantial 50-hour power reserve, a testament to the brand’s expertise in high-performance watchmaking.
On the other hand, the one-minute tourbillon, which ensures the timepiece’s accuracy regardless of its position, is framed by an elliptical polished gold ring and a diamond-adorned curved bridge, elevating both function and artistry. Turning the watch over reveals a sapphire case back, showcasing a main plate with a unique, hand-stippled decoration reminiscent of the Moon’s textured surface. This artistic flourish ensures no two pieces are ever identical. This fusion of heritage, innovation, and beauty, along with a sky-blue alligator leather strap, makes the Breguet Classique Tourbillon 3358 a true collector’s treasure.
All in all, the Breguet Classique Tourbillon 3358 is a radiant embodiment of Breguet’s timeless ingenuity, where haute horology meets high jewellery. A poetic homage to precision, the tourbillon and the decorated calibre 187D beating at the heart of this masterpiece, guarantees accuracy that endures for generations while enchanting the wearer with its graceful rotation. Meanwhile, its dial adorned with snow-set diamonds and an iridescent mother-of-pearl hour track transforms timekeeping into an art form.
In a world of fleeting trends, this timepiece stands as an eternal symbol of refinement, seamlessly blending tradition with innovation. Meticulously designed and executed, this latest reference encapsulates two of Breguet’s greatest strengths—technical excellence and aesthetic brilliance—in a timepiece that is as precise as it is breathtaking. A true collector’s piece, the Breguet Classique Tourbillon 3358 is a dazzling celebration and a tribute to watchmaking heritage, seamlessly merging past and present in an eternal dance of craftsmanship, precision and elegance.
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