For over two centuries, Breguet has honed the art of the tourbillon, a complication immortalized by its founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet. The numerous tourbillon watches released throughout its history have consistently exemplified beauty and craftsmanship. Given this rich heritage, it’s no surprise that Breguet’s tourbillons typically exude a sense of traditional elegance, often leaning towards designs that reflect technical precision.
However, Breguet’s latest offerings in the realm of tourbillon watches for women are delightful departures from the norm. While the Reine de Naples collection has often embraced aesthetic poetry, the Classique collection now welcomes two revamped Classique Ref. 3358 models that sparkle with whimsy and charm, diverging significantly from their predecessors.
The white gold “Starlit Night,” evoking the tranquility of a celestial evening, showcases a varnished blue mother-of-pearl dial. The hours and minutes are displayed on an off-centered subdial adorned with rhodium-plated gold hands. Five applied white gold stars grace this dial, with a serial number positioned at 4 o’clock. The watch face is further embellished with additional stars, six of which feature brilliant-cut diamonds. However, the pièce de résistance of this timepiece is its one-minute tourbillon, elegantly showcased through an aperture at the bottom of the dial. The tourbillon is held in place by a shooting star-shaped bridge, adorned with 45 diamonds in a snow setting, along with a central blue spinel as its pivoting stone.
Measuring a comfortable 35mm by 9.43mm, the Ref. 3358BB/VD/986D0 is accented with brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel, lugs, and clasp, with a rose-cut diamond adorning the crown.
Its rose gold counterpart, the Ref. 3358BR/8D/986D0 “Stunning Sight,” lives up to its name with 281 diamonds adorning the dial. Snow-set diamonds grace the area within the natural white mother-of-pearl chapter ring, while rows of graduated diamonds appear to emanate from the tourbillon on either side. The tourbillon bridge is a curved band of rose gold, set with 14 diamonds and a ruby pivot.
Turning over either reference reveals a sapphire caseback, offering a glimpse of the manual-winding 187 D movement. Operating at 2.5Hz, this movement provides a 50-hour power reserve. The hand-hammered base plate is engraved with the brand name, movement number, and “Brevet 7 Messidor An IX”—marking the year of the tourbillon’s patent according to the French Republican Calendar.
The “Starlit Night” model comes with a midnight blue alligator strap, while the “Stunning Sight” is paired with a red strap, both secured by triple-folding gold clasps adorned with 42 diamonds. Water-resistant to 30m, these timepieces join Breguet’s permanent collection, injecting contemporary allure into its esteemed lineup.
