Breguet Tradition Quantième Rétrograde: Bringing The Founder’s Vision To Life
4 min read
In May 2022, Breguet announced the launch of the Tradition Quantième Rétrograde timepiece, the latest addition to its Tradition collection. Introduced in 2005, the Tradition collection is known to reveal the movement’s organs on the case side. The new timepiece reflects a contrast of monochrome blue and anthracite, embodied by its dial, date display and mechanism. The watch is a nod to the brand’s creator Abraham-Louis Breguet and his watches, including souscription, a 1797 watch that only comprised a single hand spanning the hours and minutes. It replicates the iconic designs of the bridges and mainplate, and honours his craft. Here’s a closer look at the timepiece.
It is all about the visuals
Available in rose gold, white gold and white gold and blue, this timepiece offers plenty in terms of looks. It has a blue off-centre dial that is complemented by the symmetrical design of the calibre. Encased in gold, the dial is secured using three screws and measures 40 mm in diameter. The gold dial features a hand-guilloché ‘Cloud de Paris’ motif and has open-tipped hands.
It features a retrograde date display which spans 180 degrees at the bottom of the dial to ensure optimum readability. Breguet was one of the first watchmakers to incorporate such a date display into its watches. Additionally, the watch features a pare-chute shock absorber system and anthracite-coated mainplate and bridges. The shapes of these elements are rooted in the watchmaker’s history.
There’s also a multi-level blue steel date hand sweeping across the watch. It has tiers to ensure that it flies above the movement, thus bolstering the overall aesthetic and functional flow of the watch. The timepiece has been dubbed a “visual variation”, and it is a remarkable one at that.
The makings of the watch
Powered by calibre 505Q, a self-winding movement, the watch comprises an inverted lever escapement and silicon horns. The same material is used to craft the balance-spring, making it resistant to wear and tear and boosting its resistance to magnetic fields. This way, you can rest assured of the timepiece’s accuracy.
Moreover, you can also set the date on the watch. To do so, you need to unscrew the pusher at 10 o’clock and then press the hand till your desired date is reached.
Inspirations galore
At the outset, the watch is inspired by souscription and tact watches fashioned by Breguet. Poor lighting and social etiquette had inspired Abraham-Louis Breguet to create a watch that could be used without the wearer having to look at it. So, he made it as tactile-forward as possible. This way, wearers could tell the time even when the watch was concealed in their pockets. All they had to do was feel the hour hand and the raised hour markers to tell the time.
In addition to that, the sapphire case back in this timepiece allows you to view the gold oscillating weight. Its shape is in keeping with the perpétuelle watch designed by Breguet in 1780.
To round up, the watch comes with a midnight blue-hued alligator leather strap with a gold pin buckle as its ultimate play on colours.
The Breguet Tradition collection is a celebration of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s creative vision. Inspired by the souscription and tact watches and comprising the watchmaker’s trademark designs, the Tradition Quantième Rétrograde 7597 makes for a stunning timepiece and a worthy heir to the collection.
