An Exclusive Look at an Exclusive Event – It’s Breguet, Breguet, Breguet!

I thought you might enjoy this report of a very exclusive and intimate evening with Breguet that was posted on the World Watch Forum by Mr. James Bond.  Bond, James Bond, is Perpetuelle.com’s Forum Moderator and watch enthusiast extraordinaire.   If you are a regular visitor of our forum, you will most certainly know James for his uncanny ability to leave no inquiry or post untouched (ie all who post will get a reply from James) – he is the consummate watch forum gentleman.

James has built some fantastic relationships over the couple years that I have had the privilege of knowing and working with him, and as a result of these relationships, well……we all get to see some very exclusive, very expensive watches in venues and events that most can only dream of getting an invitation to.  In this particular case, James takes us behind the scenes of a private event hosted by Montres Breguet and Dorfman, one of the most exclusive watch and jewelery stores in Boston.  If you are not familiar with Dorfman of Boston, click here to check out the Dorfman’s website here and you’ll see what I mean by exclusive. They only carry Patek Philippe, Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels, and of course Breguet.  Nothing but the absolute best at Dorfman – their motto is “Like No Other”.  Indeed.  Let’s just say that’s my kind of place.  If you are ever in Boston, drop by their luxurious 24 Newbury Street location and you won’t be disappointed.

And now to my point – to see more pictures of this special Breguet event, including some nice pics of many many many fine Breguet watches, CLICK HERE to see James Bond’s report.  There is even a video embedded in the report that James managed to shoot. Thanks James and next time won’t you take me with you?!?

The Breguet Classique Grande Complication – a Minute Repeater and Perpetual Calendar

CLICK HERE to see James Bond’s report full of pictures like the one you see above.

Tradition Meets Innovation

Set to debut at Baselworld 2010, the Breguet Tradition Fusee Tourbillon with Silicon Balance Spring (Ref 7047) represents the joining of traditional design with innovative materials.  Breguet’s “Tradition” collection is characterized by its very open, mechanical looking dial with a small sub-dial noting hours/minutes and of course a tourbillon.  It was just last year that Breguet introduced a new model in the anthracite color range, and the brand continues this year with the model you see below – 41mm platinum case, anthracite color, except now with silicon balance spring.  The movement is a Breguet Cal 569 – manual wind with 50 hrs power reserve.  More on this watch – and silicon balance springs – after the jump.

Montres Breguet has a long history of innovating with the balance spring, and in 2006 it introduced its first wristwatches with silicon balance springs and escapements.  As you may know, the balance spring is a very fine coil spring that is most often made of metal.  The balance spring is a vital and sometimes visible component of a mechanical watch, and I always enjoy watching  (with our without a loupe) a balance spring oscillate in perfect rhythm as it helps the watch to keep time.  The new thing about this “traditional” watch from Breguet is that it has a balance spring made of silicon.  Thus unlike a metal spring, the silicon balance spring is less vulnerable to the influences of gravity, heat and other external factors that could otherwise impede its crucial role.  As for magnetic fields, a silicon balance spring is pretty much  impervious.

Aside from all this talk about silicon balance springs, I think it is also noteworthy that this watch has a “fusee-and-chain” transmission system which is rarely seen in watches and usually only in those of the highest caliber.  It is a bit difficult to see in the photo.  Overall, this is not a watch for me – I find it a bit too edgy/atypical for a watch called “tradition”, not to mention that the price on this watch should be quite high – I would think at least $50k, but feel free to set me straight if you have any insight.

Perpetuelle.com Moderator James Bond recently attended a splendid “Get Together” (or “GTG” as the hard core watch enthusiasts refer to them) in Boston, MA.  The watches in attendance at this GTG were phenomenal and I wish I could have been there to enjoy them (I’m sure the people were nice, too).  In addition to a beautiful Rolex Red Daytona, the lineup of vintage watches was amazing.  I am sharing a couple teasers below, but you’ll need to click here to check out Mr. Bond’s full report on the Perpetuelle.com World Watch Forum.  Partial Listing of Watches in attendance include: Rolex “Red Daytona”, Vintage Ulysse Nardin, Vintage Omega Seamster 300, Vintage IWC, Pink dial Minerva, Omega Seamaster Broad Arrow, Chopard, Breguet Type XX, Omega SMP, (Vincent?) Calabrese.

Thanks for the great GTG report, James!

Rolex Red Daytona

Photo: James Bond

“Group Shot”

Photo: James Bond

Again, click here to check out Mr. Bond’s full report on the Perpetuelle.com World Watch Forum.

Only Watch is a charity auction of unique watches created by many of the most important watch brands in Switzerland. This exceptional event is held every two years in Monaco during the Monaco Yacht Show and is under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert 11. All the proceeds from Only Watch go to support research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The next Only Watch auction is organized in close collaboration with Patrizzi & Co and the Monaco Yacht Show, and will take place on 24 September 2009.

Participating brands include Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, BNB Concept, Bovet Fleurier, Breguet Montres, Cartier, Corum Montres, De Bethune, Delacour, Franck Muller, Frédérique Constant, Glashütte Uhrenbertrieb, Hermès, Hublot, Jaquet Droz, Louis Vuitton, Maximilian Büsser & Friends, Mont Blanc, Omega, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Richard Mille, Swatch, Tag Heuer, Tourneau Timepieces, Ulysse Nardin, Urwerk, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Zenith International.

Below is a mosaic of their “pieces uniques”  – you can view larger images and a quote from each respective brand about their 2009 “Only Watch” contribution HERE.