2010s Breguet Classique Complications Tourbillon (Ref. 3358) 18K WG W/ Factory Diamond Case & MOP Guilloche Dial

When it comes to the names that have shaped the landscape of watchmaking as we know it today, there are few that have been more influential than Abraham-Louis Breguet. Credited with numerous horological innovations ranging from multiple different automatic winding systems to even the tourbillon itself, Breguet left an indelible mark on the watchmaking industry and his eponymous brand is one of the oldest still in operation today, with a rich history that dates all the way back to 1775.

What could possibly be better than a tourbillion from the original designers? This incredible and gravity-defying complication amazingly dates all the way back to 1795 when it was invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet himself. For those unfamiliar, a tourbillion is a function, or complication, within a timepiece where the hairspring(which regulates the timing accuracy of the watch) continuously rotates at 360º. This feat of engineering was invented to counteract the effect gravity has on the hairspring as the watch is being used or stored in different positions. Interestingly, all watches, except for quartz, are affected by gravity and keep time at a different rate depending on what position the watch is facing. For example, a watch facing up is going to keep time differently than the same watch upside down. The constant 360º degree rotation of a tourbillon movement counteracts most of these gravitational variables for very consistent timing accuracy in every position.

This tourbillon, conceived by Abraham-Louis Breguet two centuries earlier, became the subject of an extensive three-year research and development phase in 1987. The exploration of the Breguet tourbillon commenced under the joint efforts of Francis Bodet, Breguet's director, and Daniel Roth, a master watchmaker working under Breguet at the time. Collaborating closely with the renowned movement manufacturer Lemania, Bodet and Roth delved into the original Tourbillion to conceive a new movement. The fruit of their labor materialized in the form of the cal. 558, unveiled in 1990, featuring a one-minute tourbillon prominently showcased through a dial aperture. Following this venture, Daniel Roth split off from Breguet to establish his brand, though he chose to utilize the same foundational movement to drive his own tourbillons. This decision reflected the profound connection he harbored for the ébauche co-developed during the earlier collaboration. The trajectory of this movement took a notable turn when Nouvelle Lemania was acquired by Breguet in 1992, subsequently becoming part of the Swatch Group in 1999.

Utilizing the cal. 558 from Breguet the ref. 3358 is the most lush evolution of the Breguet Tourbillion. Featuring a beautifully executed mother or pearl guilloche dial with three distinguished surface textures, painted Breguet Numerals, and an ornately engraved movement plate surrounding the exposed tourbillon. The case is set in 18K white gold that is diamond set around the bezel, down the lugs, and even on the 18K white gold buckle.