Breguet Turns Back the Clock with Two New Classique Répétition Minutes Watches

When you think of Breguet, founded in Paris in 1775,  you are bound to be reminded of the brand’s extraordinary feats. It has been credited with several awe-inspiring complications, such as tourbillon, self-winding movement, perpetual calendar, and minute repeater. Now, the revered luxury watch brand pays tribute to its legacy of minute repeaters with two new Classique Répétition Minutes. These include an 18 ct rose gold watch with black grand feu enamel, Ref. (7637BR/2N/9ZU), and a white gold timepiece with a midnight blue dial, Ref. (7637BB/2Y/9ZU).

In the new Classique 7637 Répétition Minutes, the acoustic time indication is executed with the help of hammers and sound springs. The gongs, made of gold, produce sounds via hand-decorated, polished hammers and the mainsprings, which are attached to the middle part of the case, instead of the plate, to transmit sound more effectively. To this day, Breguet follows its traditional path of creating a separate tone for each unit of time (hour, quarter of an hour, minute).

‍The Case

The 42 mm watches come in 18 ct rose or white gold cases. Each dial comes with a sapphire crystal boasting grand feu enamel protection. Both watches comprise welded lugs, crowns, and a latch on the left side of the case at 9 o’clock to activate the minute repeater mechanism, all in the same material, matching their respective case variants. 

‍The Dial

The rose gold model comes with a black dial while the white gold variant has a midnight blue dial, both featuring signature Breguet with eccentric “moon” tip hands, indicating the hours and minutes. Both have Breguet-style Arabic numerals with small stars for the minutes in a powdery silver tone.

The dials are very clean, representing an extensive grand feu enamel process. This process uses a coloured powder, consisting of ground silicon dioxide and oxides, which is applied to the dial after being dissolved in water. The reason why grand feu enamel is so complex is that after application of each layer of colour, a firing process must be initiated in the kiln at over 800°C for a set period of time. It can take up to several weeks to obtain the desired shade.

‍The Movement & the Strap

The Breguet Classique 7637 Répétition Minutes features the manual winding movement, Calibre 567.2, with a power reserve of 40 hours. Turning each watch over showcases the sapphire open caseback with its ornamental decorations and an oscillating weight. In addition, a guilloche-with-a-wave motif adorns the rose gold caseback.

The Classique Répétition Minutes watches are also fitted with black alligator leather straps, secured by gold triple-blade folding clasps. Within the same range, the watches are also available in white gold, with grand feu enamel dials and alligator leather straps, secured by white gold triple-blade folding clasps.