A crowning achievement of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s inventions and inseparable from the Maison’s technical expertise, this mechanism, as complex as it is poetic, reveals the gentle rhythm of its dance within a setting that sparkles brilliantly on the Classique Tourbillon 3358 timepiece.
Surrounded by a dazzling array of diamonds that the tourbillon, this remarkable innovation patented in 1801 to counteract the effects of gravity on a watch’s movement, performs its coryphée-like magic, laying down its undulating beats, powered by the manually wound in-house calibre 187D.
Positioned at the base of the precious face of the Classique Tourbillon, the ingenious regulator thus echoes the passage of hours and minutes, together tracing the silhouette of a harmonious lemniscate.
Abraham-Louis Breguet, at the centre of gravity
In the early years following his arrival in France, the Neuchâtel-born watchmaker honed his skills with great horologists such as Ferdinand Berthoud and Jean-Antoine Lépine. However, it was under the guidance of Abbé Joseph-François Marie that he developed a passion for science, particularly mathematics and physics. The Cartesian talent of Abraham-Louis Breguet guided him in all his mechanical endeavours and technical innovations, which he developed in his workshop on the Île de la Cité, in the very heart of Paris.
Among these inventions, considered the foundation of modern watchmaking, is the “tourbillon regulator,” a term borrowed from astronomy to describe a system that places all the elements of the escapement on a moving part that rotates on its own axis. The purpose of the tourbillon, as explained by Abraham-Louis Breguet when he patented his creation on June 26, 1801 (patent of 7 Messidor Year IX), is to counteract the harmful effects of Earth’s gravity that disrupt the precision of pocket watches, thereby mitigating discrepancies in timekeeping.
Classique Tourbillon 3358, the lyricism of technique
The latest addition to the collection, this reference embodies two of the major forces born from the genius of Abraham-Louis Breguet to offer a timepiece as precise as it is legible: the performance of mechanics and aesthetics to enhance information retrieval. The technical spirit thus acts in tandem in this piece, operating within the manually wound in-house calibre 187D, which houses the tourbillon encircled by gold and diamonds, and in the mastery of several gem-setting techniques, like the hypnotic “snow” setting.
The in-house calibre 187D tourbillon
The new Classique Tourbillon 3358 is powered by the calibre 187D, a manually wound movement crafted by Breguet in its workshops in L’Orient, in the Vallée de Joux, Switzerland. Assembled with 187 components and incorporating 21 jewels, this high-performance heart, equipped with a Breguet balance spring in steel, beats at the gentle frequency of 2.5 Hz, or 18,000 vibrations per hour. Once fully wound, it offers a power reserve of 50 hours.
The in-house calibre 187D featuring contemporary finishings, welcomes the “tourbillon regulator,” created by Abraham-Louis Breguet over two centuries ago. Like a metronome that keeps time with a rotation completed in one minute, it ensures the watch’s precision regardless of its position. On the Classique Tourbillon 3358, it appears transparently at the bottom of the dial through a circular aperture framed by an elliptical polished gold ring. A ribbon of diamonds adorns the slightly curved gold bridge that holds it in place.
On the back of this model, equipped with a sapphire glass, the main plate is adorned with a shimmering decoration, manually stippled using a diamond burr. The material is delicately hollowed out to reveal reflections and reliefs, creating an effect reminiscent of the Moon’s ashen surface. While the process is identical for all pieces, their final appearance is unique, thanks to the additional soul instilled by the artisans.
A lemniscate of diamonds and mother-of-pearl
To beautifully accompany the rhythmic rotations of the regulator, the Maison has chosen to cover the centre of the dial with brilliant-cut diamonds using the jeweler’s snow-setting technique. Utilizing six different diameters, the artisans have set each precious stone on the gold disk in a random arrangement. Skilfully placed in tight rows to mask any trace of the supporting metal, the gems transform the face of the Classique Tourbillon 3358 into a dazzling landscape.
Along the flange, ribbons of diamonds form arcs of circles emanating from the ovoid opening at 6 o’clock, converging toward a wide ring of natural white mother-of-pearl, off-centred at 12 o’clock. This iridescent ring bears the hour track composed of black Breguet numerals, which are swept over by two delicate Breguet-style open-tipped hands in blued steel.
To perfect this luminous harmony, the 35mm case, crafted in 18K white gold and with a refined thickness of 9.3mm, features a bezel and lugs adorned with brilliant-cut diamonds. The crown, positioned on the fluted caseband, is topped with a rose-cut diamond.
This new Classique Tourbillon 3358 is offered with a sky-blue alligator leather strap, connected by a triple-blade gold folding clasp set with diamonds.
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