Breguet Marks the 225th Anniversary of the Tourbillon with Spectacular New Launches

Founded by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1775, Swiss watchmaker Breguet, holds a significant place in the horological world as one of the oldest surviving brands, dedicated to the art of fine watchmaking. In fact, last year, the maison celebrated its 250th anniversary by launching some stellar timepieces such as the Classique Souscription 2025, the Type XX Chronograph anniversary model, the Classique 7235, and the Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255—all showcasing Breguet’s innovation and fine watchmaking prowess.

The Swiss watchmaking industry has made strides, thanks to one of the most important creations developed by Breguet—the tourbillon—still relevant in today’s day and age. Created 225 years ago on June 26, 1801, this mechanism was known to counter the effect of gravity on pocket watches and marine chronometers—prevalent back in the day—to ensure precision timekeeping for these devices. This year, Breguet pays tribute to this groundbreaking invention that changed the course of watchmaking, for which Abraham-Louis Breguet was granted a historic patent.  

A watch balance tends to slow down or go faster, depending on the position of the watch, mostly impacted by gravity. Breguet solved this issue by rotating the entire balance and escapement 360 degrees around their common axis once a minute. This constant rotation helped to nullify all the positional errors.

“Invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1801, the tourbillon remains one of the most complex complications in watchmaking. Its mastery embodies the technical excellence to which the House of Breguet has remained faithful for more than two centuries,” says Gregory Kissling, CEO in an official statement.

Over the years, the manufacture has continued its journey of pioneering innovation and drawing inspiration from the original mechanism and has launched three new timepieces to commemorate the 225th anniversary of the tourbillon, with the latest scientific breakthroughs. Here’s a quick glance at the new watches. 

Classique Tourbillon 7357

The Classique Tourbillon 7357 follows in the footsteps of a historic Breguet model: Ref. 3350, which was the first tourbillon wristwatch produced by Breguet in 1989. To mark the tourbillon’s 225th anniversary, the watch is available in two versions—platinum and 18-karat Breguet gold. Both versions feature guilloché dials and blue pomme hands, or better known as 'Breguet hands'. These models are powered by a new movement—the Cal. 187B, beating at a frequency of 18,000vph, and offering a power reserve of at least 60 hours—a great feat for a hand-wound calibre, which also preserves the historical character of this timepiece.

Tradition Tourbillon 7047

This new timepiece comes in a limited edition of 25 pieces, crafted in platinum. It features a dial and bridges, adorned with Bleu de France hue, and showcases a large fusee-and-chain bridge that appears on either side of the sub-dial. These elements contrast with a glacier-blue shade, which covers the main plate—offering a spectacular display on the watch's face. It is driven by the manual-winding Calibre 569, which keeps this timekeeper ticking for at least 55 hours, enabled by the Breguet silicon balance spring.

Marine Tourbillon Équation Marchante

Breguet was known for its mastery of producing marine chronometers back in the day. The new version of the Marine Équation Marchante 5887 is part of the third generation of this legendary collection, launched in 1990 and subsequently revamped in 2017.

Crafted in platinum, the watch comes in a 43.9mm-diameter case and features a dial adorned with Arabic numerals, applied in gold. The USP lies in the dial, composed of two parts. At the centre is a sapphire dial featuring a miniature painting done by hand in gradient-blue Grand Feu enamel —translucent on its underside. On the upper surface, one can see a miniature painting in luminescent enamel—depicting the night sky with its constellations and the moon in their exact positions as observed from Paris on 26 June 1801.

On turning the watch over, one can see the caseback adorned with a hand-engraved depiction of the 18th-century ship, the Royal Louis, sailing across the vast ocean, created using Breguet gold, which offers a beautiful contrast when paired with the rhodium-plated sky and sea. Water-resistant to 100m, the watch is offered with a blue strap and also comes with an option of a solid platinum bracelet and is limited to 25 pieces only.

Breguet’s tourbillon watches are hallmarks of complexity with an unlimited scope for innovation, and this ensures that the maison continues its legacy in the upper echelons of the watchmaking world.