Hands On: Breguet Classique Tourbillon 7357

Hands On: Breguet Classique Tourbillon 7357 A Breguet classic refined and sharpened.As it undergoes a late-in-life rejuvenation, Breguet has been steadily updating models long in its catalogue, including its range of tourbillon watches. The Classique Tourbillon 7357 is the long overdue evolution of the 3350/3357 that was introduced way back in 1989. Upgraded inside and out, the 7357 is the new entry-level offering amongst Breguet’s tourbillon watches, but it is now more obviously haute horlogerie with a new look and a new(ish) movement. The details and finishing of the 7357 illustrate Breguet’s manufacturing quality, despite being based on a model from three decades ago. Initial thoughts The 7357 is essentially the 3357, upgraded in every respect. Even though the watch pictured is a prototype, and not perfectly clean, the improvements in finishing, materials, and construction are obvious. Compared to the competition, the 3357 was arguably out of date even 20 years ago; in contrast, the 7357 is competitive. The decoration has jumped several steps upwards, which is most visible on the front with a refined tourbillon bridge. While the movement architecture is based on the Lemania cal. 387 of the 3350/3357, it now boasts a longer power reserve and non-magnetic hairspring amongst other upgrades. Like many of the other facelifted Breguet models, the 7357 adopts a new look but one that’s still recognisably Breguet – a gentle diversification away from the established Breguet wristwatch style. The 7357 has a 1950s-style case that does away with the narrow, straight lugs that long defined Breguet wristwatches, and employs Arabic numeral instead of Romans, but still in the Breguet style. It’s a good looking watch that remains quintessentially Breguet. In sum, the 7357 illustrates Breguet’s strengths and weaknesses. The 7357 is a handsome, appealing watch with quality that matches its looks. The design, complication, and movement reflect Breguet’s storied history. But the movement is fundamentally an old construction, and it’s difficult to imagine it can be meaningfully upgraded beyond this, which means Breguet needs to continue its technical progress, especially since it was standing still for some time. The signature tourbillon The 7357 debuts in two guises, platinum and Breguet gold, the brand’s proprietary yellow gold alloy. With its grey and blue palette, the platinum 7357 looks more modern. It’s perhaps a little bit too modern, enough that it doesn’t really feel like classic Breguet to my eye. The Breguet gold version, on the other hand, lives up to its name. It is very Breguet and my pick of the two. Both versions have the same case that’s a compact 35 mm wide. It’s also just 9.2 mm tall, giving it the feel of a vintage watch, which complements the case design. The case is a mid-20th century style found on Breguet wristwatches of that earlier period, but recently revived. The design was first used on last year’s one-handed Souscription, which was probably the first significant bit of creative design at Breguet in a long, long time. The case still has the trademark fluting on its band, along with a domed bezel and back, but the straight lugs have been replaced by curved, integrated lugs. The new lugs are still soldered to the case by hand, but look a little less formal than the straight lugs they replace. Surprisingly, the 7357 is a little smaller than the 3357 of the 1990s. Because of the size, the dial and movement fill the case exactly; the movement is in the right case, which is not always the case in modern watches, no pun intended. The size gives the engine turned dial more oomph, especially on the Breguet gold version. Both iterations of the 7357 have the same dial that’s solid gold and guilloche, but in a different colour. Although the dial is still largely traditional in design and execution, it feels more modern than the 3357’s. Despite seeming more contemporary, the 7357’s dial is clearly higher quality. The engine turning, for instance, is finer and sharper. The dial is composed of multiple parts, giving it some depth, and offers a mix of engine-turned patterns — requiring both rose and straight-line engines — for a little variety. The Arabic Breguet-style numerals are a pleasing departure from the norm, as the majority of Breguet dials still employ Roman numerals. The focal point of the dial, of course, is not the dial itself but the tourbillon at six o’clock. Compared to the 3357, the tourbillon has clearly been reworked to be more visually appealing, especially with the open-worked bridge that is more refined and more proportional relative to the dial. Notably, the tourbillon cage itself has been redesigned. Though the finishing is similar, or perhaps a little better, the cage is a little simpler in form compared to its predecessor. Lemania revived The cal. 187B inside is derived from the Lemania cal. 387 (dubbed the cal. 558 by Breguet) that has powered generations of Breguet tourbillon wristwatches, but it has been reworked both stylistically and functionally. The specs of the cal. 187B reveal the extent of the technical upgrade. Amongst other things the power reserve has risen about 50% to 60 hours (likely achieved via the usual tweaks), and the tourbillon employs a silicon pallet lever and Nivachron hairspring to maximise magnetism resistance. That said, the upgrades were done within the confines of the original architecture; further enhancements would likely require an all-new platform. In that sense, the cal. 187B might prove to be the final technical evolution of Breguet’s original wristwatch tourbillon calibre. The decorative upgrades are arguably more extensive. The original cal. 558 was finished in a more ornamental style that was popular in the 1990s. In contrast, the cal. 187B is just as comprehensively decorated, but the repeating geometric pattern of the guilloche gives it a more contemporary feel. The obvious decoration include the engine turning on the full plate on the back, and the reworked tourbillon bridge on the front. While the 3357 had a somewhat clunky flat bridge, the 7357 has an open-worked bridge modelled on 20th-century observatory pocket watches. An example of the finer details are the polished pins for the underside of the tourbillon assembly. Another example of the attention to detail is the colour-matched screws for the plate on the back; the gold model has a gold-plated plate secured by gilded screws. Overall, the movement is as good as it gets for a watch of this price made by a brand of this scale, making it competitive with the offerings from Vacheron Constantin, for instance. It is not quite high-end artisanal in nature, though I suspect that is more a limitation of the dated construction and manufacturing than ambition. Key facts and price Breguet Classique Tourbillon Ref. 7357PT/1A/386 (platinum) Ref. 7357BH/1H/386 (Breguet gold) Diameter: 35 mm Height: 9.2 mm Material: 18k Breguet gold or platinum Crystal: Sapphire Water resistance: 30 m Movement: Cal. 187B Functions: Hours, minutes, and tourbillon regulator Winding: Manual wind Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz) Power reserve: 60 hours Strap: Calfskin with folding clasp Limited edition: No Availability: At Breguet boutiques and retailers Price: CHF140,000 in Breguet gold; CHF154,000 in platinum (prices exclude taxes) For more information, visit Breguet.com. Back to top.