100% Breguet style – With a unique architecture that brings its precision mechanism to the fore, crowned by a hand-made, enamel dial, the Tradition 7035 epitomises Breguet’s 250 years of technical and aesthetic innovation.
Breguet gold, an exclusive alloy presented for Breguet’s 250th anniversary, now enriches the case of the Tradition 7035. This special edition emphasises the unique architecture of the movement, and features a guilloché dial in translucent blue, grand feu enamel displaying the hours and minutes, alongside a retrograde seconds display discretely positioned between 10 and 11 o’clock.
Abraham-Louis Breguet or the birth of an international network
In addition to his technical innovations, A.-L. Breguet worked constantly to widen access to timekeeping innovations, enabling an increasingly broad and cosmopolitan clientele to know the time at any moment. His intuition, combined with a desire to produce in small series, led him, in 1796, to propose Souscription watches. These were simple and robust, single hand timepieces, sold in a distinctive way. Clients were introduced to Souscription watches by means of an advertising leaflet, a first for its time and the precursor of the first commercial catalogue, which Breguet would go on to create. Another particularity was the use of a deposit: Having selected the timepiece from the leaflet, the client would pay a quarter of the price when the order was placed.
In 1799, he introduced Tact watches, which further enhanced his status amongst his peers and clients. Featuring an external hand and markings placed around the case they allowed the time to be “read” by touch, in perfect discretion.
The synthesis of these two timepieces is the Tradition collection, born in 2005. This line features a unique architectural structure, exposing the bridges, gears and mechanisms of this marvel of precision microengineering. Inspired by the work of A.-L. Breguet, this easily recognisable configuration offers the same uninterrupted view of the inner workings of the watch that a watchmaker sees when working on a watch.
Tradition 7035, respecting savoir-faire
Specially designed for Breguet’s 250th anniversary, this variation of the Tradition 7037 remains faithful to the Tradition collection’s geometric codes, combining Breguet’s technical and aesthetic expertise with meticulous in-house hand-finishing.
Breguet gold and Breguet blue: two “signature” colour codes
The Tradition collection incorporates for the first time two “in-house” colour codes: Breguet gold and Breguet blue.
Gold, silver, copper and palladium are skilfully fused into an alloy that radiates a warm, golden glow: Breguet gold. This exclusive alloy, created by Breguet, was introduced earlier this year with the Classique Souscription 2025 watch. The 38 mm diameter case for the Tradition 7035 has been crafted from this new alloy. A specially-developed plating treatment ensures that the mainplate and bridges are of the same hue as the case. The silver-coloured gears, blued screws and ruby-red jewels provide visual contrast and further accentuate the radiance of Breguet gold. The bridges of this new anniversary model feature, for the first time in the Tradition collection, a silky, hand-applied satin finish on their upper surfaces.
The striking focal point of this model is the finely engine turned dial, resplendent in Breguet blue. The chosen motive is the Quai de l’Horloge. Its tinted, translucent, grand feu enamel is of the same deep, blue as the retrograde seconds hand and screws, which are made of blued steel. In contrasting silver, the Breguet Arabic numerals, the minute track, with its stylised fleurs-delis, and the unique serial number at 4 o’clock stand out effortlessly against the shimmering azure of the enamel.
Quai de l’Horloge: a unique guilloché decoration
A decorative technique that was often used on watch cases, guilloché has become an art in its own right. A.-L. Breguet was the first to use this technique to delineate the different displays on watch dials, and it remains, to this day, one of Breguet’s core areas of expertise.
Breguet currently owns the largest collection of working guilloché lathes in the world. These carefully renovated period machines can be used to create a wide range of motifs, from the most traditional, such as the Clou de Paris, to the most contemporary, the new Quai de l’Horloge design, which has been incorporated on the dial of this Tradition model.
This new guilloché motif was inspired by the graceful lines of the Seine as it flows around the Île de la Cité, where A.-L. Breguet’s workshop once stood, and the Île Saint-Louis, both in the heart of Paris. The precise contours of this motif are modelled on the Turgot map, a highly-detailed, perspective view of the city of Paris produced in the eighteenth century. For its time it was remarkably accurate: it included all the streets, buildings and even every tree in the centre of Paris.
Crescent moon-shaped oscillating weight: a tribute to watchmaking genius
The back of the new Tradition 7035 reveals a golden landscape as fascinating as the front. The oscillating weight spins above the bridges’ satin-finished surfaces, which provide an elegant contrast to the shot-blasted mainplate below.
The crescent moon-shaped weight, made of vertical brushed platinum, is reminiscent of those used in A.-L. Breguet’s time. He established the use of platinum in watchmaking, using it to optimise the automatic winding of what he referred to as his “perpétuelle” watches, one of the first innovations from this master watchmaker.
A discrete “Pt950” engraved on the weight’s upper left-hand flank acts as a reassuring gauge of quality, as well as a knowing nod to Breguet’s patrimony.
Key dates associated with Tradition 7035
1775
A.-L. Breguet sets up on his own workshop at Quai de l’Horloge, on the Ile de la Cité in Paris
1780
Launch of the first automatic “Perpetual” watches
1783
Design of the open-tipped hands known as “Breguet hands” and the Arabic numerals known as “Breguet numerals”
1786
First guilloché dials
1790
Invention of the “Pare-chute” shock protection system
1793
A.-L. Breguet stays in Switzerland during the French Revolution
1795
Return of A.-L. Breguet to Paris. Development of the secret signature.
1796
Sale of the first Souscription watch, a novelty that was launched the following year with the help of an advertising leaflet
1799
Sale of the first Tact watch
1810
Production of the first wristwatch
1830
Manufacture of the first keyless winding watch
1933
Breguet moves to 28, Place Vendôme, which remained the company’s address until 1970
1976
The Breguet workshops move to the Vallée de Joux. From then on, all production was carried out in Switzerland.
1999
Acquisition of the Breguet Watchmaking Group by Swatch Group
2005
Launch of the Tradition collection
2025
Celebration of the 250th anniversary of the House of Breguet. Introduction of Breguet gold. Launch of a 250th anniversary collection.
Interview with Gregory Kissling, CEO de Breguet
What do you like best about this new model?
What appeals to me most of all is the very essence of what makes the Tradition collection so unique: this plunging perspective into the heart of the movement, offering a direct insight to the complexity and refinement that Breguet infuses into each of its timepieces. This daring architecture almost lets you slip into the watchmaker’s skin, so faithfully does it reproduce the view he has when working on a watch.
For me, this is where Breguet’s DNA lies: a strong, instantly recognisable visual identity that asserts its character even from a distance. This second anniversary timepiece perfectly embodies that spirit. A true tribute to Breguet’s heritage, it is distinguished by the use of our Breguet gold, for both the guilloché dial and the case, giving this timepiece a majestic and resolutely exclusive allure. It is also a logical continuation from the 2025 Souscription, as the Tradition is based on the Tact watch which was itself an evolution of the original Souscription watches.
Is this the first time that Breguet has offered a translucent enamelled guilloché dial?
This is not a first for us: we have already unveiled timepieces featuring enamelled guilloche dials. What is new, however, is the integration of the brand-new Quai de l’Horloge motif on the dial introduced earlier this year. This unprecedented alliance highlights the excellence of these two crafts, which are part of the brand’s codes, and celebrates a centuriesold expertise.
Is it common for Breguet watches to have gold hands?
Like our founder, we strive to use precious materials whenever possible. Abraham-Louis Breguet himself equipped some of his most prestigious watches with gold hands. We have followed suite for some of our contemporary models. For these anniversary pieces, we wanted to pay special tribute to our gold, which was specially developed to mark the company’s 250th anniversary. Of course, we remain deeply attached to our blued hands, which are a visual signature of our brand, but this type of decision is always based on aesthetic coherence and legibility.
What is so interesting about using platinum for the oscillating weight on this model?
A.-L. Breguet was one of those visionary watchmakers who constantly pushed back the boundaries. Driven by a constant spirit of innovation, he never hesitated to experiment, including in his choice of materials. In fact, he was the first to introduce platinum into watchmaking, notably on the famous “Marie-Antoinette” pocket watch. A dense and noble material, platinum offered the advantage of giving the oscillating weight a higher efficiency without increasing the volume of the component.
In the Tradition 7035, we have chosen to reintroduce this element, both as a tribute to the boldness of our founder and his pioneering spirit, and because the oscillating weight occupies an emblematic place in the aesthetics of the Tradition collection.
What does the Tradition collection represent for Breguet?
For twenty years now, this collection has been one of Breguet’s most emblematic lines. When it was launched in 2005, it represented a veritable revolution in the world of watchmaking. Who else but Breguet would expose the movement components so audaciously on the front of the watch? It was a daring move that did not go unnoticed and has since been adopted by a number of other brands. 250 years after its creation, Breguet continues to innovate…and to inspire.
Interview with Emmanuel Breguet, Head of Patrimony
Why and how did A.-L. Breguet create such a recognisable and new style?
Let’s go back to the time of our founder. At that time, watches were often overloaded with ornamentation, as if the prestige of a timepiece could be measured by the abundance and richness of its decoration. In fact, watchmaking lingered in a rather heavy Baroque style, no doubt out of convenience. Going against this trend, A.-L. Breguet sought from the outset to streamline the watch, to eliminate all superfluous decoration and above all to make it easier to read the indications provided by the watch. He therefore opted for radical sobriety, favouring white enamel dials in particular: what could be purer, more legible, especially with beautiful numerals, the numerals that everyone would soon call the “Breguet numerals”?
And what about guilloché?
The guilloché technique was also quickly adopted. This technique existed and Breguet had the idea of applying it to watch dials. In Breguet’s eyes, it had all the right qualities: its variations ensured optimal legibility, it gave a matt and silky appearance, and it was antireflective. Finally, it meets one of the master’s essential criteria: it is … elegant. At Breguet, elegance and refinement are at the service of functionality.
The genius of A.-L. Breguet was, as observers of the time said, to unite beauty and utility! The same could be said of the hands he designed in the 1780s, the famous “Breguet hands”. A Breguet watch is always legible, even if it provides a great deal of different information: various dates, power reserve, equation of time, moon phases, sometimes a thermometer, etc.
What can be said about this very special form of oscillating weight?
The first appearance of this oscillating weight in Breguet’s work dates back to his first automatic watches, known as “Perpetuelles”, which brought him to the attention of the French court as early as 1780. An eloquent example can be found in the N°160 watch designed for Queen Marie-Antoinette. What was needed was a sufficiently efficient oscillating element to ensure the winding of a movement comprising hundreds of components and an exceptional number of complications. At the same time, Breguet wanted winding to take place naturally, simply by the body’s natural movements; his automatic watches did not need to be “shaken” at all, they simply needed to be worn naturally…
When did Breguet introduce platinum?
A.-L. Breguet introduced platinum at the very beginning of his career, between 1775 and 1780. As a good scientist, he understood and anticipated the remarkable properties of this heavy metal, which was not yet used in watchmaking at the time. Platinum was not widely used because its fusion required very high temperatures – around 1,800 degrees Celsius – and therefore special equipment. However, Breguet knew that platinum would make the difference and enable him to produce watches with an efficient automatic winding system. Thus was born the Breguet automatic system with a platinum oscillating weight fixed laterally. Breguet went on to make a few watches with platinum cases, but these would remain rare exceptions.
The new guilloché motif is called “Quai de l’Horloge”, in honour of the lane on the Île de la Cité where A.-L. Breguet set up his workshop. Why did he choose this location at the time?
When our founder left his native Switzerland to settle in Versailles and then Paris, he trained and studied for more than ten years. He then decided to open his own workshop to satisfy his need for entrepreneurship and to develop watchmaking according to his tastes and aspirations. At the time, the Ile de la Cité was not only the geographical heart of Paris, but it was also a veritable hotspot of the arts and crafts related to watchmaking. There were dial-makers, goldsmiths, enamellers, case-makers and many other trades essential to the manufacture of a timepiece. It was simply the place to be. Finally, the immediate proximity of the Pont-Neuf, a major thoroughfare, made it a very easy place to get to. In fact, Breguet spent his entire life in this house, which he eventually occupied completely. He received countless personalities here…
Does Breguet’s Quai de l’Horloge house still exist?
This large house still exists, with its double façade, one overlooking the Quai de l’Horloge and the other the Place Dauphine. It was simply extended by raising the height of the building in the second half of the 19th century.
This house, built in the early 17th century, has a considerable history. Four generations of Breguets lived here and made major inventions. The most extraordinary watches in the world were built within these walls; then countless scientific instruments were born and built here: electric telegraphs with dials, safety systems for the first railways, devices to measure the speed of light. And did you know that it was between two floors of this house, in 1877, that a telephone was first tested in France by Antoine Breguet (1851-1882) and his cousin Alfred Niaudet (1835-1883)? Later, the house was occupied by descendants of Abraham-Louis Breguet, including famous writers and politicians. Few houses have been home to such an intense intellectual life in such a wide range of disciplines for two and a half centuries!
Tradition Seconde Rétrograde Technical Specifications
Ref. 7035BH/H2/9V6 – 50.800 EUR
Key points
Tradition 7035, 505SR calibre with automatic winding, 3 Hz and 50-hour power reserve, shot-blasted, 38 mm-diameter case, fluted case middle, 18K Breguet gold guilloché dial with translucent blue grand feu enamel, Breguet Arabic numerals, minute track with stylised fleurs-de-lis, Breguet hour and minute hands with hollowed knobs in 18K Breguet gold, retrograde baton-type seconds hand in blued steel, alligator strap and buckle in 18K Breguet gold. Limited edition of 250 pieces.
Movement
- Calibre 505SR, numbered and signed Breguet, 14.5 lines, 245 components, 38 jewels,
- 24 blued steel screws
- 32.8 mm in diameter
- 6.31 mm thick
- Automatic winding
- Crescent moon oscillating weight in 950 platinum, vertical satin finish
- Frequency 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour)
- Patented blue Breguet NivachronTM balance spring
- Single barrel
- 50-hour power reserve
- Bridges gilded in 18K Breguet gold, shot-blasted and satin-finished
Case
- 18K Breguet gold
- 38 mm in diameter
- 12.6 mm thick
- Fluted case middle
- Glass engraved “BREGUET 250 YEARS”, single anti-reflective inside
- Spherical glass with double anti-reflective coating
- Screwed/welded lugs
- 3 bar (30 m) water-resistance
Dial
- Off-centred at 12 o’clock in 18K Breguet gold, translucent blue, grand feu enamel, hand-guilloché Quai de l’Horloge motif
- Breguet Arabic numerals, stylised fleur-de-lys minute track
Indication
- Breguet hour and minute open-tipped hands in 18K Breguet gold
- Retrograde seconds hand in blued steel
Strap
- Navy blue alligator leather, large scales, lined with navy blue alligator leather, small
- scales, buckle in 18K Breguet gold
Gold weight: 52 g (estimate)
Platinum weight: 2.2 g (estimate)
Box: Special edition 250th red leather case, individually numbered, inspired by the Breguet Moroccan leather cases of the period.
Warranty: 5-year international sales guarantee
