Breguet Classic Grand Complication Minute Repeater Sets The Tone

Abraham-Louis Breguet had a passion for repeating watches, with his first repeating watches striking a spring blade in 1783. Today Breguet pays tribute to them through a new timepiece.

Minute repeaters are one of those major horological complications described as mechanical masterpieces. In addition to the movement, they involve a chiming mechanism consisting mainly of hammers striking a gong. In addition, the various materials used in its design must have obvious acoustic qualities. It is a skill that requires exacting standards, many years of experience and unrivalled dexterity. It takes more than a month of work to create a minute repeater.

Once the movement has been assembled, the work of tuning the gong is carried out in two phases: harmonic and melodic. Inside an anechoic chamber specially dedicated to this horological complication, the specialist will first seek to ascertain the resonant frequency of each gong. When this note has been determined, further work is carried out to find the melody most closely resembling Breguet’s signature sound. As each timepiece is hand-crafted, the acoustics differ subtly from one watch to another, making this complication even more unique.

The minimalist dial of the 7637 requires a particular craft that few artisans still practise today: the grand feu enamelling technique. Representing a mixture of silica and ground oxides, the coloured powders are dissolved in water before being applied to the dial using a variety of methods. The secret then lies in the firing process. Each layer and colour applied requires an additional firing at a set temperature of over 800 degrees Celsius and for a carefully programmed time. It can take several weeks to produce a single dial in the desired shade.

The watch case measures 42 mm in diameter and is newly available in rose gold. It houses Calibre 567.2, whose balance oscillates at a frequency of 2.5 Hz. When the watch is turned over, the entirely hand-chased mechanical hand-wound movement can be admired through the sapphire crystal caseback, as can the hammers made of polished steel. The gongs are fixed to the case middle instead of the plate. As a result, they vibrate directly and transmit sound more effectively. Additionally, the gongs are crafted from gold to produce a harmonious sound quality with a wealth of partials (overtones).

The new Classique Répétition Minutes is fitted with a black alligator leather strap secured by a gold triple-blade folding clasp. Within the same range, the watch is also available in white gold, with a grand feu enamel dial and alligator leather strap, the latter two elements in midnight blue.

Technical Specifications:

Classique Répétition Minutes – 7637BR/2N/9ZU

Case: 18K rose gold

Diameter: 42 mm

Thickness: 12.25 mm

Dial: black grand feu enamel, Arabic numerals, secret signature

Movement: hand-wound, entirely chased by hand

Functions: hours, minutes, minute repeater

Calibre: 567.2

Frequency: 2.5 Hz

Power reserve: 40 hours

Components: 358