In 2025, Breguet marks a historic milestone: 250 years of watchmaking excellence. Founded in 1775 by Abraham-Louis Breguet, the legendary maison embodies the perfect union of tradition, innovation, and prestige.
From its workshop in the heart of Paris’s Île de la Cité, Breguet has crossed centuries while revolutionizing the art of time measurement. To celebrate this quarter-millennium, the brand pays tribute to its visionary founder through exclusive creations and a journey through the most significant horological innovations in its history.
Abraham-Louis Breguet: the genius behind a horological revolution
Born in 1747 in Neuchâtel, Abraham-Louis Breguet settled in Paris where he founded his own maison in 1775. Quickly recognized for his inventive genius, he revolutionized fine watchmaking with creations such as the tourbillon (patented in 1801), the tact watch, and above all, the gong-spring. His name became synonymous with precision, elegance, and avant-garde. Admired by sovereigns and intellectual elites, Breguet counted among his clients historical figures such as Marie-Antoinette, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Winston Churchill. In 1815, he was appointed Chronometer-Maker to the French Royal Navy by King Louis XVIII, cementing his legitimacy as a supplier of marine chronometers—essential instruments for navigation. The recent series “Les Chroniques de Breguet” highlights this naval heritage through publications and exhibitions dedicated to marine timepieces, symbols of strength and accuracy.
The “Souscription” Collection: a tribute to the origins
To mark its 250th anniversary, Breguet unveils the Classique Souscription 2025, a reinterpretation of the subscription watch designed by Abraham-Louis in 1797. This emblematic timepiece, with its single dial and central hand, was originally conceived to be sold by subscription. The 2025 model revives its aesthetic codes: gold case, self-winding movement, refined dial with Breguet numerals and blued hands. It perfectly embodies the spirit of rationality and functional simplicity that defined the master watchmaker.
The Tourbillon Sideral 7255: a fusion of astronomy and fine watchmaking
Another highlight of this commemorative year, the Classique Tourbillon Sideral 7255 pays tribute to Breguet’s fascination with science. Equipped with a flying tourbillon coupled with a celestial indicator, it displays sidereal time—the apparent movement of the stars in the sky. Its dial, crafted from genuine meteorite, reflects this cosmic dimension. This exceptional timepiece showcases the maison’s technical mastery while underlining its scientific heritage.
The Type XX 2075: honoring the aeronautical legacy
In parallel, Breguet revisits its legendary Type XX chronograph with reference 2075. Originally designed for the French Air Force in the 1950s, this iconic watch returns with a latest-generation automatic flyback movement. Its retro design, fluted bidirectional bezel, and bicompax dial remain faithful to the codes of the era, while its precision and robustness meet contemporary standards. The Type XX 2075 symbolizes Breguet’s historical bond with aviation and exploration.
The Tradition 7035: a contemporary perspective on history
Presented for the 250th anniversary, the Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035 celebrates the very essence of Breguet watchmaking. Inspired by the tact and subscription watches designed by Abraham-Louis, this creation reveals a spectacular architecture, exposing the mechanical components of the movement on the dial side. Its 38 mm 18K Breguet gold case houses a hand-guilloché dial featuring a translucent blue grand feu enamel “Quai de l’Horloge” motif, paying tribute to the historic location of Breguet’s Parisian workshop. Equipped with a retrograde small seconds, the watch perfectly blends horological tradition with aesthetic innovation, featuring a crescent moon-shaped platinum oscillating weight, recalling A.-L. Breguet’s early perpetual watches.
A living heritage, oriented toward the future
More than two centuries after its founding, Breguet continues to shine at the pinnacle of luxury watchmaking. Today part of the Swatch Group, the manufacture preserves its unrivalled artisanal savoir-faire while integrating cutting-edge technologies. Each Breguet timepiece is a work of art, bearing the guilloché signature and individual engraved number—a testament to its exclusive and meticulous craftsmanship.
Why does Breguet continue to fascinate?
The prestige of Breguet rests on a rare alchemy of history, innovation, timeless design, and horological mastery. Each model reflects an unwavering commitment to excellence and embodies the pioneering spirit of its founder. Through its Classique, Marine, Tradition, and Reine de Naples collections, Breguet offers more than watches: it offers fragments of history.
In 2025, watch enthusiasts are invited to rediscover this legendary maison through its anniversary creations. At a time when watchmaking is constantly being redefined, Breguet reminds us that before being an industry, it was and remains an art.
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