Breguet has brought out a new watch that shows off the tourbillon against a beautifully diamond-set background.
The latest version of the Classique Tourbillon 3358 is launched in celebration of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s famous invention.
Breguet patented the tourbillon in 1801 to counteract the effect of gravity on a watch mechanism.
In these days of quartz watches and smartphones, the tourbillon exists not so much to regulate time, rather as a celebration of the art of mechanical watchmaking.
This new watch celebrates it like no other, with a tourbillon that appears from within an 18K gold dial adorned with 281 brilliant cut diamonds.
The 35mm white gold case is set with a further 70 diamonds – 69 brilliant cut on the bezel and lugs, with a rose-cut stone in the crown.
It is powered by the manually wound Calibre 187D, a movement made in Breguet’s manufacture in the Vallée de Joux, Switzerland.
The 21-jewel, 187-component movement has a Breguet balance spring in steel, beats at a leisurely 2.5 Hz, or 18,000 vibrations per hour, and offers a 50-hour power reserve.
It tells the hours and minutes in the subdial, with the one-minute tourbillon below counting the seconds.
It comes on a blue alligator leather strap with a Breguet triple-blade folding clasp in 18K white gold.
If you are still feeling short of sparkle at this point, the clasp is set with a further 42 brilliant cut diamonds.
The Breguet Classique Tourbillon 3358 costs around $205,196.45. breguet.com