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2025 is set to be a landmark year for Breguet. This year is the Brand’s 250th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the catalogue is being expanded with celebratory models designed to retrace the major milestones in its history. The first is the Classique Souscription, which was first presented in Paris. After it comes the Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035, which was first presented in Shanghai. The third launch, in June, was held in New York and introduced two variants of the new Breguet Type XX Chronographe 2075 – the fifth generation of the homonimous line created in the early 1950s.
Both chronographs boast a flyback function and draw clear inspiration from the 2023 collection, showcasing significant advancements in materials, calibres and case diameters. The two new references differ in their dials, in the chronograph minute counter at 3 o’clock and, albeit slightly, in the hand-wound mechanical movement.
Breguet and flight: more than just a commercial relationship
Both watches are inspired by aviation. The Swiss company’s link with air travel is well known – and not simply commercial. Just as Abraham-Louis Breguet made an everlasting mark on the realm of horology, his nephew Louis Charles Breguet (1880-1955) did the same for aviation. He founded Breguet Aviation in 1911, a company that produced avant-garde biplanes and monoplanes. One of these planes was the Breguet 19, a reconnaissance bomber used for long-distance flights.
Two French aviators, Dieudonné Costes and Maurice Bellonte, in 1930 used this plane to cross the Atlantic and fly the Paris-New York route non-stop. This was a feat in response to Charles Lindbergh’s solo crossing three years earlier on the same route but in the opposite direction. Keep this in mind because we will return to it later.
The company’s production capacity is demonstrated by the production of 55,000 aircraft for the French Air Force during the First World War. Breguet’s proposal for the Type XX in the early 1950s was for the same aviation. Four generations of Type XX – presented between 1971 and 2023 – have led us to the present day and to the models that I am going to describe in more detail.
The aesthetics of the Type XX Chronographe 2075
Reference 2075BH/99/398, the first of the two new references, bears a strong resemblance to the 1955 Type XX. The timepiece features a black dial on anodised aluminium, or more specifically, Duralumin, a hardened aluminium alloy. Special features are a 15-minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock, which is larger than the seconds counter at 9 o’clock, and its leaf-shaped hand. I consider the “big-eye” 15-minute dial with its differently shaped hand to be very effective aesthetic elements.
The second watch, Reference 2075BH/G9/398, is a limited edition of 250 pieces (numbered on the back bezel). The timepiece features a brushed silver dial, with symmetrical and equally sized small seconds and 30-minute chronograph counters (instead of 15). At 6 o’clock, the italicised inscription “retour en vol” (meaning “return to flight”) highlights its specific function, while the tachometer scale on the flange refers to the speed calculation.
Both models boast a Breguet gold case, pushpieces, hands and pin buckle, an 18-carat gold alloy developed specially by the House of L’Abbaye to celebrate its 250th anniversary. In addition to gold, which constitutes 75% of the alloy, Breguet gold also contains silver, copper and palladium. The result is a unique metallic lustre and colouring.
Both have a 38.5 mm-diameter case, which confirms the current trend towards narrower designs. This will benefit both men with slim wrists and women attracted to military-style chronographs. The crown is not screwed down, which explains the limited water resistance: the models have both a 5 bar pressure rating. For more information about the aesthetic and construction elements, please refer to the captions accompanying the image gallery above.
The Breguet Type XX Chronographe 2075 and calibres 7279 & 7278
Now let’s look at the two calibres housed inside the case, which is 13.2 mm thick in both timepieces. The movements are derived from the Breguet 728, launched in 2023 and differ from each other by a single component. The 7279 calibre of the model with the black dial contains 258 components, while the 7278 calibre of the model with the silver dial contains only 257. It is clear that this relates to the different counting of the chrono minute counter.
In terms of appearance, they are almost identical, with both models featuring decorations and hand-made engravings, created in the Manufacture’s workshops, visible through the sapphire crystal on the case back. To be precise, they are the Breguet 19 reconnaissance bomber that was mentioned earlier, the flight path followed from Europe to America, and part of the two continents’ coastlines. In terms of craftsmanship and creative ability, Breguet has very little to learn.
The technical point of view
As I mentioned in the introduction, both calibres are hand-wound, which, in my opinion, enhances their appeal. Both models are equipped with the flyback function, a highly essential complication for a watch designed for pilots, given its introduction over half a century ago.
The flyback function, which can be activated by pressing the pusher at 4 o’clock, allows the chronograph to be reset to zero and restarted instantly. This is made possible thanks to the column wheel, which is visible when observing the movement on the back side.
Although this sophisticated complication is difficult to implement, it is extremely useful.
It makes it possible to measure partial time intervals without stopping, resetting and restarting the chronograph. Finally, I would like to make reference to the (high) operating frequency of 5 Hz, equal to 36,000 vibrations per hour. This technical solution guarantees seamless movement of the seconds hand and outstanding chronograph precision.
Final considerations and prices
We don’t know what other surprises Breguet has in store for 2025. We have seen the launch of models of unquestionable value, combining history, tradition and the ability to reinterpret both in a contemporary key. A further confirmation are the two Breguet Type XX Chronographe 2075, crafted with ‘noble’ materials (Breguet gold, aluminium and silver) and equipped with the flyback complication.
Their prices are therefore in line with the Brand, the quality of the craftsmanship and the prestige that the Type XX collection has kept unchanged for 70 years. The Type XX Chronographe 2075 with black dial is priced at €43,400, while the model with silver dial is priced at 45,200 euro. The slight price increase of the latter is fully justified by the change in dial material and the increasing collector value that limited edition watches can acquire over time.
