BREGUET MARKS 225 YEARS OF THE TOURBILLON WITH A NEW GENERATION OF TIMEPIECES

In 1801, Abraham-Louis Breguet received a patent for an invention that would become one of the most recognisable complications in fine watchmaking. Designed to address the influence of gravity on a watch’s regulating organ, the tourbillon placed the balance wheel and escapement inside a rotating cage, seeking to improve timekeeping by continually changing their position.

This year marks 225 years since that patent was granted, on 26 June 1801. Breguet is using the anniversary not simply to revisit the invention, but to examine how its principles can continue to shape modern watchmaking. The resulting 2026 collection brings together several interpretations of the tourbillon, each approaching the mechanism through a different combination of engineering, decoration and design.

Among the most significant introductions is the Classique Tourbillon 7357, a contemporary descendant of the historic Ref. 3350. That earlier model holds a particular place in Breguet’s modern history as the first tourbillon wristwatch produced by the contemporary House, introduced in 1988 and powered by Calibre 558. The new 7357 builds on that movement lineage with an optimised development known as Calibre 187B.

The 35mm watch is offered in two executions: platinum and Breguet gold. Both feature manually wound Calibre 187B, comprising 190 components, with a 60-hour power reserve and a 2.5Hz frequency. The movement has been developed to retain the technical character associated with its predecessor while fitting into a more contemporary case architecture.

Visually, the Classique Tourbillon 7357 draws on design language established by Breguet’s 250th-anniversary collections in 2025. The lugs have been reshaped to follow the curve of the wrist, giving the case a more integrated profile. On the dial, Arabic numerals recall a style Abraham-Louis Breguet introduced towards the end of the 18th century, while two traditional guilloché patterns provide much of the surface texture: Clous de Paris at the centre and Barleycorn around the perimeter.

The decoration continues onto the reverse of the watch. Breguet has created a new guilloché pattern for the movement’s baseplate and caseback, drawing inspiration from the Dent de Vaulion, a mountain associated with the Vallée de Joux and the region in which the manufacture operates. The result places the technical architecture of the tourbillon within a broader visual language of hand-finishing and engine turning.

Another interpretation of the mechanism appears in the Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255, which takes a markedly different approach. The model is the first Breguet wristwatch to incorporate a flying tourbillon, a construction in which the cage appears to float without the conventional upper bridge. The design also incorporates a mysterious display, a form of watchmaking architecture Breguet says it had not used for almost two decades.

The 2026 version introduces a platinum case paired with a black aventurine enamel dial. The dark, star-like surface reinforces the astronomical character suggested by the Sidéral name, while the flying tourbillon gives the movement a more open visual presence. Breguet presents the model as an exploration of the original tourbillon principle through a distinctly contemporary construction.

The Tradition Tourbillon 7047 takes another route, placing its mechanical architecture openly on display. For 2026, Breguet introduces a platinum version featuring its Bleu de France colour across the dial and bridges. The same shade extends to the fusee-and-chain mechanism, creating a strong visual link between the regulating system and the torque-management device.

The fusee-and-chain mechanism has its own history in mechanical horology. Breguet’s interpretation draws on principles associated with Leonardo da Vinci, who documented the geometry and operation of the system, although the concept itself predates his surviving sketches. Within the 7047, it works alongside the tourbillon to form one of the watch’s most prominent mechanical features. The tourbillon cage has also been made from titanium since 2010 and incorporates a silicon balance spring.

The fourth major expression is the Marine Tourbillon Équation Marchante 5887, presented in a new form for the 225th anniversary. Measuring 43.9mm and housed in platinum, it belongs to the third generation of Breguet’s Marine collection, first introduced in 1990 and substantially redesigned in 2017. Its Arabic numerals once again reference a design element associated with Abraham-Louis Breguet himself.

Its most distinctive detail is found on the dial. A sapphire surface carries a hand-painted miniature depicting the night sky above Paris as it appeared on 26 June 1801, the date of the original tourbillon patent. Executed in gradient-blue Grand Feu enamel with luminous details, the scene includes the moon and constellations in their historical positions. The 25-piece limited edition can also be personalised to depict the sky corresponding to a chosen date and location.

The collection sits within a much longer story. Breguet was established in 1775, when Abraham-Louis Breguet opened his own workshop on the Quai de l’Horloge on Paris’s Île de la Cité. Born in Neuchâtel in 1747, he had trained as a watchmaker in Versailles and Paris before establishing the workshop that became the foundation of the House. His early clientele included members of the French court, while his inventions and technical developments would later influence the wider watchmaking industry.

That heritage remains closely tied to the tourbillon. Breguet’s 2026 programme emphasises the original invention while continuing to develop its mechanical and aesthetic possibilities. The anniversary therefore becomes a useful moment to consider the relationship between historical watchmaking and contemporary manufacture: not as a choice between preservation and innovation, but as an ongoing technical conversation.

For those wishing to experience the collection in person, Breguet’s current official store locator lists its Dubai Mall boutique, located on the Ground Level at Shop No. GF 142, as well as its Dubai Duty Free location in Terminal 3’s Concourse B.

Two hundred and twenty-five years after the original patent, the tourbillon remains an unusually tangible piece of horological history. Its continued development suggests that the most enduring inventions are not necessarily those left untouched, but those capable of being questioned, refined and interpreted anew. For Breguet, 2026 offers precisely that opportunity: to look back at an invention born in the pursuit of precision while considering what it can still become.

Imagery is used for editorial and illustrative purposes. All image rights remain with their respective owners, brands, photographers and agencies.