Breguet’s Latest Type XX is Vintage Inspired and No-Date
An enthusiast-oriented pair for the 250th anniversary.
Following the Classique Souscription, and Tradition Seconde Rétrograde, Breguet continues its 250th anniversary roll-out by turning to its signature pilot’s watch.
The Type XX Chronographe 2075BH debuts in two variants in “Breguet gold”: a regular production with a black aluminium dial and a 250-piece limited edition with a sterling silver dial. Both are handsome and stay mostly true to the model’s heritage thanks to faithful sizing and a manually-wound movement.

The regular production with a black aluminium dial (left), and sterling silver dial of the limited edition
Initial Thoughts
The new Type XX ticks many of the boxes from an enthusiast’s perspective with its compact dial and concise dial that does without a date and hour totalizer – both welcome reductions to the first-generation design.
That said, the Breguet gold case is limiting due to the price. A stainless steel case would’ve been even more appreciated, though that will probably arrive in due time.
While the cal. 7278/7279 in the new Type XX is technically excellent – like most Breguet calibres – the thoroughly modern construction doesn’t complement the vintage-inspired design. Adapting the cal. 582 used in the 1990s Type XX might have been more interesting due to its lateral clutch construction and increasingly rare cam-control system, though the cal. 7278/7279 reads better on a spec sheet with its vertical clutch.
And to preserve the vintage feel, a solid, hand-engraved case back might’ve been a better option than the engraved movement, which feels little much for what is ostensibly a pilot’s watch.
Neither watch is affordable at US$43,500 for the black dial and $45,200 for the silver dial, but the pricing is reasonable compared to precious metal chronographs from comparable high-end brands, reflecting the brand’s generally competitive pricing.
Case and Dial
The case is 38.3 mm in diameter, exactly the same as the rare “civilian” Type XX in 18k gold from 1955. Appropriately enough, the modern-day watch is in “Breguet Gold”, the brand’s proprietary yellow gold alloy, just like the other 250th anniversary models. It retains the familiar Type 20 design with blended “lyre” lugs, pump pushers, an oversized crown, and a slim rotating bezel.

One of the rare few Type XXs in gold
Two dials are available, both sharing the same case.
One is for the regular production model, a black aluminium dial that supposed to reference the aluminium-bodied aircraft of Louis Breguet – an aviator entrepreneur who as Abraham-Louis Breguet’s great-great-grandson. The aluminium dial is paired with an extra-legible, oversized 15-minute totalizer, nicknamed “Big Eye”, and fully lumed, including the 15-minute counter.
The second is for the 250 piece limited edition, a dial in solid silver is more accurate to the original 1955 watch, though it looks more modern with its colour and markings that includes an italicised “retour en vol” over six o’clock. The silver dial only has lumed hands and a conventional 30-minute counter at three.
Movement
The regular production Type XX is powered by the cal. 7279, while the limited edition is equipped with the cal. 7278, with the sole difference being the minute counter. The movements are part of a family of high-beat, vertical clutch fly-back chronograph movements shared between the increasingly integrated Breguet and Blancpain brands.
The cal. 7278/7279 its an impressive movement on paper, with a silicon hairspring and silicon components in the escapement. The 5 Hz beat rate is also much appreciated in a chronograph, even if 2.5 Hz would have been more apt thematically given the vintage inspiration of the watch.
In this manually wound iteration, the movement is only 6 mm thick, about half a millimeter slimmer than you’d find in a Rolex Daytona, though the case still ends up over 13 mm in height – which is thick for a manual-wind chronograph.
Much of that height can be blamed on the vintage bubble-like sapphire crystal and overly tall hand stack. The domed crystal, however, does add to the vintage appeal of the watch.
Visually, the calibre is not a particularly interesting as most of the chronograph works are obscured by a plate.
However, the monolithic plate has been used as a canvas for a hand-engraved depiction of the Breguet 19 airplane designed by Louis Breguet, which also helps the watch feel “special” enough to be a 250th anniversary piece.
Key facts and price
Breguet Type XX Chronograph
Ref. 2075BH/99/398
Diameter: 38.3 mm
Height: 13.2 mm
Material: 18k “Breguet gold”
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m
Dial: Black aluminum
Movement: Cal. 7279
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, and fly-back chronograph
Winding: Manual
Power reserve: 60 hours
Strap: Interchangeable, gradient blue calfskin and 18K Breguet gold pin buckle
Limited edition: No
Availability: Now at Breguet boutiques and retailers
Price: CHF36,500
Breguet Type XX Chronographe Limited Edition
Ref. 2075BH/G9/398
Diameter: 38.3 mm
Height: 13.2 mm
Material: 18k “Breguet gold”
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m
Dial: Solid silver
Movement: Cal. 7278
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, and fly-back chronograph
Winding: Manual
Power reserve: 60 hours
Strap: Interchangeable, gradient blue calfskin and 18K Breguet gold pin buckle
Limited edition: 250 pieces
Availability: Now at Breguet boutiques and retailers
Price: CHF38,000
For more, visit breguet.com
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