One of the earliest wristwatches created by the modern-day Breguet company was the 3130, way back in 1983. Now for its 250th anniversary, Breguet has continued the lineage with the Classique 7235. Inspired by the historic No. 5 pocket watch, just like the earlier 3130, the 7235 reimagines a Breguet classic with the brand’s new design language that debuted with the first anniversary wristwatch earlier this year.

Limited to 250 pieces, the 7235 is powered by a derivative of the same movement found in the 3130, but with one bestowed with several generations worth of technical and decorative upgrades. The calibre is also hand engraved with a 19th century streetscape of Paris that includes Abraham-Louis Breguet’s work on Quai de l’Horloge.

The cal. 502.3.DRL in the 7235

Initial thoughts

The 7235 is instantly familiar. A staple of Breguet’s catalogue over the years, the asymmetric dial with a power reserve, moon phase, and small seconds is quintessential Breguet in style.

But the 7235 is not quite Breguet as it is now known, as while it retains the movement and dial design, it employs the new aesthetic of Breguet’s 250th anniversary line-up. While most will be accustomed to the “Breguet style” of coin-edged case with straight soldered lugs and silvered guilloche dial, the 7235 moves away from that to good effect – yet the 7235 is immediately recognisable as a Breguet.

The new design marries the new with the old: the patterned case band is retained, but instead of fluting it’s decorated with guilloche. And now the lugs are no longer linear but taper away from the case. 

Like its compatriot in the 250th anniversary collection, the 7235 has a matching case and dial, since both use the same alloy, Breguet gold. This results in a warm, luxe feel, and the monochromatic expanse of the tone-on-tone gold is broken up by the multiple guilloche on the dial.

The 7235 is also true to the original in terms of the movement, though this is not exactly a strength. The cal. 503.3.DRL is derived from the Frédéric Piguet movement in the 3130, a calibre that was launched in the late 1960s. Though upgraded with a silicon oscillator and escapement, while also showing off superior finishing, the movement is old and falls behind comparably positioned, but newer, calibres from Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and the like.

Breguet gold galore

The 7235 is all about Breguet gold. Both the dial and case are in the brand’s proprietary alloy, a concoction that resembles yellow gold. The brand traditionally pairs yellow gold cases with silver dials – for the classic “Breguet look” – but here Breguet for a more pronounced look dominated by the tone of Breguet gold.

The dial layout is familiar, but subtly different from the 3130. In the best tradition of Breguet, the layout is pleasantly asymmetric, with three indicators displaying the sub-seconds, power reserve, and moon phase respectively. As with the 3130, the 7235 features a power reserve indicator that sits close to the bezel. Right beside it is the moon phase, complete with a moon disc sporting the iconic melancholic moon “face” that replicates the same on the No. 5 pocket watch. 

The central sector of the dial is decorated with hand-guilloche in the wavy Quai de l’Horloge pattern that was conceived for the brand’s anniversary. The chapter ring for the hours is finely brushed and the outermost dial ring features more hand engine turning. The numerals and engravings on the dial are printed in deep blue, which matches the warm gold tone well. 

Unlike the 3130 that had the seconds exactly at six, here the  small seconds is placed somewhere between five and six o’clock. The seconds register features its own lavish guilloche. As the individual displays are concentrated on the right-hand side of the dial, it leaves sufficient space for the prominent branding on the left. 

Moving away from the dial, the 39mm case adopts the new Breguet case style first seen on the Classique Souscription. The form has clearly evolved past the classic coin-edged Breguet cases of old.

Entirely polished, the case features an engine-turned case band and soldered lugs. The engine-turned case middle adds a new and layered dimension to the case. The guilloche continues in-between the lugs as well, underlining Breguet’s consistent commitment to quality. 

The cal. 502.3.DRL inside is recognisable as being derived from the calibre in the 3130 thanks to the distinctive an off-centred rotor and exposed mainspring. Originally devised as an ultra-thin movement, the cal. 502.3.DRL of today is still impressive thin, though short on power reserve. Compared to the earlier generation, the cal. 502.3.DRL’s notable upgrades include a silicon hairspring and escapement.

The bridges and base plate are hand engraved with a bird’s eye view of Paris in the early 19th century, with 39 Quai de l’Horloge highlighted in gilt – this was the workshop of A.-L. Breguet.

Key facts and price

Breguet Classique 7235
Ref. 7235BH/02/9V6

Diameter: 39 mm
Height: 9.9 mm
Material: 18k “Breguet” gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Cal. 502.3.DRL
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve, and moon phase
Winding: Manual wind
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 45 hours

Strap: Alligator strap with pin buckle

Limited edition: 250 pieces
Availability: First availability at boutiques, but also at retailers
Price: CHF65,000

For more information, visit Breguet.com.