One of the most complicated offerings rolled out during Breguet’s landmark 250th anniversary collection from last year, the Classique Répétition Minutes 7365 is a new take on a complication (and movement) that’s been in the brand’s catalogue for decades.

The 7365 repackages a historical, but reworked, calibre inside the new style case also used for the Classique Souscription, matched with a striking blue enamel dial that nonetheless retains the classic Breguet hands and numerals. The result is bolder and brighter than the average Breguet, but still recognisable.

Initial thoughts

More than any other anniversary model, the minute repeater 7365 demonstrates the rejuvenation of Breguet led by chief executive Gregory Kissling and his team. Even though the foundations of the watch go back decades, the 7365 looks fresh. It still looks and feels like a Breguet, but it doesn’t feel derivative.

The case is similar to that found on other anniversary models, and a good diversification away from the old-school Breguet wristwatch case with straight lugs. Importantly, the case is quite a bit smaller than that of the 7365’s predecessor, which gives this a much more elegant profile.

The dial is beautifully furnished with solid gold numerals and hands, but the bleu de France dial is too bleu for my tastes. It’s a few shades too bright for something this classical. That said, I can see the appeal of the colour, especially for someone who feels the average Breguet is too conservatively styled.

The cal. 1896 inside is familiar as it is derived from the Lemania movement from the 1990s that has powered almost all Breguet repeating wristwatches since then. Though the cal. 1896 is still fundamentally an old-fashioned repeater movement – this is perhaps the only weakness of the watch – it has been upgraded substantially from top to bottom.

The balance and escapement have been modernised, while the bridges, base plate, and even gongs, are solid gold. This is probably the maximum extent of potential upgrades, and I expect Breguet will eventually unveil a new-generation repeater movement.

In the typical Breguet manner, the quality of execution of every component is high. This looks and feels like a well-made watch; examining it under a magnifier confirms that. The quality is not just decoration and aesthetics, but also practicality. Unlike most repeating wristwatches, this is water resistant to a decent 30 m, underlining the quality of the case.

All things considered, the 7365 is competitively priced at US$369,000. Most of the competition costs the same or more, while the Breguet is more elaborate with its enamel dial, solid-gold movement, and engine-turned case.

Very bleu

The 7365 features an enamel dial in Bleu de France, the colour that is historically associated with the country, having served as the colour of the French monarchy and modern-day car racing teams. It is a bright blue that is distinct from the dark blue enamel that Breguet has employed in recent years on certain models.

I would personally prefer a more muted colour, but the combination works well here. The blue is rich and vivid, and pairs well with Breguet gold, the brand’s proprietary alloy of yellow gold. In fact, the combination brings to mind the historical emblems of French kings, which often featured golden fleur-de-lis on a blue background.

The enamel dial is of excellent quality. The surface has been lapped after firing, giving it a mirrored finish. Up close the blue reveals itself to be a nuanced shade, which is an inherent trait of coloured enamel like this. This gives it a texture that resembles lapis lazuli.

Like all Breguet dials this sports a “secret signature”, here located just above six o’clock. The signature is engraved with a manual pantograph, harking back to historical Breguet watches. It is essentially etched by a machine guided entirely by hand, resulting in a fine marking that is almost invisible.

The hands and applied numerals are solid Breguet gold, and are all of equally good quality. The gold hands feature chamfered and polished bosses, while the numbers are finely shaped and polished.

The bright colours make the watch seem a little larger than it is, but the 7365 is compact compared to the prior generation of Breguet minute repeater. The case is just 39.1 mm wide and 10.8 mm high, small enough it feels a little like a 1990s-era watch. The movement is small enough that the case can presumably be scaled down more, but the current proportions are ideal for a contemporary watch.

The case style is a mid 20th-century retro look that sets it apart from the longstanding Breguet wristwatch style with narrow, straight lugs. This gives it a less formal appearance, but the quality of the case remains as good, if not better.

The soldered lugs meet the case middle seamlessly. And the case band is decorated with guilloche – engraved by a hand-operated rose engine – a finish that is more complex than the vertical fluting on the traditional Breguet wristwatch case.

Moreover, the case is water resistant to 30 m, which is good for a minute repeater. The 7365’s predecessor was not water resistant, like many repeating watches.

Reworked mechanics

The cal. 1896 has the traditional layout of a minute repeater, which is unsurprising since it’s descended from a Lemania calibre developed over three decades ago. The movement is in some ways a miniaturised pocket watch movement, but here it’s been upgraded as much as possible, though retaining the original architecture.

To start with, the movement is now entirely gold, with the bridges and base plate in 18k Breguet gold. Everything is also finished as it should be, and certainly lives up to expectations for a watch of this type.

Beyond the usual chamfering and polishing, the bridges are also extensively hand engraved, like many of the other anniversary models. I wasn’t a fan of the engraved landscapes on other anniversary models, but here the motif works better for some reason.

The engraving depicts a composite of Paris and Vallée de Joux, with the upper half showing showing the streets of the French capital with the Quai de l’Horloge, where A.-L. Breguet set up shop, and the lower half showing the green pastures of the the Swiss valley.

Decor aside, the movement has been extensively reworked in terms of mechanics compared to the earlier generation, including with a free-sprung titanium balance, silicon hairspring, and silicon escapement. Silicon parts are common in watch movements today, but the silicon components found here are a step above the usual. The hairspring is a two-piece construction that allows for an overcoil, necessary since silicon cannot be bent upwards, while the silicon pallet lever utilises ruby pallets.

The going train and barrel have also been optimised, resulting in a 75 hour reserve, almost double the 40 hours of its predecessor calibre. This is probably as much modernisation as the construction will allow, so I expect the next Breguet repeater movement to be an entirely new development.

One of the remaining anachronistic elements of the movement is the anchor governor that regulates the speed of the repeater chime. It works with a buzz, as is typical for this type of mechanism, in contrast to the silent centrifugal governors that are more common in more recent movements.

Key facts and price

Breguet Classique Répétition Minutes 7365
Ref. 7365BH/2Y/986

Diameter: 39.1 mm
Height: 10.8 mm
Material: 18k “Breguet” gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Cal. 1896
Functions: Hours, minutes, minute repeater
Winding: Manual wind
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 75 hours

Strap: Blue alligator, Breguet gold folding buckle

Limited edition: 25 pieces
Availability: At Breguet boutiques and retailers
Price: US$369,000 excluding taxes

For more information, visit Breguet.com.