Breguet marks 250 years of watchmaking with Classique Souscription 2025

Historic watchmaker Breguet is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year, and to make the occasion it has announced a new model called the Classique Souscription 2025.

Inspired by a vintage pocket watch, the new timepiece has a 50mm case made from a new proprietary 18K gold that combines 75 percent gold with silver, copper and palladium.

The result is a metal that tones down the yellow of pure gold and adds a little more rose into the mix. It’s a lovely hue that works perfectly with the vintage aesthetic.

You've probably noticed the dial, and how it has just one hand. It’s an unusual design choice, and one that forces you to take a minute and recalibrate how you tell the time.

The images here show a time of 2:25, since the markings on the outer edge of the dial are split into 10-minute increments, which are then split in half by the smaller markings on the inside of the track. The bolder markings that protrude from the lower edge of the track split each hour into 15-minute segments.

Turn the watch over, and you’ll be greeted by a large exhibition case back. This gives a fantastic view of the new, manually-wound VS00 mechanical movement within, which has a long, four-day power reserve and 21 jewels. The outer edge of the case back features a new form of guilloche finishing, which Breguet calls Quai de l’Horloge, and I particularly like how the blue and pink details of the movement appear prominently against the all-brass backdrop.

The white enamel dial and elegant blue hand are protected by a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating. Water resistance is 30 metres, so enough for showering and swimming, but this isn’t a watch designed to be taken to any meaningful depth. It is presented on a navy blue alligator leather strap with an 18K Breguet gold pin buckle that matches the case.

Priced at £45,700, the Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 is available to order now.