Breguet's 250th Anniversary: The Classique Souscription 2025 Rewrites History

Celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2025, the venerable House of Breguet has just unveiled a timepiece that connects its illustrious past with its contemporary horological prowess. Presented in Paris, the birthplace of Abraham-Louis Breguet's groundbreaking inventions,  the Classique Souscription 2025 timepiece is a modern reincarnation of the historic Souscription pocket watch, a testament to Breguet's enduring spirit of innovation and entrepreneurial vision.

Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 (Ref. BH/28/9W6)

It is a 40 mm diameter wristwatch with a 10.8 mm thickness. The case – crafted from 18 ct Breguet gold, a unique alloy of gold, silver, copper, and palladium – features a satin-brushed case middle and curved lugs for enhanced ergonomics. Protecting the dial is a sapphire crystal with a "chevé" profile, along with an anti-reflective coating on both sides. The caseback showcases a handmade "Quai de l’Horloge" guilloché pattern beneath a sapphire crystal engraved with "BREGUET 250 YEARS" and fortified by an interior anti-reflective coating. With a water resistance of 3 bar (30 metres) and an estimated weight of 47.7 grams, this timepiece is both elegant and robust.

The Radiant Dial of the Classique Souscription 2025

The dazzling white grand feu enamel dial has a gold base. The purity of the enamel serves as a canvas for the essential time indication: a single, elegant, open-tipped Breguet hand crafted from flame-blued and hand-curved steel. Its tapered form gracefully traverses the iconic, slightly inclined Breguet Arabic numerals, and the circular "chemin de fer" minute track, punctuated with 5-, 10-, 15-, and 30-minute markers, all meticulously rendered in black petit feu enamel, matching the Breguet signature positioned at 12 o'clock. Adding a layer of historical authenticity, the inscriptions — "Souscription", the unique serial number, and the discreet secret signature — appear depending on the light, positioned between the dial's centre and 6 o'clock; these are applied using a restored diamond-point pantograph.

The Mechanical Artistry of the Calibre VS00

The reverse of the Classique Souscription 2025 reveals the meticulously finished hand-wound VS00 calibre, treated in gilded brass in the same shade as Breguet gold. Visible through a generously sized, slightly domed sapphire crystal, the movement measures 16 lines in diameter and 5.7 mm in thickness. Comprising 144 components and 21 jewels, it is secured with 12 blued steel screws. Operating at a frequency of 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour), this movement provides an impressive 96-hour power reserve from a single barrel, and features a patented Nivachron™ balance spring with a Breguet overcoil for enhanced precision and resistance to magnetic fields and temperature variations. The plate and bridges feature a fine shot-blasted finish, while the ratchet wheel is engraved in negative with a reprography of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s writings.

An Elegant Presentation of Time and Heritage

In the purest tradition of exceptional leather goods, the Classique Souscription 2025 comes in an original presentation box created to mark Breguet's 250th anniversary. Inspired by the red Moroccan leather cases historically used by Abraham-Louis Breguet, this box is crafted from lightly grained calf leather and features a gold hot-embossed inscription of “BREGUET 250 YEARS”, alongside the individual serial number of the enclosed timepiece. Its soft, rounded silhouette distinguishes it from traditional watch boxes, reflecting an aesthetic and philosophical consideration honed over time. 

The underside of the case is a nod to the first Breguet “logo” in the form of an escutcheon. Needless to say, this presentation box promises far more than mere packaging; it is a collector’s item, embodying a timeless heritage.

The Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 is indeed a tangible link to Abraham-Louis Breguet's vision; it’s also a powerful statement of the House's enduring legacy. By reimagining a pivotal historical timepiece with contemporary expertise, Breguet has reaffirmed its commitment to shaping the future of horological excellence.

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