It’s a very important week for Breguet which has just taken place in France. The brand indeed presented at Le Bourget a few days ago its latest novelties, the Type 20 Chronograph 2057 and the Type XX Chronograph 2067. It took the opportunity to invite retailers and journalists from all over the world to an evening of gala organized at the Petit Palais. It had been a long time since Breguet had organized an event of such magnitude and the least that can be said is that it really needed it.
I think it’s inherent in the communication culture of the Swatch Group, which is above all an industrial group, but I’m convinced that the group’s fine watchmaking brands suffer from a lack of visibility due above all to a communication strategy that is almost limited to the bare minimum. However, the world being like this, such brands need to be permanently in the spotlight so that customers end up integrating them as credible players in the segment. The quality of the product is not enough, especially in the face of references such as Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin.
The Breguet Type 20 Chronograph 2057
If the Swatch Group pulled out all the stops, it’s because the subject deserved such an investment. Indeed, the novelties symbolize the starting point of the revival of Breguet’s Type XX collection which materializes with two references, a military-inspired watch (the Type 20 Chronograph 2057) and a civilian-inspired watch (the Type XX Chronograph 2067). The Type XX collection is in a way the fourth pillar of the Breguet catalog behind the Classique, Marine and Reine de Naples collections. It aims to broaden the offer and instill new ambition through neo-retro-inspired watches that take advantage of the brand’s heritage.
Everyone suspected that Breguet was working on the subject since the interpretations of the Types XX during the 2019 and 2021 editions of Only Watch had made an impression. I must admit that I particularly liked the 2021 version with its interesting hands, its enlarged minute counter and its particular dial color. In short, Breguet had created tremendous expectation and that is why the excitement was at its peak a few hours before the discovery of these pieces that were going to enter the permanent collection.
Then we finally discovered the references 2057 and 2067. There are many ways to present things and being of an eternally optimistic nature, I will choose the approach of the glass of water half full. Unless you live in a cave, I think almost everyone is aware that these two references have gone down in flames on social networks for one main reason: the presence of a date window at 4:30 on their respective dials
The reality is this: I was one of those who made a film after the presentation of the Only Watch 2021 piece and I was convinced that it was going to serve as the basis for the watch in the permanent collection. So I was ready to spend and put my wallet on the counter of the Breguet house. The watches presented this week do not correspond to my expectations, I can put it away. But I know, and this is the note of hope, that I can wait for better days. For two reasons.
The first is that I am convinced that these two references are the first (and not the only) watches in the new Type XX collection and that the latter will be extended. I can therefore imagine that a future model will better meet my expectations.
The second reason is that the references 2057 and 2067 have certain interesting characteristics. So yes, I would have liked the case to be smaller (the diameter is 42mm) and thinner. Moreover, the size also explains why Breguet has placed the Swiss Made inscription under the window: to reduce the feeling of distance from the bezel. Yes, I would have liked to understand why Breguet, when two watches are presented, did not take the opportunity to release one with date and one without. Yes, I would have liked the price (19,100 euros in both cases) to be more reasonable, but we must also note that the market has changed. Yes, I would have done without certain “false patina” effects of the luminescent material. But there are also positives:
- the thickness of the case (14.1mm) is not felt thanks to the aesthetic breaks brought in particular by the fluted bezel. In addition, the Only Watch 2021 watch had almost the same thickness for a smaller diameter, which gave it a less slender style.
- the quality of the glass is excellent and offers a luminous rendering. The readability is impeccable.
- The whole is executed with care and I appreciated the finish of the dial of the reference 2067.
- The performance of the 728 movement (or 7281 without the hour totalizer) is high level with a frequency of 5hz for a power reserve of around sixty hours. I appreciated that, from a technical point of view, Breguet included the novelties in a clearly contemporary approach. The movement is visible and we can discuss this characteristic from the angle of fidelity with the spirit of the original watches. But when it comes to a current approach, it makes sense. Moreover, it would be a shame to deprive oneself of observing the movement since it is pleasant to look at and its decorative style, sober and neat, corresponds well to the atmosphere of the watches. The column wheel is highlighted and the open oscillating weight hardly obscures the movement.
- I don’t have a problem with the enlarged minute counter even though it encroaches on the 2 and 4. The watch from Only Watch 2021 had the same feature and the numbers were just as cropped…just like those on the watch of origin. So for me, it’s a non-issue.
- The handling of the flyback chronograph is precise even if the trigger is a little hard
- The water resistance is 100 meters which makes the watches versatile in use.
- Finally, the watches are equipped with a quick strap change system and come with two interchangeable straps (calf or NATO).
The conclusion is therefore the following: if the initial models of the new collection do not meet my expectations mainly because of a date window that I find badly done (and totally out of place in the 2057 reference) and a size too large for my taste, their bases, especially from a technical point of view, remain quite acceptable.
That’s why I’m confident that a smaller, undated, near-spirited version of the reissue (which used an older movement) might see the light of day in the future. My wish is that such a model is not the subject of an exclusive collaboration and that we end up with a limited series watch to buy online at 3 am in less than 5 minutes. Breguet and its customers deserve a watch close to the spirit of the original models to clearly and definitively join the permanent collection. I prefer to express this wish because the watchmaking world in 2023 being what it is, nothing surprises me anymore.
The Breguet Type XX Chronograph 2067
The conclusion of the presentation of its novelties is thus all found: the new Type XX collection has just taken off but as far as I am concerned I prefer not to board and wait for the next flights which will correspond much better to my tastes and my perception of this what a contemporary Type XX should be. Breguet had created expectations in 2019 and 2021, the brand partially met this expectation. Fans and lovers of the Type XX, however, remain unsatisfied and will have to be patient. This is why the pressure remains on Breguet, which has no right to disappoint given its historical legitimacy around this model.
Most:
+ the performance of the new movement
+ the sober and neat finish of the movement
+ versatility in use thanks to waterproofness and the system of interchangeable straps
The lessers:
– a case diameter that is too large, especially for the reference 2057
– a date window which harms the aesthetics of the dials
– a selling price of 19,100 euros (identical for the two references) up sharply compared to previous models. But it is clear that the market has changed a lot!
