Interview - Breguet Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255
A Conversation with the Keeper of Time
PRESS RELEASE | 917 WORDS | 9 MINUTE READ
The Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255 marks a bold new chapter in Breguet’s horological legacy. Merging flying and mysterious tourbillon innovations with celestial-inspired design, it celebrates 250 years of excellence through astronomy, craftsmanship, and timeless technical mastery.
Image courtesy - Breguet
Interview with Gregory Kissling, CEO de Breguet
Why did you want to make a mysterious flying tourbillon?
Breguet already has several tourbillon models in its collections, and we have already presented a timepiece with a mysterious version. What’s new, however, is this flying cage that allows the tourbillon to take centre stage, along with the aventurine dial.
What makes it so special?
It is, quite simply, the very first time in Breguet’s history that a flying tourbillon is being introduced. A beautiful way to celebrate its 224th anniversary! And the tourbillon model we chose to reinterpret is no ordinary one: among the tourbillon movements in Breguet’s archives, it is the one used in the very first Breguet tourbillon wristwatch, unveiled in 1990 under reference 3350.
The Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255 thus pays homage to that iconic timepiece and to the master’s invention. I would even go so far as to say that this creation is an ode to the tourbillon itself, where time indication is almost secondary...
Can you tell us about aventurine?
This material has a ‘wow’ effect when you see it. Its name comes from the Italian “a ventura”, which means “by chance”, because of the way it came into being. In the 17th century, a glassmaker in Murano accidentally dropped copper filings into molten glass.
As it cooled, these metallic particles crystallised in suspension in the vitreous mass, giving rise to a sparkling glass that had never been seen before. The radiant blue is obtained by using cobalt crystals.
Why did you choose to incorporate aventurine in this particular model?
Each of our anniversary models tells a story. With this new model, we wanted to tell the story of the tourbillon. The name of our new creation includes the word “Sidéral”, meaning “related to the stars”. And remember what the term “tourbillon” referred to in A.-L. Breguet’s time: celestial bodies rotating on a fixed axis. The connection is obvious! When you gaze at the night sky on a clear evening, you see countless stars.
That’s where the use of aventurine makes perfect sense. The copper particles inside evoke stars sparkling in the sky. Stars—or celestial bodies. It all comes together beautifully.
Will aventurine be a permanent fixture in the Breguet collections?
Yes, it’s quite possible, although there are other interesting materials to explore. However, aventurine has the hypnotic quality that we were looking for in this model, whose complication refers in particular to the celestial sphere. It’s no coincidence that many Haute Horlogerie brands use aventurine in their collections.
How important is it to incorporate new materials into Breguet’s collections?
Like A.-L. Breguet, we like to explore, test and incorporate new materials into our timepieces. Watchmaking is an infinite playground, and we never stop innovating. We also have material specialists within our company who are always trying to go one step further. These projects are the result of good collaboration between various departments.
Interview with Emmanuel Breguet, Head of Patrimony
How many tourbillons were produced in A.-L. Breguet’s time?
The total number of pieces, as revealed by in-depth research in the archives, particularly in the manufacturing books of the period, comes to 35 watches. However, there are 5 additional pieces that should not be forgotten: a sympathique clock, the famous Sommariva clock (composed of a tourbillon clock and a watch that sits on a turntable), a marine chronometer, a large demonstration model and a travel clock.
These varied works are just proof of Breguet’s great ambitions for his invention. A total of 40 pieces were made, which does not take into account 9 other pieces that were never completed and appear in the books as “written off”, “scrapped” or “lost”... Quite an impressive rate of loss!
Had A.-L. Breguet already started work on tourbillon timepieces before obtaining his patent?
Logically, yes. Three pieces were started before 1801, the inventor being impatient to validate his intuitions and calculations. In A.-L. Breguet’s time, what was the average time taken to produce a Tourbillon timepiece? It took more than six years, twice as long as for a “normal” Breguet watch. This says a lot about the delicacy of the operations involved and the difficulty of finding the skilled labour necessary to make them, even in the master’s extensive entourage...
What can be said about the sale of the first Breguet tourbillons?
In 1811, at the end of the ten-year patent period, the company had sold ten tourbillons. Unsurprisingly, the buyers included sovereigns (George III and George IV of England, Ferdinand VII of Spain), Russian aristocrats and eminent personalities from all over Europe.
It has so far been established that a quarter of the total of the forty tourbillon-regulated, period timepieces were definitely used for ‘naval’ purposes, i.e. they were bought by shipowners and captains and used for calculating longitude, a vital aide when navigating at sea. Thomas Brisbane took his watch all the way to Australia, and some pieces spent fifty years sailing the world’s seas.
This use must have delighted Breguet, who was passionate about marine watchmaking and wanted to provide ever more precise timepieces in all circumstances.
What became of the very first tourbillons created by the company?
A dozen pieces are kept in museums: three have joined the collections of the Breguet Museum, four are kept in the British Museum or in other institutions in England; others can be seen in museums in Italy (Milan), Israel (Jerusalem) or the United States (New York). Some fifteen others are in the hands of private collectors.
For further information, visit breguet.com