A sprung weight on a pivoting arm jumps up and down to wind the mainspring. The modern self-winding wristwatch has a spinning weight.
1780, THE "PERPÉTUELLE" WATCH
What Abraham-Louis Breguet set out to achieve was at once simple and highly ambitious : a watch which would wind itself, without the aid of a key or any other external agency. In his customary fashion, Breguet never laid claim to either the idea or the term "perpétuelle", taking credit merely – if that is the appropriate word – for the invention of a system that was reliable and effective : an oscillating weight "à secousses" which responded to the wearer’s movements and ordinary walking. The oscillating weight, sprung so that it returned to its original position after each movement, pushed up two going-barrels, stopping when the springs were fully depressed.
The Perpétuelle, the watch of kings par excellence
The perfection of this system was the first major success of his career. At a time when several of his contemporaries were engaged in work on the problem without achieving any convincing results, he became the first to discover, through his oscillating platinum-weight watch a formula which would produce a reliable automatic watch. His first perpétuelle was sold to the Duc d'Orléans in 1780.
From the 1780s, his "self-winding watches" were to bring him considerable fame both at the court of Versailles and throughout Europe. Unique in its time, both technically and aesthetically, the perpétuelle – the watch of kings par excellence- remains today one of the most powerful symbols of the phenomenal creative genius of its inventor. A.-L. Breguet made and sold some sixty examples from 1787 to 1823, and we may assume (in the absence of documentary records) that in the years between 1780 and 1787 he made another twenty or thirty.
Classique Grandes Complications
The Classique Grande Complication Tourbillon 5317 provides the perfect setting for Breguet’s most spectacular invention and undeniably the most beautiful of all horological complications, developed over 210 years ago to compensate for the effects of gravity. On the back, the "B-shaped" oscillating weight reveals the beauty of the meticulously hand-engraved movement.
Tradition Collection
The Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097 watch is the result of the technical and aesthetic excellence that Breguet consistently strives for. The gold winding rotor borrows its style from the movements of the period.
Marine Collection
In 2017, Breguet gave a new face to its Marine line through a revamped aesthetic style, combining a sense of modernity and dynamism. The maritime spirit of this self-winding model continues on the back with a singular oscillating weight in gold featuring a design inspired by a ship’s rudder. The movement visible through the sapphire crystal caseback is engine-turned and reminiscent of boat decks.
Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Automatique 5367
While the appearance of this Tourbillon Extra-Plat Automatique model is extremely understated on the front, its movement is nonetheless richly decorated. The bridges, barrel and oscillating weight are hand-engraved. Crafted in platinum for greater inertia, the latter rotates on the periphery of the calibre, thus providing a clearer view of the movement as well as ensuring its slimness. The Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Automatique 5367 measures a mere 7.45 mm thick and its movement just 3 mm.
Ladies Marine by Breguet
In 2019, leaning on a wealth of watchmaking know-how, the House of Breguet unveils the Marine watch collection for women, inspired by our oceans. As a specialist in guillochage (or engine-turning), Breguet has designed an original motif that reflects the flow of waves on the dial. The artisans of the House of Breguet have made this demanding design come alive on mother-of-pearl, a particularly fragile material, which graces the dial and rotor of the movement for this collection. Available in steel as well as rose or white gold, the Marine also features precious variations, with the bezel ringed and illuminated by diamonds. For the gold models, the diamond setting is continued on the bevel of the rotor.
Models with this invention
Tradition Dame 7038
Tradition 7097
Classique 9068
Classique 5157
Hora Mundi 5717
La Musicale 7800
Classique 7787
Classique 7788
Classique 5177
Classique 5178
Classique 7137
Classique 7337
Le Réveil du Tsar 5707
Classique 5327
Classique 9067
Tourbillon Extra-Plat 5377
Classique complications 5317
Héritage 5400
Héritage 8860
Héritage 8861
Reine de Naples Jour/Nuit 8999
Reine de Naples Jour/Nuit 8998
Reine de Naples 8978
Reine de Naples 8968
Reine de Naples 8967
Reine de Naples 8908
Reine de Naples 8909
Reine de Naples 8918
Reine de Naples 8973
Reine de Naples 8939
Reine de Naples 8928
Reine de Naples 8958
Plumes GJ15BB89240DD8
Les Volants de la Reine GJ28BB8924DDS8
Désir de la Reine GJ27BB8924DDD8
Secret de la Reine GJ24BB8548DDC3
Crazy Flower GJE25BB20.8989DB
Crazy Flower GJE25BB20.8989FB1
Petite Fleur GJE26BB20.8589DB1
Plumes GJE15BB20.8924M01
Le Petit Trianon GJE23BB20.8924D01
Marie-Antoinette Dentelle GJE16BB20.8924R01
Marine Dame 9518
Marine 5517