Breguet continues the Tradition story
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In 2026, Breguet is revitalising its Tradition collection, a cornerstone of the Manufacture’s history. It distinctively embodies the Breguet DNA by uniting the House’s key characteristics within its movement, visible on the dial side and showcasing the brand’s heritage, its founder’s legacy, as well as the path along which its future will be written.
The collection now welcomes several new models: Tradition 7037 and 7097, notably distinguished by a retrograde small seconds display; Tradition 7038, also featuring a retrograde small seconds hand as well as gemset bezel and buckle; along with Tradition 7067 comprising a dual-time display.
Clever changes give these models a more contemporary feel, notably through the use of Arabic (rather than Roman) numerals on certain models, traditional Grand Feu enamel dials, new movement finishes and new straps.
Tradition Seconde Retrograde 7037
Tradition 7037 epitomises deliberate, unpretentious simplicity: a 38 mm white gold case, two hands for the hours and minutes, along with a small retrograde seconds hand confirming its smooth operation throughout its 50-hour power reserve.
This choice of a watch design pared down to this extent has enabled the Breguet teams to endow the timepiece with a new aesthetic dimension, featuring a largely open dial devoid of any complications. The components are arranged in a remarkably harmonious way. It is through meticulous finishing that the Manufacture has been able to enhance their very essence. For the first time, the Tradition 7037 presents a movement that is entirely blue. The mainplate is finely shotblasted, the bridges satin-brushed and the barrel cover hand-guilloché with a snailed pattern. All components are hand-finished.
Closely attuned with the Breguet spirit
The approach is the same on the caseback, where the movement proudly displays its half-moon-shaped oscillating weight. This is a direct reference to the design conceptualised by A.-L. Breguet himself. By developing such a rotor, the watchmaker was once again breaking new ground for his time, in two respects.
Firstly, by personally laying the foundations for the self-winding watch. While several earlier works appear to attest to its conception by other watchmaker-mechanics, the Breguet 1/8/82 watch on which work probably began before 1780 is indisputably the first-ever self-winding watch that we still have today – as it is now in the Breguet Museum on Place Vendôme.
Tradition GMT 7067
The new Tradition GMT 7067 draws on the design cues of the eponymous model already in the collection, with one major difference.
For the first time in a Tradition model, the hours dial features a green gradient, representing an eminently technical feat for Grand Feu enamel. In achieving this, master enamellers must accomplish the perfect transition, enabling a steady progression from pine green at the dial centre to absolute black around the rim. The choice of enamel powders, their meticulously calculated gradient, the chromatic balance and the meticulous control of their firing – down to the exact degree and minute – represent authentic expertise cultivated by the House of Breguet.
These skills ensure the dial pays vivid testimony to artistic crafts. The challenge is all the greater in that these dials are not concealed as they generally are by the case. Moreover, just as on the Tradition 7037, the choice of Arabic numerals also conveys a sense of strong loyalty to the Breguet spirit, while offering excellent legibility thanks to their silver-tone colour standing against the black outer dial rim.
Directly evoking Abraham-Louis Breguet
The main dial displays Local Time, while the subdial at 8 o’clock displays Home Time. A discreet day/night indicator at 10 o’clock completes the display, positioned near the crown used to set the complication (by one-hour increments in either direction).
In the Tradition GMT 7067 model, Home Time is available in a choice of two fonts: Arabic or Oriental numerals. While the latter variation is a rare occurrence within the Manufacture’s contemporary range, it stems from an authentic customisation offered by A.-L. Breguet himself from the early 1800s to his clients in the Ottoman Empire. These timepieces now known as “Ottoman watches” were distinguished by their enamel dials and their easily recognisable Oriental numerals. Their characteristic, sometimes double cases were entirely enamelled and adorned with floral motifs and landscapes.
Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7038
This new model is one of a select few creations designed for enthusiasts of horological virtuosity. Embodying a blend of Haute Horlogerie and jewellery, this model combines cutting-edge engineering with the art of sophistication. Each timepiece is crafted with unrivalled expertise, testifying to Breguet’s exceptional craftsmanship.
Powered by self-winding Breguet Calibre 505SR, the Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7038 showcases its mechanical beauty within an 18K rhodium-plated white gold case. The bezel set with 58 brilliant-cut diamonds subtly captures the light, while the crown adorned with a watch jewel adds a luminous touch.
For the first time, the Maison has adorned a Tradition creation with a black aventurine glass dial, enlivened by dainty silver-toned powdered transfers, creating a subtle overall effect of visual depth.
Sunburst guilloché, a token of horological excellence
Visible in a central position on the dial side, the barrel cover is distinguished by a sunburst guilloché pattern evoking sunbeams and paying tribute to this exceptional craftsmanship first introduced on watch dials by A.-L. Breguet. Over time, guilloché has become an art form in its own right and above all, a signature of the Maison’s artisanal expertise. Breguet currently operates the largest workshop of guilloché lathes. These carefully restored vintage machines enable the creation of numerous patterns ranging from the most classic to the most original.
The back of the Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7038 reveals a mechanical scene just as captivating as the front, setting the stage for masterful craftsmanship reserved exclusively for the owner’s enthralled gaze and testifying to the attention the House devotes to the finest details – even those invisible when the watch is on the wrist. The oscillating weight hovers over the mainplate and the finely shotblasted bridges, enhanced by a high-density black finish – just as on the dial side. Crafted in gold, it evokes the weights designed in the era of A.-L. Breguet. In this instance it takes the form of a half-crown also adorned with a sunburst guilloché pattern and specially developed for this version. This subtle decoration echoes the barrel cover that is finished in the same style, creating a true aesthetic dialogue between the two sides of the watch.
