Breguet ladies’ watch – Classique Phase de Lune 9085
As Valentine’s Day edges nearer, another Breguet ladies’ watch promises to seduce female horophiles. Upholding Breguet tradition, the Classique Phase de Lune 9085 is rich in mechanical virtue, traditional craftsmanship and encompasses peerless design. This new model serves as a reminder, not that it’s needed, that Breguet has always understood what women desire.
The Breguet ladies’ watch – fulfilling women’s desires since the 18th century
Back in the 1990s, I remember sitting in a jewellery shop and overhearing a lady angrily relate an incident. She had just visited an upscale gent’s outfitter and enquired about purchasing a pair of men’s gloves. The aloof sales assistant had apparently replied, ‘Ladies do not buy gloves for men’, then turned on his heel and walked away. Clearly, he lacked respect for his would-be female patron.
However, it is clear that back in the 18th century, Abraham-Louis Breguet was respectful of women and attentive to their needs and desires. While Breguet’s first client was Comte de Lort, a French aristocrat, he soon came to the attention of Marie-Antoinette. Indeed, she acquired several examples of Breguet’s work over the years and introduced him to other well heeled clients.
Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples and sister of Napoleon Bonaparte, was another loyal patron of the famous watchmaker. An avid collector of watches, she reputedly owned 34 examples of Breguet’s work. Moreover, she commissioned the first wristworn watch, ‘an ultra-thin repeating watch, oblong in shape, equipped with a thermometer and mounted on a wristlet of hair entwined with gold thread’.
While Breguet was attentive to the needs of his male clients, he evidently demonstrated empathy for his female customers and had a remarkable capacity to sate their horological desires.
The Breguet ladies’ watch – often innovative
Abraham-Louis Breguet was an exceptional watchmaker blessed with an extraordinary capacity for ingenuity, masterminding various inventions, including the Breguet overcoil, the Pare-chute and the tourbillon, to name but a few. He was a consummate businessman, manifest with his famous ‘souscription’ watch. But perhaps most of all he was an aesthete. Indeed, Breguet is regarded by some commentators as the first designer of watches. Certainly, the son of Neuchâtel conceived some aesthetic elements that continue to endure.
This month, in readiness for Valentine’s Day, Breguet has unveiled a new ladies’ watch, brimming with various design elements synonymous with the famous Maison. The Breguet Classique Phase de Lune 9085, housed in an 18-carat white gold case, measures 30mm in diameter and features caseband fluting, a design signature of the brand. The bezel and lugs are set with 66 diamonds, delivering a beautiful appearance and a tasteful note of luxury.
Fine guilloché – performed on a traditional rose-engine lathe
The dial is presented in mother-of-pearl with a fine guilloché motif at its centre. Upholding tradition, this delicate pattern is imparted using a traditional rose engine lathe. Devoid of electrical power, the lathe features a cutter and a rotating handle. A time-served artisan applies uniform pressure to the cutter with one hand while using the other hand to steadily rotate a wheel holding the dial blank in a vertical position. A selection of cams, sometimes termed rosettes, control the rotational behaviour of the wheel, imparting different motifs to the dial blank. The necessary skills required to perform this task are much sought after. Moreover, the rose engines themselves are no longer made, making historical examples of these machines highly sought after.
Breguet style
Blued steel hands, presented in the famous Breguet-style, impart meaning with a notable degree of elegance. A smooth hour track encircles the aforementioned central dial area. It is marked with a combination of Breguet numerals and lustrous rubies, with the former denoting the odd-numbered hours and the precious stones positioned in between. A circular moonphase display is positioned at 6 o’clock, completing the inventory of indications.
The Calibre 537L
Style is omnipresent with this timepiece. Take the branding on the dial, there’s no outré text or gauche tones. On the contrary, the Breguet name is presented in cursive font atop an oval-shaped cartouche, while ‘a single number’, the model’s unique production number, sits underneath.
Although I have talked extensively about the aesthetic charms of this watch, the Maison’s watchmaking virtuosity should not be overlooked. The Calibre 537L is automatic. This form of winding mechanism is closely linked with Abraham-Louis Breguet. Indeed, his ‘Perpétuelle’ watches proved especially popular with royalty and aristocrats in the latter part of the 18th century.
In this instance, the Calibre 537L is fitted with a gold oscillating weight. Assuming the mainspring is fully wound, it will run autonomously for 45 hours. The balance has a frequency of 25,200 vph (3.5Hz) and the movement features 26 jewels.
The Breguet ladies’ watch – ingenious thought
Upholding Abraham-Louis Breguet’s penchant for innovation, the modern-day Maison continues to embrace innovation. One such example of the Manufacture’s ingenuity relates to its adoption of silicium (silicon). The escapement and the hairspring are made from the cutting-edge glass-like material. Silicium is incredibly light, friction-free, unaffected by magnetic fields and not liable to corrode, all of which are useful when it comes to watchmaking. I’ve spoken to a few advocates for the use of silicon and they all cite superior precision and resistance to wear as particular attributes of watches employing silicium technology.
The new Breguet Classique Phase de Lune 9085 is supplied with two alligator straps, one in red and a second in pearly white. The straps feature a simple pusher on their underside, providing a swift means of switching between the straps without the need for tools.
Closing remarks
Abraham-Louis Breguet was clearly ahead of his time when it came to fulfilling the watch-buying desires of women. The brand of today continues to recognise the needs of modern women, meeting their expectations with an impressive range of timepieces that blend mechanical virtue, traditional craftsmanship and breathtaking designs. This latest model, the Breguet Classique Phase de Lune 9085 Valentine’s Day Edition proves no exception.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: Breguet Classique Phase de Lune 9085 Valentine’s Day Edition
- Reference: 9085BB/5R/964 DD00
- Case: diameter 30 mm; height 9.85 mm, water resistance 3ATM (30m), sapphire crystal to the front and exhibition case back.
- Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds, moonphase
- Movement: Calibre 537; self-winding movement; frequency 25,200 vph (3.5Hz); power reserve 45 hours.
- Strap: red alligator leather as well as an additional strap in pearly white alligator leather
- Price: CHF 33,800 including taxes (RRP as of 23.12.2022)
- Limited Edition: 28 pieces