Sydney Breguet Exhibition Highlight

The Tourbillon Extra-Plat 5377

If you haven’t heard already, WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND is hosting the Breguet Exhibition at our Sydney boutique. An exceptional collection will be on display, including the superb Tourbillon Extra-Plat 5377, which is the highlight of today’s article. The Breguet Exhibition will run from November into December.

Visitors to our Sydney Boutique will also have the opportunity to get up close and personal with other models from the Classic Complications collection, as well as the Reine de Naples. To learn more about those models, and Breguet in general, please click here.

Tourbillon Extra-Plat 5377 in 18k rose gold

The Tourbillon Extra-Plat 5377 is a combination of traditional innovation and modern ingenuity. This sleek dress watch pairs Breguet’s classic styling with his ingenious ‘anti-gravity’ complication; the tourbillon. It’s all kept in motion by a self-winding movement that delivers 80-hours of power reserve and is equipped with anti-magnetic technology. All this in an impossibly slim case. The result is an accurate timepiece that’s comfortable on the wrist, appealing to the eye, and simple to operate.
Having patented the tourbillon in 1801 (on 7 Messidor An 9 in the French Revolutionary Calendar to be precise), Breguet has obviously had some time to refine the mechanism. At 7mm, the Tourbillon Extra-Plat 5377 is in fact one of the thinnest tourbillon watches in the world. The lightweight dress watch is a standout in the Breguet catalogue. Paying tribute to the past while at the same time demonstrating forward-thinking practicality.

Instantly Recognisable

The Tourbillon Extra-Plat 5377 is presented in a fluted case measuring 42mm. The watch face is a Breguet enthusiast’s delight. Four different engine-turned patterns (executed by hand) cover the silvered gold. Breguet was the first to use rose lathe guilloché dials in 1786 (To suppress the reflection of light on the metal’s surface.) Here we have the traditional “Clous de Paris” hobnail, grain d’orge (barleycorn), straight chevrons, and cross hatching patterns. Another time-honoured trait is Breguet’s blued moon crescent (or pomme) hands, for the hours and minutes. (The famous blued steel, open-tipped hands date back to a 1783 pocket watch.)
Hours are marked in Roman numerals along a smooth chapter ring. Below 12 o’clock the individual piece reference number is recorded. Between 8 and 9 o’clock sits the retrograde power reserve indicator, with its own blued steel hand. The dial layout is slightly off-centre to accommodate the main feature. The long, straight bridge of the tourbillon alludes to the modern technology beating within. At its centre sits a blue sapphire – with the escape wheel also in blue. The cut-out for the complication is marked with its own chapter ring, as the running seconds hand is incorporated onto the tourbillon shaft. The wristwatch is so thin, you can see clear through the cut-out (and rear sapphire) to the other side.

The Mechanics

Somehow there’s still room for the ultra-thin (3mm), self-winding movement, calibre 581DR. Its awe-inspiring dimensions are made possible by the use of a peripheral rotor made from platinum. It is comprised of 369 parts turning on 42 jewels. The movement emits a frequency of 4Hz, or 28,800 vph – relatively fast for a tourbillon. The barrel is mounted on roller bearings.
Modern materials feature throughout. The tourbillon is protected in a titanium cage. While the horns of the inverted lateral lever escapement, as well as the balance spring are made from (anti-magnetic) silicon. The minuscule movement boasts a mighty 80-hour power reserve. Water resistance is to 30m (3 bar/ 100ft).

Putting It Under Your Christmas Tree

Seeing this masterpiece in the flesh is a rare treat and so we encourage you to plan a visit to our Sydney boutique before Christmas. Owning this exceptional timepiece will certainly be a step-up from your average Christmas gift. This Breguet Tourbillon Extra-Plat 5377 can find its way under your Christmas tree for $192,100.