Breguet announced the Classique Souscription for 2025

Breguet celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2025, with the announcement of the Classique Souscription 2025 in Paris, home to Abraham-Louis Breguet’s workshop, which saw the birth of the master watchmaker’s great inventions.

To escape the turmoil of the French Revolution, Abraham-Louis Breguet sought refuge in Switzerland in 1793, spending time in Neuchâtel and Le Locle. By 1795, he returned to Paris—where he had originally founded his workshop on the Île de la Cité in 1775 and had already earned considerable renown. Upon his return, he focused on revitalizing his business and initiated several innovative ventures, one of which was the creation of the Souscription watch.

Though records in the Musée Breguet at place Vendôme show that the name “Souscription” first appeared in 1796, the single-hand watch gained broader attention beginning in 1797. Breguet promoted this durable and dependable piece—featuring a wide 61mm case, a clean white enamel dial, and a streamlined movement—using a novel advertising pamphlet he authored himself.

The concept behind the Souscription model was straightforward: customers secured their orders by paying a deposit equal to a quarter of the total price. This advance allowed Breguet’s workshop to procure the materials needed for production, enabling efficient series manufacturing.

The dial of the Souscription 2025 comes with a radiant white grand feu enamel finish, Its caseback design draws directly from the structure of the earliest Souscription watches.

The dial reflects the elegance and visual clarity emphasizing simplicity and contrast. At its center, a distinctive flame-blued steel Breguet hand—crafted and shaped entirely by hand—features an open-tipped design that gracefully arcs over the iconic, slightly slanted Breguet-style Arabic numerals. All numerals and markers are inscribed in black petit feu enamel, matching the Breguet signature positioned at 12 o’clock.

Subtle inscriptions, including “Souscription,” a unique serial number, and Breguet’s secret signature, are inscripted between the center and 6 o’clock, depending on how light hits the surface. A hallmark of the original Souscription watches, this secret signature was Breguet’s early method of authenticating his timepieces and deterring forgery. It is engraved using a diamond-point pantograph—a precision tool with articulated arms—just as it was in Breguet’s time, ensuring a delicate and accurate marking on the enamel.

The dial’s design is shielded by a sapphire crystal with a “chevé” profile—an innovation introduced by Breguet himself. Unlike the highly domed glass of the era, this version offers a flatter surface with a gentle curve at the edges, creating a seamless transition into the case. This subtle design has since become a signature element of modern watchmaking, much like the famed Breguet hands and numerals.

With the Classique Souscription 2025, Breguet debuts a proprietary gold alloy known as Breguet gold—a unique blend of gold, silver, copper, and palladium. The 40 mm case, with a height of 10.8 mm, presents a new design that distinguishes it from other models. Ergonomics have been thoughtfully refined: the traditional Breguet fluting has been replaced by a soft satin-brushed case middle, in keeping with the aesthetics of the original Souscription watches. Additionally, the lugs have been elegantly curved to provide a better fit on the wrist and create a more harmonious, flowing appearance compared to conventional straight lugs.

On the other side, a larg sapphire crystal offers a view of the new VS00 calibre, crafted from gilded brass in a hue that perfectly matches Breguet gold. This movement comes with a completely original guilloché motif introduced this year—named “Quai de l’Horloge.” The pattern draws its flowing inspiration from the elegant contours of the Île de la Cité and the graceful lines of the Île Saint-Louis, forming a rhythmic, endlessly adaptable design. This innovative motif elevates guilloché to a living art form, brought to life through Breguet’s masterful craftsmanship.

The VS00 calibre operates at 3Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour) and offers an impressive four-day power reserve, all powered by a single barrel. It is finely tuned balance spring, blued and shaped with a Breguet overcoil. Made from Nivachron™, a titanium-based, non-magnetic alloy, this component improves resistance to magnetic fields, temperature fluctuations, and physical shocks.

The baseplate and bridges are finished with a refined shot-blasted texture, a decorative technique that echoes the aesthetics of Breguet’s original movements. Blued steel screws and synthetic rubies add visual sophistication, while the centerpiece—the oversized ratchet wheel—bears a special engraving. Etched into its surface are the words of A.-L. Breguet himself, taken directly from his historic advertisement for the Souscription watch, meticulously replicated in his elegant cursive handwriting.

The warm and subtly rosy tone of this material draws inspiration from the gold alloys favored by 18th-century watchmakers. In those times, such alloys were carefully formulated to balance strength, durability, and visual appeal—attributes that elevated the status of fine timepieces.

Crafted entirely within Breguet’s own workshops, this exclusive 18K Breguet gold consists of 75% pure gold, enhanced with silver, copper, and palladium. More than just radiant in appearance, it is engineered for long-lasting beauty—resisting tarnish and maintaining its lustre over time for a refined, enduring finish.

In the development process, once the ideal blend was achieved, Breguet ensured the alloy was perfectly suited to the demands of traditional watchmaking techniques, particularly when it comes to decorative detailing. Breguet gold is a testament to the brand’s drive to push the limits of horological craftsmanship, surpassing conventional expectations. It plays a central role in the House’s milestone anniversary collection, representing both a storied legacy and an ongoing dedication to innovation and excellence.