The latest Breguet Blue Tradition Chronographe Indépendant 7077 is a reminder the brand is Holy Trinity level
Zach Blass- Breguet adds a new ‘Breguet Blue’ configuration to its Tradition Chronographe Indépendant 7077 (first launched in 2015).
- The watch boasts two independent gear trains, one dedicated to indicating the time (3 Hz) and the other to the chronograph (5 Hz).
- 44mm 18k white gold case, blued solid gold engine turned sub-dial, anthracite-coated movement.
While its namesake watchmaker is arguably the most legendary and prolific, Breguet as a brand in the modern era has not necessarily reached the same heights as Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe in terms of mainstream crossover and appeal. The Swatch-owned brand’s lack of mentions in rap songs and struggle to consistently permeate pop culture may hinder the brand in some superficial respects, but ironically, Breguet’s steadfast refusal to make major departures from its traditional sensibility is something watch-snob-critics, who despise things like Marvel collaboration timepieces, wish the aforementioned status brands would uphold themselves. I am not picking a side here. In fact, I want to drown out all the noise and just look at the watchmaking. Once you do, with pieces like the new Breguet Tradition Chronographe Indépendant 7077 in “Breguet Blue“, it becomes very clear that, in its own way, Breguet is on a level playing field.
It is telling that Breguet being a bit roguish translates to a “Breguet blue” dial, very common in the watch industry at large yet very scarce and special within the context of its own catalogue. And despite the Tradition Chronographe Indépendant 7077 being originally introduced 240 years after the founding of the brand in 2015 (yes, it took nine years for Breguet to introduce a variant with a blue dial), various signatures established by Abraham Louis Breguet in the late 1700s remain faithfully incorporated into the design – welded lugs, screwed bars, a fluted caseband, “Breguet hands”, and an engine-turned dial just to name a few.
The design, however, is by no means stuck in the past, with an anthracite-coated movement, visible front and back, that incorporates various modern evolutions that have improved upon patents and innovations first born by Breguet himself. Modern Breguet is perhaps restrictively faithful to its namesake’s aesthetic and architectural foundations at times, but it is admirable how similar the design of its watches are today to those introduced at its founding – yet also abundantly clear they were made in the modern era. You can clearly see the image of A.L. Breguet’s pocket watches in the calibre exposed on the dial but also recognise he could have never realised such a watch in his time.
Admittedly, hearing that the 18k white gold case is 44mm does cause my smaller-wristed self to clench in fear. Its 14.1mm thickness is not the most suitable for a dressy watch either, but as we delve deeper into the movement, I imagine most of us could be forgiving. The saving grace, however, is that its lug-to-lug measurement is 48.65mm across the wrist, which comes as a bit of a welcome surprise in the context of its other dimensions.
So, what exactly is the Tradition Chronographe Indépendant 7077? It is a watch that offers a solution that prevents possible disruption to the main gear train when a conventional chronograph is activated. Some will say it is an over-engineered and unnecessary chronograph evolution, but in our niche world, this all translates to wondrous #watchporn we want to immediately take a loupe to. The independence of the chronograph is achieved through an entirely separate and dedicated gear train for the chronograph.
There are two heartbeats, two balance wheels at work in this design. On the right, you will find the gear train regulated by a brighter cupro-beryllium balance wheel running at 3 Hz that pertains to the hours and minutes indication of the watch. On the left is the chronograph’s dedicated gear train that is regulated by a darker titanium balance wheel beating at 5 Hz – making it a hi-beat chronograph. The dial is very eye-pleasingly symmetrical, with two scales, a 20-minute elapsed-minutes scale flanking the off-centred time dial on the left and the 55-hour power reserve indicator on its right. Of course, you’ll know the chronograph is running when the large central chronograph seconds hand is sweeping around the dial. But Breguet has also engineered a chronograph on/off indicator at the 6′ position of the dial as well.
While there are two gear trains, the in-house manually-wound 580DR powers both through a single barrel and a patented blade spring-gear system. Winding the crown at 3′ on the case will store energy for the 55 hours of hours and minutes timekeeping. The chronograph, however, has a power reserve of only 20 minutes. Before you freak out though, you first need to understand the patented blade spring-gear system.
The Tradition Chronographe Indépendant 7077 was designed as a short-interval chronograph, catering to those who only need to record time for 20 minutes or less. This 20-minute power reserve, however, is instantly topped off once the chronograph is reset, thanks to Breguet’s patented system. The chronograph is started and stopped via a screw-down pusher at the 4′ position of the case and reset by the opposing screw-down pusher at the 8′ position.
“The energy required for the chronograph is supplied when the reset function is activated and is stored in a flexed blade spring. This reserve lasts up to 20 minutes, ideal for short-time measurements, and ensures instant chronograph start-up, as the available energy is always at its peak,” Breguet explains. “Activating the reset function flexes and arms the blade spring, preparing the chronograph for a new measurement. The titanium balance wheel is equipped with two stop systems: the first, operated by a cam, releases the balance wheel at the chronograph’s start and holds it at stop; the second halts the balance wheel when insufficient energy remains for complete operation. Thus, the balance wheel is always in the optimal position, achieving its amplitude instantly.”
The movement, front and back, is finely hand-finished in Breguet’s distinct style, the bridges thinly hand-chamfered at their edges, providing glistening contrast to the largely frosted surfaces on their topside. The anthracite coating and blue accents of the dial give it a modern edge. It can all appear a bit rustic, akin to the work of George Daniels and Roger W. Smith who were both very much inspired by the work of Breguet, but this is high horology and decoration executed in a very traditional manner – albeit with some modern twists.
I cannot imagine many people or collectors were ever begging Breguet, or any watchmaker for that matter, to make a watch with an independent chronograph mechanism. But, I also imagine many, upon discovering the Tradition Chronographe Indépendant 7077, were glad Breguet did – whether a viable client or simply an admirer of fine watchmaking. The ultimate beauty of Breguet is that, though it finds itself within a roster of Swatch conglomerate brands, is that it is a brand that can produce watches in a manner that rivals the finest independent brands. And as the pinnacle of the Holy Trinity seems to be trying the patience of the watch community more than ever, now is the time for Breguet, an undoubtedly respected watch brand, to get the further awareness and credit it has long been due.
Breguet Tradition Chronographe Indépendant 7077 “Breguet Blue” pricing and availability
The Breguet Tradition Chronographe Indépendant 7077 “Breguet Blue” is available now for purchase. Price: US$93,600
| Brand | Breguet |
| Model | Tradition Chronographe Indépendant 7077 |
| Reference | 7077BB/GY/9XV |
| Case Dimensions | 44mm (D) x 14.1mm (T) x 48.65mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 18k white gold |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire crystal, front and back |
| Dial | Off-centered 18K gold dial with “Breguet Blue” galvanic treatment, clous de Paris handmade guilloche |
| Strap | “Breguet Blue” alligator leather strap, 18K white gold triple-blade folding clasp |
| Movement | 580DR, in-house, hand-wound |
| Power Reserve | 55 hours for the hours and minutes 20 minutes for the independent chronograph |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, chronograph, power reserve indicator, chronograph on/off indicator |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$93,600 |