Breguet debuts new 38mm Tradition Seconde Rétrograde for its second 250th anniversary release
Zach Blass- Breguet introduces its second 250th anniversary release, a Tradition Seconde Rétrograde limited edition of 250 pieces.
- The watch features a 38mm case in the brand’s new 18k Breguet Gold alloy.
- Its blue, grand feu, flinqué enamel sub-dial is the first to use the new Quai de l’Horloge motif.
Breguet isn’t known as a brand with a high frequency of novelties, but 2025 is an especially important year for the brand as it celebrates its 250th anniversary. At the end of April, Breguet kicked off the anniversary celebrations with a new Classique Souscription inspired by a pocket watch from the late 1790s. Less than a month later, we now know what the brand’s second 250th anniversary release is: the new Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035BH/H2/9V6.
The new Tradition Seconde Rétrograde, which measures 38mm in diameter and 12.6mm in thickness, is executed in a size that most wrists will be able to enjoy. It’s the first time we are seeing a Tradition case, with its fluted caseband and welded lugs, executed in the new 18k Breguet Gold alloy. With a subtle, warm hue that has both old and new school charm (as contradictory as that sounds), the colder and bolder blue grand feu enamel sub-dial really pops against the backdrop. The sub-dial has been hand-guillochéd as you would expect, but its pattern is new, bringing the Quai de l’Horloge motif first seen on the caseback of the Classique Souscription to the dial.
With a blue dial, the Breguet hands have not been crafted from blued steel, and are instead forged in 18k Breguet Gold like the case. The hands, logo, and Breguet numerals look great and legible in a matching hue, but I suspect some will wish Breguet didn’t omit the numeral at 4 o’clock with the watch’s limited edition number (e.g. “No. 250”). To the left of the sub-dial, what you are seeing is not a power reserve indicator – it would be easy to mistake it as such, considering other Tradition designs – instead, it’s actually a retrograde seconds hand that flips back to zero at the beginning of each minute.
The in-house 505SR movement with a 50-hour power reserve has also been given a Breguet Gold treatment, matching the surfaces of the calibre to the case. Another subtle first is the brand’s decision to brush the top of the finger bridges to the right of the automatic bridge, which usually remain frosted like the surfaces around them. I really enjoy this pivot, as the brushing creates new light dynamics, brightening up under direct light and creating better contrast that showcases the darkening of the mirror-polished bevelled edges. It looks more high-end and modern without stripping it of its traditional charm.
Most brands do not provide weight information in their press releases unless it is a headline aspect, but Breguet reveals that the gold weight of the watch is approximately 52 grams, with an additional 2.2 grams of platinum from the rotor weight. This large, shaped rotor is not normally crafted in platinum, but is typically executed with a black polish. Here, it has a full brushed finish, which, in some respects, feels like a means to escape a laborious task, though it does better suit the newly brushed bridges.
As a watch brand, Breguet seems to be at a point akin to a cliche movie trope where the beautiful woman suddenly sheds her glasses and everyone around her suddenly acts like she underwent a major makeover. For 250 years, the brand has had all the ingredients for being the most celebrated watchmaker in the world. However, in a largely superficial watch collecting landscape, we’ve all been waiting for the brand to take off its proverbial glasses and let its hair down, while still remembering where it has come from. It needed a little more hype without losing sight of what makes Breguet, Breguet.
The usage of colour, the subtle tweaking of finishes – it all may seem small (as small as taking off a pair of glasses, perhaps), but it is clear that under new CEO Gregory Kissling, Breguet is dead-set on moving the needle forward and reaching new heights. The glasses are off, and considering the atypical, quicker cadence of new releases we are seeing from Breguet now, it appears we have a lot to look forward to.
The Classique Souscription looked all the way back to the beginnings of Breguet, but it shed the brand’s signature fluted case with welded lugs, had only one hand to tell the time, and at 40mm, was larger than some would have liked. In my opinion, the new Tradition Seconde Rétrograde is a very strong move. The 38mm diameter with a Breguet Gold makeover as a new option makes it, dare I say, the best 7035 yet.
Breguet Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035BH/H2/9V6 pricing and availability
The Breguet Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035BH/H2/9V6 is now available as a limited edition of 250 pieces. Price: A$74,600
| Brand | Breguet |
| Model | Tradition Seconde Rétrograde |
| Reference | 7035BH/H2/9V6 |
| Case Dimensions | 38mm (D) x 12.6mm (T) |
| Case Material | 18k Breguet Gold |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Blue, grand feu enamel on gold sub-dial, Quai de l’Horloge motif |
| Strap | Navy blue large-scaled alligator leather strap, 18k Breguet gold buckle |
| Movement | 505SR, in-house, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 50 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, retrograde seconds |
| Availability | Limited to 250 pieces |
| Price | A$74,600 |