Montres Breguet have closed their 250th-anniversary year on a high, bringing together history and traditional horology with cutting-edge research in escapement design. The new Expérimentale 1 pairs a 10 Hz tourbillon with what the brand describes as a contact-free magnetic constant-force escapement, all housed in a 43.5 mm Breguet-gold Marine case with a full sapphire dial that places the movement at centre stage.
At its heart is the new calibre 7250, reinforcing Breguet’s dual commitment to haute-horlogerie finishing and technical innovation. This manually wound movement uses a flat silicon balance spring and a traditional Breguet balance wheel, while its blued plates, gold bridges and sharp anglage showcase exemplary artisanal craftsmanship. The aesthetic language borrows respectfully from the past while integrating modern technology discreetly and purposefully, with a look reminiscent of former Breguet master watchmaker Jean-Baptiste Viot.
An expanded view of the Breguet Experimentale 1 escapement (left) from dial to baseplate.
The magnetic pallet fork and escape wheel can be seen in detail in the right-hand image.
The headline innovation is the escapement. Montres Breguet has taken what it learned from the development of the Classique Chronométrie ref. 7727 on pivotal forces and micro magnetic fields and used it to design a whole new high frequency tourbillon with a friction free pallet fork and wheel set up. Rather than relying on conventional mechanical contact between pallet and escape wheel as in the lever escapement, Breguet employs opposing magnetic fields between the pallet stones (in the fork) and the escape wheel to generate impulse and a near-frictionless transfer of energy.
The independence of the forces from the magnetic field results in a true constant-force system integrated within the escapement. It is a design that decouples impulse delivery from the rest of the gear train, stabilising amplitude across the power reserve and addressing two perennial problems for the mechanical watch that were preoccupying Abraham Louis Breguet: friction and the need for constant power delivery.
The dial design for the new Expérimentale 1 (centre) comes from the Breguet ref. 3448 (left) from 1820 bought by astronomer Alexis Bouvard, and the Montre produced by ex-Breguet artisan watchmaker Jean-Baptiste Viot.
Breguet’s stated timekeeping ambition is extraordinarily high for this watch. The brand guarantees a level of chronometric performance in the new movement (backed by its in-house quality standard) that places the Breguet Expérimentale 1 among the most accurate mechanical wristwatches produced today
Beyond the movement, Breguet balances avant-garde horological engineering with practical wrist considerations. The case echoes the Marine line but is reinterpreted for modern wearability; finishing contrasts include sandblasted and polished surfaces, and the watch ships with an interchangeable strap system. It also has a 100-metre water resistance, which is an uncommon level of practicality for such an experimental haute-horlogerie piece.
The pared back aesthetics of the reverse side to Expérimentale 1 showing the back bridge to the high-frequency tourbillon.
The Breguet Expérimentale 1 is a coherent technical statement. For collectors and enthusiasts, this watch marks the practical arrival of the contact-free escapement concept in watchmaking, something that Abraham-Louis strived for, which balances historic invention and artisanal finishing. Production is deliberately limited to 75 pieces, and pricing at 320,000CHF (excluding taxes) reflects both development intensity and exclusivity.
Author: Andrew Hildreth
If you are a fan of Breguet, you may enjoy reading our interview with CEO Gregory Kissling and our reviews of the Marine Hora Mundi ref. 5555 released in London in celebration of Breguet’s 250th anniversary and of the GPHG Aiguille d’Or winning Classique Souscription 2025.
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