One Watch, 13 Inventions
Inspired by a 1796 model, the Classique Souscription 2025 brings back the single-hand dial design. This pays tribute to the ingenuity of Abraham-Louis Breguet: the original subscription models were engineered for reliability, ease of maintenance and repair, and efficient mass production—over 700 were made across three decades. This concept helped revive the Breguet company when the founder returned to Paris after the French Revolution.
Abraham-Louis Breguet found great success with this model not only because of its quality, but also due to his visionary business approach—he sold the watch using a subscription model. “He offered the watch for sale via a deposit-based system,” explains Kissling.
The modern Classique Souscription 2025 applies the same historic principles in a wristwatch format. Its grand feu white enamel dial, marked with Arabic numerals and a “railroad” minute track done in petit feu enamel, maintains the functional elegance of the original. The hand-blued steel hand requires precision: “There’s no going back if it’s overheated. The royal blue shade we’re aiming for appears precisely at 290°C,” says the artisan in charge of the operation at the Manufacture’s restoration workshop.
In total, the watch features 13 patented innovations: four brand-new, and nine derived from Breguet’s historic contributions, blending technical mastery and aesthetic finesse. The model also revives Breguet’s secret signature, engraved with a historical pantograph.
A Signature Alloy and Guilloché Pattern
For this anniversary edition, Breguet introduces a new 18-carat alloy: Breguet Gold. Inspired by the “watchmaker’s gold” of the 18th century, it combines gold (75%), silver, copper, and palladium. The palladium gives the metal a softer tone and greater resistance to discoloration. “Neither yellow nor rose—somewhere in between,” says Kissling. Developed in-house with metallurgical expertise from the Swatch Group, the alloy debuts across the entire anniversary collection.
“The collection also features a new type of guilloché engraving: the Quai de l’Horloge pattern.” This design was inspired by an aerial view of the historic founding site of Breguet on the Île de la Cité in Paris, near the Île Saint-Louis. “We used an 18th-century Turgot map to redraw both islands and transform them into a guilloché motif, which appears on the back of the watch,” adds Kissling.
A Custom-Made Movement
On the mechanical side, the Classique Souscription features the new VS00 calibre, made of golden brass in a tone that matches Breguet Gold. With a single mainspring barrel, it delivers a 96-hour power reserve. The ratchet wheel bears a cursive engraving of a quote by Abraham-Louis Breguet. The movement includes a Breguet overcoil in Nivachron, chosen for its reliability and resistance to magnetic fields.
An Artfully Crafted Presentation Box
The watch is presented in a red case, a modern interpretation of Breguet’s original boxes. Each piece is individually numbered, with the number appearing on the dial, case back, and box. As a nod to history, the watch is sold using the subscription model: a 25% deposit is required at the time of order. The timepiece also comes with a five-year warranty.
A Series… and a Beginning
The Classique Souscription 2025 is the first in a planned series of nine anniversary models to be revealed throughout the year in different cities. Each will highlight a major invention by Abraham-Louis Breguet. “Our 250th-anniversary collection will tell stories—not just about the watches, but about the innovations behind them. We have so many inventions, and so many stories to share!” concludes Gregory Kissling.
