Few watches draw both the eye and the ear like a Breguet minute repeater, which is what the Classique 7637 is. It even eschews anything like a second hand, which allows the spotlight to fall on the beautifully low-key grand feu dial; said dial even has quirky minute markers that look like stars and some other curious shapes (to see this you have to be close enough to see the secret signature). We got up close and personal with reference 7637 a few times last year, and shot it for the Festive issue (#71), so we had our fair shot at getting lost in its beauty. This is a minute repeater so hearing it is the ultimate test but first, we want to get through the various visual treats so evident here. Given that this is a Breguet Classique, the expected fluting on the case middle is also present and we are curious if this impacts the sound at all, although the effect is probably minimal.
Flipping the Classique 7637 around, the manual-winding calibre567.2 shines forth with a typical Breguet aplomb. All bridges are lavishly and obviously hand-engraved, including the signature three-finger bridges that one expects to see in repeater movements. While the basic structure of the calibre here will be familiar (and comforting to those who understand the connection between Breguet and what was once Nouvelle Lemania), Breguet does introduce some refinements, specifically in the form of gold gongs that are fixed to the case middle instead of the calibre itself. It will not surprise you to learn that the material and architecture were all chosen to optimise the sound Breguet was going for. Nevertheless, it all makes for a striking visual feast, no pun intended. While some critics may assail the size differential between the 42mm case and the calibre, this too can be explained as part of Breguet’s efforts to control for its ideal sound profile.
On that note (pun intended), we finally arrive at the one thing we cannot really tell you about. You have to hear a striking watch to know how to feel about it, and this is no mere hour striker or alarm watch. Even with the various recordings of the watch available, you should still listen to it yourself; the movement is not new so you can get an idea from the other watches that use calibre 567.2 (or just the repeater base), if reference 7637 happens to not be available to try. Now, you can actually get Breguet watches so do try looking for it. There is also something to be said about the value proposition of this watch, depending on who you think the competition is.
Movement: Manual-winding calibre 567.2 with minute repeater; 40-hour power reserve
Case: 42mm in rose gold and white gold; water-resistance NA
Strap: Alligator leather
Price: SGD 399,400 (white gold)
This article first appeared on WOW’s Spring 2024 issue.
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