The history of Breguet spans four centuries and is so rich in innovations and reforms that one could state with a certain degree of confidence that watchmaking, in its familiar parameters today, would not exist without this truly iconic brand. We have all heard of Breguet hands, the Breguet spring, and in some countries at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, all pocket watches were called "Breguets" – just as we now call photocopiers "Xerox" or baby diapers "Pampers"...
With the Réveil du Tsar, launched in 2003, Breguet consolidates this entire heritage and reminds us all why Breguet is such a great brand. This elegant and complex masterpiece is named in honor of the Russian Tsar Alexander I, one of the many respected and distinguished collectors of Breguet. The example presented today is a typical representative of this series - it comes in an exquisite coin-edged case, crafted from 18-carat yellow gold. The dial is distinguished by intricate guilloché – a similar combination of radial brushing on the outer edges of the dial and three-dimensional cubes in the central part cannot be found in any other brand on the market. The old-fashioned aesthetic of the watch is further enhanced by the Roman numerals and blued ornate hands.
This watch is, among other things, a complicated masterpiece, displaying the time in two separate time zones and featuring a mechanical alarm function. The second time zone is indicated by a 24-hour auxiliary dial, while the alarm function also uses a separate sub-dial to show the set alarm time. The dial also features an alarm "on/off" indicator in an aperture just below the Breguet signature, a power reserve display located between 10 and 12 o'clock, and a running seconds and date window at 6 o'clock. Printed Roman numeral hour markers are found on a silvered outer track, and five different styles of guilloché finishes are used for texture. All of this is housed within an 18-carat yellow gold case with a diameter of 39 mm.
The case has the characteristic Breguet coin-edged caseband, two signed crowns, an alarm on/off pusher at 8 o'clock, and straight lugs with screwed pins that secure the watch to the strap with a comfortable 18-carat yellow gold deployant clasp. Powered by the self-winding Calibre 519f movement, developed in collaboration with Blancpain, this elegant timepiece has incredible, high-class complications. With the Réveil du Tsar, launched in 2003, Breguet introduced two new patents through its new calibre 519F: the first for the column-wheel mechanism that locks or activates the alarm, and the second for the device that coordinates the alarm with the local time. This in-house automatic operates at the usual frequency of 4Hz – or in other terms, 28,800 vibrations per hour, has over 45 hours of power reserve and "carries" 38 jewels – just the dry numbers... The case back is open, allowing one to enjoy the operation of this uniquely decorated movement with its guilloché gold rotor.
