Perhaps one of watchmaking's most overlooked industry titans, few brands can claim as many mechanical innovations and iconic pieces of design as Breguet can. Be it their Breguet hands, Breguet numerals, the tourbillon, the Breguet overcoil, or something else, the industry has benefitted tremendously from Breguet's continuous evolution and the Classique Day-Date Moon ref. 3337 is emblematic of everything Breguet has come to stand for in the modern watchmaking industry.
Starting with the Classique 3337's design, it is, as its name suggests, classically styled. Featuring a svelte 36mm circular case with a domed bezel and cold-worked coin edge pattern marking its mid-case interrupted only by small pushers, the Classique 3337 exudes a sophisticated aura of craftsmanship and careful design in every facet of its execution. Standing just 7.3mm tall, this watch is elegant on the wrist and speaks to the nostalgic designs of old.
Moving from the case, we find a scintillating silver dial with an incredibly vivid Clous de Paris pattern engraved throughout with a hobnail pattern at its center - patterns that Breguet's guilloche artisans achieve by hand using a rose lathe. Made from a plate of solid gold, the dial is worked before it is then silvered using a galvanization process to achieve the result as we see it here. Marked with a concentric satin-brushed hour and minutes chapter ring and semi-circular moon phase indicator, the dial's myriad of textures combine to create a genuinely three-dimensional result.
Building on that result, the Classique's dial is topped off with day and month apertures at 10 and 2 o'clock, themselves sunken and bordered by smooth edges devoid of the aforementioned guilloche or satin finishes. As we might expect, the Classique 3337 features blued steel Breguet hands that add a pop of color against the silver dial and contrast nicely with the warm yellow case.
Even though the dial and case are enough for you to fall in love, the Classique's true magic reveals itself when the watch is turned over and its Breguet cal. 502 is displayed. Fully engraved with a ¾ off-center winding rotor, this immaculate movement is a feast for the eyes with its entire 18ct yellow gold labyrinthine architecture taking the idea of fine finishing to new heights. Perfectly sized to fill the 36mm case it is found within, and featuring skeletonized parts such as its winding rotor, the cal. 502 meets on the precipice of true Haute Horlogerie and modern marvel. With black polished screws, its hand-applied engravings, and beautiful anglage throughout, this movement is fit for a spectacular watch, and it has indeed found itself in one with the Breguet Classique Day-Date Moonphase ref. 3337.
