A wander along the mighty Seine River rewards visitors with a collection of Paris’ most enchanting landmarks. The Conciergerie, Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum all call the banks of this iconic stretch of water home. However, many visitors are unaware of the river’s major role in telling the story of one of the world’s greatest timepieces.
Spanning 56 acres of the river sits Île de la Cité. Located near central Paris, it is one of two natural islands that inhabit the Seine and more famously, it is where Abraham-Louis Breguet opened the doors to his and Breguet’s first workshop in 1775 at Quai de l’Horloge. This year marks the watchmaker’s 250th anniversary and to celebrate the landmark achievement, Breguet has unveiled the Classique Souscription 2025.
Paying homage to the timepieces produced at the former workshop, the Classique Souscription 2025 is bestowed with a dazzling white, grand feu enamel dial on the face, with the back inspired by the architecture of the first Souscription watches imagined by A-L. Breguet. Espousing the principles of simplicity and contrast, the watch sports a refined aesthetic that makes it easy to read. At its heart sits one steel, open-tipped, flame-blued hand that hovers above the black, petit feu enamel numbers and markers as well as the chemin de fer—the circular railroad track—that rounds off the look. Breguet’s exquisite touch is once again spotlighted by the inscription ‘Souscription’, the unique serial number and the secret signature appearing between the dial and six o’clock in certain lighting.
Protecting the face of the timepiece is a sapphire crystal with a chevé profile; a Breguet innovation that sees a thinner and domed shaped crystal gently curve towards the edges, blending harmoniously into the 18K Breguet gold case. Measuring at 40mm, the case is the watchmaker’s own gold alloy that is composed of 75 percent gold and enriched with silver, copper and aluminum. Another defining feature of the Classique Souscription 2025 sees the brand’s fluting replaced by a delicately satin-brushed case middle and curved lugs to better fit the wrist.
The back of the case reveals the inner workings of the timepiece. Here, owners can gaze upon the new VS00 calibre in gilded brass that is decorated with the newly unveiled Quai de l’Horologe guilloché pattern. Enjoying a four-day power reserve, the calibre’s movement beats at a frequency of 3Hz or 21,600 vibrations per hour. The balance spring is made from Nivachron, allowing the movement to be more resistant to temperature changes, magnetic fields and shocks. However, the pièce de résistance is the imposing ratchet wheel that showcases A-L. Breguet’s explanation of the Souscription movement’s design—extrapolated from the founder’s advertising brochure—in cursive script.
In keeping with Breguet’s tradition of elegance, the Classique Souscription 2025 is presented in an exquisite red Moroccan leather case, bearing the gold inscription of ‘BREGUET 250 YEARS’ on the outside. Interiors are lined with blue fabrics, with the brand’s first logo imprinted on the underside of the case in the form of an escutcheon—a type of shield that is commonly seen in coats of arms. Symbolising Breguet’s timeless heritage and expertise, the case is the perfect collector’s item to accompany this magnificent timepiece.
