The 1950s in France saw the birth of an instrument specially developed by Breguet to accompany the soldiers of the skies, available in two variants: the Type 20 for the French Air Force, then the Type XX for the French Naval Aviation, each with its own specific features at the request of these two air defense departments. Dubbed “civilian”, the Type XX Chronographe 2067 presented in June 2023 embodies the fourth generation of this 1954-approved instrument, which became a collector’s item in 1995.
Its dark, matte-as-night dial contrasts with the ivory hue of the large Arabic numerals on the hour circle, the central alpha hands and the oversized chronograph seconds counter at 3 o’clock. This difference in size between the sub-dials and their finish (the small seconds at 9 o’clock and the hour totalizer at 6 o’clock are azure) testifies to a desire to structure and prioritize information, as evidenced by the date indication whose aperture slips between two indexes at 4:30. It is thus present but in the background so as not to disrupt the reading of the current time or the measurement of short times. Measuring 42mm in diameter and 14.1mm thick, its steel case is water-resistant to a depth of 100m and features a graduated, notched rotating bezel. It houses a new calibre 728 automatic chronograph movement with flyback function. With a high frequency of 5hz (36,000 vibrations per hour) and a unique barrel, its well-thought-out construction provides a power reserve of 60 hours when fully wound by its airplane-shaped oscillating weight.
