THE CLAW OF TIME
As a new lunar cycle arrives in the Chinese calendar, the dexterity of the manufacture’s craftspeople is sought to freeze the movement of a powerful feline.
The year of the water Tiger begins on February 1st, 2022. The dawning of this era gives prestigious watch brands the opportunity to celebrate the event with exclusive collector-dedicated pieces. Among them, Breguet stands out with a limited series of its ultra-slim 7145 watch. In the past, this timepiece was chosen to launch the festivities for the year of the dog (2018), the rat (2020) and the buffalo (2021). For this New Year, the excellence of métiers d’art breathes life into a magnificent big cat. Every carved line, every design delicately chiseled on the gold dial, as well as the colorization created using black galvanic treatment, play a role in creating depth and contrast in the image. Hand-guilloché and engraving crafted by the expert hands of the manufacture’s craftspeople set off a masterpiece that requires a whole week of work to complete.
The traditional blued hour and minute hands tick over this creative feat. The ensemble reigns supreme in a 40 mm-diameter rose gold case boasting a fluted caseband. The 502.3 caliber, fitted with a flat silicon balance spring and assembled with some 162 components, beats at a frequency of 3 Hz inside this ever-so refined case. This selfwinding movement, flaunting a thickness of just 2.4 mm, delivers a power reserve of 45 hours.
The eight numbered pieces of this Classique 7145 Tiger are complemented by a comfortable black leather strap clasped by an ardillon buckle.
Price: on request breguet.com
By Dan Diaconu