From Moonlight to Magnetics - Breguet's 250 Years

In 2025, Breguet celebrates 250 years of uninterrupted watchmaking. That’s a quarter of a millennium since Abraham-Louis Breguet opened his workshop in Paris, laying the groundwork for a brand that would invent, refine, and define Swiss horology. The two commemorative pieces released to mark the milestone are appropriately chosen: the Classique Phase de Lune 7235 and the Classique Régulateur à Pivot Magnétique 7225. Both sit in the Classique line, but they represent two distinct interpretations of Breguet’s legacy: one lyrical, one technical.

The Classique Phase de Lune 7235 : Elegance in Orbit

The reference 7235 is a poetic take on Breguet’s classical heritage. It’s a 39mm dress watch in 18K Breguet gold, standing just 9.9mm tall, which means it wears close to the wrist, exactly how a proper dress watch should. The dial is refined and symmetrical, featuring small seconds, a power reserve indicator, and a beautifully integrated moon-phase display with moon-age complication.

The movement inside is the automatic Calibre 502.3.DRL, a slim and off-centered rotor design with 250 components, a silicon balance spring, and a Breguet-style balance wheel. It runs at 3 Hz with a modest 45-hour power reserve. The finishing is everything you’d expect: blued Breguet hands, a guilloché dial coated with Zapon lacquer, and an exhibition caseback that showcases the movement in full.

This is the quieter of the two anniversary watches. The traditionalist. It doesn’t shout. It glows. The complications are romantic, not demonstrative. For someone who wants a deeply wearable, classically proportioned Breguet that honours the maison’s roots in 18th-century elegance, the 7235 is the obvious choice.

The Classique Régulateur à Pivot Magnétique 7225 : Modern Mechanics in Classical Dress

Where the 7235 pays tribute to the Breguet of the past, the 7225 is a nod to the Breguet that’s still inventing.
The regulator layout alone signals intent. Hours are displayed off-center, with minutes centrally mounted, a configuration inspired by historical precision clocks. But the real headline is what’s inside: the manually wound Calibre 74SC, which beats at a scorching 10 Hz (72,000 vibrations per hour). That’s more than double the frequency of a standard mechanical watch, and Breguet achieves it with a flat silicon balance spring, magnetic pivot system, and 361 meticulously arranged components.

This movement is no gimmick. The magnetic pivot reduces mechanical friction and enhances stability, a concept patented by Breguet and representative of the brand’s ongoing obsession with chronometric performance. A 60-hour power reserve ensures the watch keeps running even when it’s not on the wrist.

Sized at 41mm and 10.7mm thick, the 7225 has more wrist presence than its moonphase counterpart. It’s still unmistakably a Breguet. The hands are signature hollowed pomme-style, the case features fine fluting, and the dial is delicately engine-turned. But this is the choice for someone who wants a Breguet that feels experimental, kinetic, and modern.

Two Paths, One Legacy

These two releases serve different personalities but share common DNA. Both are rendered in Breguet gold. Both feature traditional dials and hand-finishing. Both showcase in-house calibres, sapphire casebacks, and a purity of design that avoids superfluous ornamentation. Together, they show the duality of Breguet’s spirit, heritage and innovation, romance and science. The 7235 whispers tradition. The 7225 proclaims invention. If you’re after quiet sophistication, the 7235 is your forever watch. Wearable, poetic, and unmistakably Breguet. If you want your watch to say “Breguet is still pushing boundaries,” the 7225 delivers with magnetic tech and high-frequency swagger.

Discover Breguet’s Classique collection at Watches of Switzerland.

In a year packed with anniversary watches, these two stand apart. They don’t rely on wild colours or throwback gimmicks. Instead, they offer substance: mechanical refinement, timeless proportions, and intellectual rigour. They celebrate 250 years not with nostalgia, but with intent. This is how Breguet does anniversaries. Not by looking back, but by showing us why it’s still one of the most important names in horology. Contact us to discover Breguet’s full Classique collection, including the new anniversary releases, at Watches of Switzerland.