Breguet just rewrote the rules of what a Marine watch can be—and the future of high-frequency watchmaking along with it. When Abraham-Louis Breguet was appointed Horloger de la Marine Royale by Louis XVIII in 1814, he earned the most prestigious distinction a watchmaker could receive. Marine horology demanded scientific precision—the kind that could guide ships across oceans.
Two centuries later, Breguet is honoring that legacy with something that would have made the master himself lean in closer: the new Expérimentale 1, a 10 Hz Tourbillon with a constant-force magnetic escapement that marks the first chapter in the brand's new exploratory R&D collection.
This isn't just another anniversary piece. This is Breguet showing its cards—revealing the fruits of years of behind-the-scenes development that have quietly informed its Classique, Tradition, and Marine collections. The Expérimentale line is designed to be a proving ground, a showcase for innovations that will eventually trickle down to future releases. For collectors, it's a chance to own tomorrow's technology today.
Design That Bridges Centuries
The 43.5 mm Breguet gold case pays homage to the Marine collection's codes—close-set lugs and a double-stepped fluted caseband—while taking them in an entirely new direction. The sapphire dial provides complete visibility of the 18K gold movement, with its striking angular bridges finished with hand-polished bevels and satin-brushed surfaces. The navy blue ALD coating creates depth and contrast, revealing Breguet gold in all its warmth.
The regulator-style display, inspired by the 1820 pocket chronometer No. 3448, places hours at 6 o'clock, with offset minutes and seconds on the tourbillon at 12. The tourbillon itself appears to float freely, sitting two-thirds inside the minutes track and one-third above it. All indications feature SuperLumiNova for exceptional legibility.
Technical highlights include twin barrels with four blue springs—a first for Breguet—, grade 5 titanium tourbillon components weighing just 0.60 grams, and a movement resistant to magnetic fields up to 600 gauss. The blue rubber strap features tool-free interchangeability—another Marine collection first—paired with an 18K Breguet gold pin buckle.
Above: 1820 Breguet Pocket Chronometer No.3448
The Revolutionary Magnetic Escapement
Let's talk about what makes this timepiece genuinely groundbreaking. The manual-wound Calibre 7250 features the first-ever 10 Hz—72,000 vph—tourbillon equipped with a constant-force magnetic escapement. To put that in perspective, most traditional tourbillons operate at 2.5 Hz—four times faster on this new watch. Even standard Swiss lever escapements rarely exceed 4 Hz. That elevated frequency means the balance returns to its proper amplitude faster after being disturbed by shocks, resulting in superior chronometric stability.
The magnetic escapement—featuring two escape wheels with magnetic tracks and a pallet lever with magnetic pallets—delivers a stable impulse throughout the 72-hour power reserve while decoupling the impulse function from the rest of the gear train. It's brilliant engineering: below a certain operating torque, the watch stops; above it, the balance oscillates at maximum amplitude. The result: Breguet Hallmark certification in the Scientific category, guaranteeing an accuracy of +/- 1 second per day.
Summary
The Breguet Expérimentale 1 reference E001BH/S9/5ZV represents the most technically advanced Marine watch Breguet has ever created. With 266 movement components, 37 jewels, and a 13.3 mm case thickness, it's a wearable laboratory on the wrist. Pricing is available upon request at Breguet boutiques, befitting a piece that launches an entirely new collection dedicated to advancing haute horlogerie.
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