The Experts - featuring Breguet

What if I told you that one of the most historically significant watch brands is currently flying under the radar? It's a brand known for revolutionising watchmaking and crafting timepieces for kings and queens. Stay tuned to discover why Breguet might just be the world's best kept secret in luxury watchmaking. Today we're here in Sydney. I love coming here and it never gets old. I'm here to discover why Breguet's timeless innovation and elegance is still so important in today's watchmaking world. I'm joined by Delwyn Dass, watch expert and manager of our Sydney boutique on the beautiful George Street. Join us as we explore the history, craftsmanship and unique allure of Breguet set against the backdrop of one of the world's most beautiful harbours. You can't talk about Breguet without talking about its rich history. So let's start from the beginning. Abraham Louis Breguet was introduced to watchmaking by his stepfather. He completed apprenticeships around Versailles and studied mathematics at Collège Mazin. It was here that he met A.B. Marie who introduced him to King Louis XVI, leading to royal commissions. In 1780, Breguet created a self-winding pocket watch, the Perpetual. In 1786, he started using guilloche finishing on dials, enhancing both aesthetics and functionality. In 1801, Breguet invented the tourbillon to counteract gravity's effect on the watch's accuracy. From the invention of the tourbillon to the self-winding pocket watch, his innovations have shaped the watch industry as we know it. Are there any significant names in Breguet's history that are now forever attached to the brand? Napoleon was one of the biggest collectors of Breguet. There is a watch called the Queen of Naples that exists today, which Breguet made for a huge collector and admirer of Breguet. As you can see, it's such a beautiful watch, very similar to what it was many, many years ago. Beautiful oval shape, very unusual numerals, and just a very distinctive style. Yeah, they certainly pushed the boundary for design given the year that it would have been produced. Absolutely. So I think this is one of, I would say, the most desirable women's watches on the planet. Yeah, stunning piece, isn't it? So, Delwyn, what makes Breguet such a significant brand in the watchmaking world? Well, Ed, I think that Breguet, we call it the godfather of watchmaking. Because Breguet, he's responsible for so many innovations that not only are found in Breguet watches, but in all brands, such as Breguet Balance Springs, Breguet Hands, Breguet Numerals. So, you know, he really was the pioneer of his time. Can you show me some of the groundbreaking innovations that Breguet has introduced into the watchmaking industry? I want to show you this watch here, which is a traditional tourbillon with a fusion chain. Wow. And what it is, it's a very invented tourbillon, used to weave on pocket watches. And it basically counteracts the gravitational pull. It's a very, very intricate component to manufacture or produce. It's used to give your watch supreme accuracy. This particular one has a tourbillon in something called a fusion chain. This is probably one of the most accurate watches that I've ever handled, personally. But I think it's really important that, you know, to know that Breguet invented something that many other watchmakers have been inspired by the tourbillon. And, you know, this really is something that I think is visually the most spectacular movement that you can have on a dial. What makes Breguet special in today's modern watchmaking world? So the coin edge case and the Breguet Hands are things that, you know, they're very famous for. What I really love also about the brand is their details of the dials. Here we see a tourbillon that's made in an enamel dial, which is a very, very hard process. Usually taking, you know, a couple of days to several weeks to get the perfect colour. Wow. And then what they're also famous for...