History, Craftsmanship, and the Classique 7637: A Spotlight on Breguet Minute Repeaters
Dong … dong … ding-dong … ting ting ting
When we travel back in time, we enter an era when time was sound. Individual timekeepers didn’t exist or were a rarity, and the bell tower — often part of a church — was the only way to track time beyond the sun and moon. As clocks became common, they chimed the hours and quarters. This not only helped people know the time at home, but also offered a practical solution before electric light was available.
With the introduction of the pocketwatch, the challenge became miniaturization. Watchmakers wanted to implement a chiming mechanism that could fit in a small space, and succeeded around 1680. Minute repeaters — watches that chime the time on demand — required compact gongs, springs, and incredible craftsmanship.
A Legacy of Innovation
Abraham-Louis Breguet embraced this challenge early on. An expert in acoustics and mechanics, he invented the gong spring, first used in a repeating watch in 1783. This breakthrough enabled thinner, smaller repeaters. Instead of a bell, a spring gong is a coiled strip of metal secured around the movement. The striker vibrates the gong to create sound.
Many iconic Breguet repeaters followed. The Breguet No. 1160, a replica of the famous Marie Antoinette watch, and Breguet No. 92, a double-sided pocketwatch made for the Duke of Praslin, both include repeating functions. However, Breguet No. 1790, which was sold in 1805 to a Spanish client, is perhaps the purest early example of a minute repeater.
The Classique 7637 Répétition Minutes
Breguet’s current master watchmakers continue to perfect the tradition. One of the best examples is the Breguet Classique 7637 Répétition Minutes, a 42-mm wristwatch in 18k rose or white gold that pays homage to the brand’s historic chiming watches.
The movement is Caliber 567/2, manually wound and composed of 368 parts, including gongs tuned to produce rich sound. A sapphire caseback reveals the engraved bridges and traditional architecture. This timepiece offers a 40-hour power reserve, small seconds at 9 o’clock, and off-center hour and minute hands. The beautiful hand engraving on the movement is done entirely by Breguet’s in-house artisans.
A Rich and Harmonious Sound
Unlike many brands that attach gongs to the case wall, Breguet fixes them directly to the movement plate, enhancing acoustic quality. Tuning the gongs to two matching frequencies requires a watchmaker’s trained ear and a great deal of manual adjustment. In Breguet’s case, no shortcuts are taken — each gong is tuned by hand for perfect harmony.
Minute Repeaters Across Time
The article showcases various historical examples including:
- Breguet No. 1790 – a clean, minimalist chiming pocketwatch
- Breguet No. 92 – a double-dialed repeater with calendar and equation of time
- Breguet Ref. 3857 – a skeletonized commemorative minute repeater released in 1997 for the brand’s 250th anniversary
Each of these pieces reflects Breguet’s unbroken commitment to sonic craftsmanship and elegant mechanical expression.
Pricing
- Classique 7637 Répétition Minutes in 18k rose gold: $248,800
- Classique 7637 Répétition Minutes in 18k white gold: $249,800
This article was originally published in the January / February 2024 print issue. To subscribe to WatchTime Magazine, click here.
