The Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Automatique 5377, which the brand says is the world’s thinnest self-winding tourbillon watch, comes in either a platinum or rose-gold case that measures 42 mm in diameter and an astoundingly slender 7 mm thick. Its movement, manufacture Caliber 581DR, is only 3 mm thick. The off-centered tourbillon carriage is made of titanium and protected by a number of patents. The movement is also fitted with a non-magnetic silicon balance spring and an escapement made of silicon and a special non-magnetic steel. Also notable are the movement’s “high energy” barrel, which provides a 90-hour power reserve, and the 4-Hz frequency of its balance — exceptionally high for a tourbillon movement. To achieve this watch’s remarkable thinness, Breguet’s watchmakers incorporated a peripheral winding rotor made of platinum, which winds the movement in both directions of its spin.
The 18k gold dial is unmistakably Breguet: it is silvered and engine-turned in four different patterns, with Roman numeral hour markers and open-tipped blue Breguet hands made of blued steel. The hours-and-minutes chapter has a clou de Paris hobnail pattern edged by a barleycorn motif. The power-reserve indicator at 8:30 is decorated with engine-turned straight chevrons, with cross-hatched borders on each element. The tourbillon bridge has a blue sapphire set in its center; the small seconds are displayed on the tourbillon’s axis.
The Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Automatique 5377 has a finely fluted caseband (another hallmark of the Breguet brand), a sapphire caseback, and welded lugs with screw bars. It comes on a leather strap with triple-blade folding clasp. Prices are $149,500 for the rose-gold watch and $163,800 for the platinum.
IBG 2014 attendees will have the rare chance to see the Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Automatique 5377 up close and in person, and try it on for themselves. A few tickets still remain, so click here for more on the event and to order tickets.