The reason why tourbillon got his name is also very philosophical, inspired by Descartes' philosophical principles. The so-called "vortex", just like tourbillon, attracts the planet tightly through its rotating motion, enabling it to run in the right orbit.
Like the constant power escapement, tourbillon also obtained the patent registration certificate from the French State Industrial Property Office. In a watercolor structural drawing of tourbillon governor drawn by Mr. Breguet, people can intuitively feel the beauty of precise mechanical structure.
Mr. Breguet's life ran through the revolutionary era in France, witnessing the process that monarchies were overthrown one by one and harmonious systems were gradually established in European countries. During this period, people followed the enlightenment trend of thought in the Renaissance, advocated the ideas of honesty and justice in ancient Greece and Rome, and pursued rationality as the foundation of people's foothold in society.
Aesthetically, this is also the era when Baroque changed to neoclassicism. The artist opposes the extravagant style that was extremely complicated and piled up under the leadership of princes and nobles in the past, returns to the simple characteristics of ancient Greece and Rome, and highlights the trend of rationalism with introverted lines and composition.
However, when this neoclassical movement swept across Britain and Germany with a swift and violent trend, its influence on France did not stand out until after 1770. In the era of change, the opportunity for success always belongs to people with keen vision. At the beginning of the spread of neoclassicism in France, 1783, Mr. Breguet created the famous Breguet pointer, with an eccentric hollow "moon" and a new spring scale.
These innovations present a more refined watch style. By optimizing Arabic numerals, reducing the thickness of the case and matching with the textured enamel dial, Breguet's new watch was very popular as soon as it came out. Simple and pure line design is like a fountain, which is refreshing in the era when complicated baroque style prevailed.
However, Mr. Breguet's pace of innovation did not stop there. He went one step further in 1786, and took the lead in introducing Breguet's carving technology into the field of watchmaking. The case uses the original carving technology, and the texture is soft and smooth. Later, it was extended to the dial, which made the function division more clear and distinguishable, and significantly improved the readability of time. In addition, the surface decorated with carved patterns presents a slightly raised relief, which is beneficial to absorb dust, thus not affecting the performance of the timepiece.
Carving is not a single pattern, but a collection of various patterns such as Paris nail pattern, Paris pebble pattern, solar radiation pattern, barley pattern, chessboard pattern and flame pattern. Even today, sculpture is still one of the most complicated watchmaking techniques, and it will take many years to train a craftsman who can skillfully operate this technology.
The engraving machine is only used as an auxiliary tool, and ultimately it is the efficient and rhythmic cooperation between the craftsman's eyes and hands. After carving the dial splint, the craftsman will carefully sweep the silver powder on the dial into a circle or a straight line. This is an operation process that has lasted for more than 200 years.
Together with Breguet's carving technology, Breguet has also created other different signs that can be recognized at a glance in the development history of more than 200 years, namely, Breguet hands, Breguet signatures, independent numbers, Breguet digital timestamps, welding ears and coin decorations.
I have to mention the signature of Breguet. This unique anti-counterfeiting technology was born in 1795. Craftsmen use sophisticated tools to carve almost invisible signatures on the lower part of the enamel dial 12 or on both sides of the engraved dial, which can only be displayed by oblique light. This process is both beautiful and practical. Luxurious watchmaking materials shine in the light, and the display of invisible signature means that this is a watch that carries Breguet's unique skills.
These different signs and neoclassical styles are still adopted by Breguet's various series. Among them, the most direct inheritance and innovation of neoclassical style is the traditional series handed down for the first time in 2005.
Under the background of the popularity of watches with complex functions, the inspiration of the traditional series of Breguet comes from the "subscription" pocket watch created by Mr. Breguet after he returned to Paris after the French Revolution. Using a large transparent dial and a detachable bottom cover, it became the first timepiece series that could completely show the mechanical structure of the movement from the front of the dial, and interpreted Breguet's neoclassicism in a modern form.
The latest 88 limited edition Tradition 7035 watches continue the complicated but fascinating mechanical structure and aesthetic feeling of this series, and integrate the multiple complicated functions invented by Breguet. It is equipped with a 505J self-winding movement and adopts a lever escapement mechanism, and uses a balance spring with a silicon escapement fork and Breguet, which can reduce the influence of magnetic field on the watch accuracy and has stronger corrosion resistance.
Breguet craftsmen use snowflake inlay technology to surround the rose gold case with 68 brilliant cut diamonds of about 0.8 19 carats, and set a ruby of about 0. 16 carats in the crown as the finishing touch.
On the dial, more luxury is presented. 74 brilliant-cut diamonds and an inverted second hand with a gradient layout of rubies and pink sapphires complement the diamonds on the case. The matching rose-red strap brings a happy ending to this sparkling watch. Only leather material can bear the luxury of watchmaking materials, but it will not become a supporting role.
On the occasion of tourbillon's 220th birthday, the Classique 5365 ultra-thin tourbillon 220th anniversary watch made in honor of Mr. Breguet is another peak of Breguet's aesthetics and technology.
Following Breguet's elegant and restrained neoclassical style, the watch presents a variety of carved patterns. The outer edge of the rose gold case with a diameter of 4 1mm is decorated with gold coin patterns and connected with a transparent sapphire glass bottom cover. 18K silver-plated and gold-plated engraved dial consists of four parts, with two theme patterns: Paris earrings and barley patterns.
The carving process of Paris earrings is sophisticated and complicated, and the crossing and patchwork lines are only 0.25mm apart. On the back of the watch, Breguet decorated the platinum pendulum with wavy carving patterns.
Other recognizable signs include the carving of independent numbers and Breguet signatures on the dial, the use of Roman numeral scale rings and the blue steel Breguet hands. The top of tourbillon is engraved with the words "Brevet N 157", which is the tourbillon patent number obtained by Mr. Breguet.
The unique decoration adds a lot of color to the watch, but its performance as a watch itself is also excellent enough. The ultra-thin self-winding movement is matched with the blue steel tourbillon movement, and the small second hand is placed on the tourbillon axis to optimize the internal structure and reduce the weight of the watch, but the power reserve time is still as long as 80 hours.
During his lifetime, Mr. Breguet made a pocket watch named "Perpé Tuelle" with the number 160 for Queen Marie Antoinette. This pocket watch is currently in the L.A. Mayer Islamic Art Museum. Self-winding, perpetual calendar, double shock-proof device and sapphire shaft eye are placed on the small dial. The extremely complicated mechanical structure shows the extravagant style that pervaded the last court before the Great Revolution.
After the Great Revolution, France experienced many upheavals. During this period, Breguet not only created a subscription pocket watch that complied with the post-revolutionary society's pursuit of pragmatism, but also created a touch pocket watch with the number 6 1 1 for Queen Josephine, the first French empire. 12 diamonds are surrounded by the sun. Now people see the crowned letter "H" on the watch case, which stands for Queen Otans de Bohanes, the daughter of Queen Josephine of the Netherlands.
Like Queen Josephine, Caroline Miao La, also from the Napoleonic family, has also played an important role in Breguet's 200-year history. Caroline Miao La is Napoléon Bonaparte's younger sister. After she married Joe Aquino I, she was the queen of Naples from 1808 to 18 15.
Out of appreciation and love for exquisite craftsmanship, Caroline Miao La ordered two timepieces from Mr. Breguet on 18 10, one of which was a "bracelet-shaped oval watch", which later became the first watch to be tested in today's history. Although the prototype of this watch has been lost in the long history, people can still find its pioneer through literature records.
Goose egg-shaped oval case, ultra-thin three-question function, silver dial loaded with thermometer and Arabic numeral indicator, and finally gold thread woven strap to make it finally look like a watch. Gentleness and charm are the characteristics of this watch, just like Carolyn Miao La himself in the portrait.
This watch made by Mr. Breguet for Caroline Miao La was delivered in 18 12. 190 years later, in 2002, Breguet made a modern interpretation of this legendary watch and launched a brand-new Queen Naples series, which became one of the most representative women's watches in the contemporary luxury watch industry.
Even after 20 years, people can still see Breguet's consistent skills, aesthetic inheritance and tireless innovation spirit in the Queen Naples series. The latest Queen of Naples series 8938 watches are equipped with different signs of Breguet, which are divided into white gold watches with blue straps and rose gold watches with orange straps.
Like the traditional 7035 watch, Queen Naples's 8938 watch also uses snowflake inlay technology, and uses 16 1 bright cut diamonds to decorate the bezel and case. The case is made of 18K white gold, with a gold dial and a white mother-of-pearl eccentric dial ring, in which the crown is decorated with a pear-shaped diamond of about 0.26 carat.
As a watch brand that once served the royal family, Breguet has been decorating timepieces with precious stones for hundreds of years. The overall size of the watch is not large, and the internal parts are numerous and precise, which poses a great challenge to the craftsman's mosaic technology. Snow mosaic is like a jewel in the crown. Craftsmen not only set various gems on the dial, but also hide the original materials of the dial after being decorated with gems, so that the light of the gem itself can be fully displayed.
This Queen of Naples series 8938 watch is obviously the pinnacle of Breguet gemstone setting technology. In terms of operation, Breguet matched it with a self-winding movement, a silicon escape wheel and a Swiss linear rod. 45 hours of electricity storage can meet people's demand for nearly two days.
Another Queen of Naples series 8998 night display watch not only inherits the luxurious atmosphere, but also brings very romantic artistic charm. Breguet's brand-new patented technology movement is presented on this watch with a unique double dial layout, which shows the traditional concept of time division and day and night time respectively.
In order to visualize the concept of diurnal variation, Breguet uses a lapis lazuli disc as a base to refer to the sky, and uses natural mother-of-pearl and yellow gold to outline clouds and stars, while the moon pattern is carved from titanium. When the watch starts to run, people can see that the reflection on the rim surface of the cutting balance wheel is like the golden light of the sun, penetrating between the steel watch bridges and projecting on the hour hand and the minute hand. When facing the titanium moon, the brightness of the sun reaches its peak.
The achievement of this romantic and dramatic effect is inseparable from the fine mechanical operation inside the watch. In order to further set off, Breguet set 143 beautiful diamonds on the outer edge of the bezel and dial, and the crown also has a drop-shaped cut diamond. On the dial, hand-carved flame patterns and texture patterns highlight the eternal beauty of neoclassicism.
The reason why wristwatches can be remembered for decades or even hundreds of years after their birth and innovated in the inheritance depends on the inheritance of those elements that can be called eternal beauty.
In Breguet, only skills are the most important. As the "father of modern watches and watchmaking", Breguet enjoys many inventions in the industry, among which constant power escapement and tourbillon, a technology that changes the history of watchmaking, especially the latter, have become one of the important standards to measure the craftsmanship of a watch in the contemporary era.
However, watchmaking technology is like a skeleton, and no matter how exquisite the craft is, it needs the refinement of aesthetic paradigm. Throughout the history of Breguet, it originated from the complicated style of the Baroque era, created the neoclassical aesthetic wind at the arrival of the new ideological trend, and combined the mechanical beauty of watches with modern technology.
It is these unique skills and aesthetic concepts that make Breguet's watchmaking works present a unique spirit and soul, which can be appreciated and passed down by future generations. This is the power outside the vessel. Compared with fashion and architecture, watches are easier to preserve and circulate for a long time. Intuitive skills and aesthetic expression enable them to transcend geographical and time-space limitations and tell people about historical changes.