Breguet has unveiled the Expérimentale 1, the first chapter in the brand’s new exploratory R&D line which also marks the final chapter in Manufacture Breguet’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
Named “Expérimentale”, this line will incorporate the latest innovations from its Research and Development department and is introduced through a Marine wristwatch featuring an innovative new design.
Research and development have shaped Breguet’s watchmaking for 250 years, a spirit established by Abraham-Louis Breguet himself. From 1775 onwards, he introduced many of the era’s major innovations, including the tourbillon, the perpétuelle watch, the natural and constant-force escapements, the “observation” seconds that led to the chronograph, the shock absorber, the balance spring with its terminal curve, the gong-spring for chiming watches and even the first wristwatch.
To give this drive for progress a clear identity, the Manufacture created a parallel series named Expérimentale. These special pieces echo Breguet’s early inventions, each of which began as an experiment.
The Expérimentale collection presents the brand’s latest technical and aesthetic advances and offers a preview of Breguet’s future watchmaking. For collectors, it is also a chance to acquire highly limited timepieces whose innovations will later appear in other collections.
Crafted in Breguet gold like all timepieces launched this year to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the House, the Expérimentale 1 is equipped with the very first high-frequency (10 Hz) tourbillon with a magnetic escapement that delivers constant force to the balance.
To highlight the historical significance of the Expérimentale 1, the timepiece is part of the Marine collection. The aim is to recall that, after his appointment to the Paris Bureau des Longitudes in 1814, A.-L. Breguet was awarded the title of Horloger de la Marine Royale (Watchmaker by appointment to the Royal Navy) by Louis XVIII.
This distinction was the most prestigious a watchmaker could possibly receive, as the very notion of maritime horology required scientific expertise.
The Expérimentale 1 features a sporty case, close-set lugs, an interchangeable rubber strap, and highly readable, fully luminescent indications, drawing inspiration from the design code of the Marine collection.
From a historical perspective, it recalls the dial and movement of Reference 3448, a pocket marine chronometer sold in 1820 to the astronomer Alexis Bouvard.
Pocket marine chronometer Breguet No. 3448
On a technical level, precision was the absolute priority for the Expérimentale 1. Precision has always driven Breguet’s innovations, shaping nearly all of A.-L. Breguet’s historical breakthroughs. He filed few patents, but two were groundbreaking: constant force (9 March 1798) and the tourbillon (26 June 1801).
Two centuries later, Breguet continues to advance these fundamentals, tourbillon and constant-force escapement, now joined by a magnetic escapement at the heart of the Expérimentale 1.
Achieving high precision in a mechanical watch requires solving three fundamental physical challenges:
- Inconsistent Power (Amplitude): The energy supplied by the mainspring decreases as the watch runs down. This lack of consistent energy causes the balance wheel's swing (amplitude) to vary, leading to timekeeping errors.
- Gravity: The regulating organ (balance and hairspring) is constantly affected by the Earth's gravitational pull. Depending on the watch's vertical position, gravity causes tiny variations in the rate of timekeeping.
- Shocks and Disturbances: Any sudden movement or impact disrupts the steady oscillation of the balance wheel, immediately impairing the watch's precision.
Breguet addresses all three problems simultaneously with one elegant, composite solution: the 10 Hz Tourbillon with Constant-Force Magnetic Escapement.
This mechanism combines three distinct features to guarantee precision:
- Constant-Force Magnetic Escapement: Uses magnetism to deliver a stable, reliable impulse of energy to the balance wheel throughout the entire power reserve, solving the problem of inconsistent power.
- High Frequency (10 Hz): The balance beats at 72,000 vibrations per hour (twice as fast as standard). This enables the regulating organ to recover its normal, accurate rate almost instantly after any shock or disturbance.
- Tourbillon: This cage constantly rotates the regulating organ over a period of 60 seconds, which effectively averages out the timekeeping errors caused by gravity in different positions.
Breguet has leveraged its long-standing mastery of magnetic fields to create a groundbreaking escapement. The innovation centers on decoupling the balance wheel's impulses from the main gear train, using magnetic interactions between two specialized escape-wheels and magnetic pallets.
This freedom from mechanical inertia allows Breguet to achieve a massive performance leap: the integration of a 10 Hz oscillator (72,000 vibrations per hour) within the tourbillon. This frequency is four times faster than traditional tourbillons, making the movement inherently more stable and accurate against shocks.
The Expérimentale 1 is subsequently certified for "Scientific" precision, guaranteeing accuracy of $\pm 1$ second per day. To ensure this performance, most movement parts, including the silicon balance spring, are crafted from non-magnetic materials.
The Expérimentale 1 is housed in a 43.5 mm x 13.30 mm case crafted from 18K Breguet gold, characterised by a double-stepped fluted caseband and water resistant to 10 bar (100 metres / 330 feet).
Resting on four gold pillars, the sapphire dial provides a view of the entire movement and offers a regulator-type display with hours at 6 o’clock, offset minutes, and seconds on the tourbillon at 12 o’clock.
The Expérimentale 1 also features a patented twin barrel, like the Breguet no. 3448, but this time on two series-coupled levels, each consisting of a double spring separated by a sapphire spacer, arranged on either side of the minutes axis at 3 and 9 o’clock respectively. This double-sprung mechanism serves to optimise energy management in relation to the space available.
Blue open-tipped hands enhanced with Super-LumiNova, a secret signature on the sapphire dial and Breguet numerals complete the ensemble.
The price of the new Breguet Expérimentale 1, ref. E001BH/S9/5ZV, is provided on request. breguet.com
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