Manufacturer: Breguet Year: Circa 1990 Reference No: 3450 Movement No: 12 Case No: 425 E Material: Platinum and 18k pink gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 558, 21 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: 18k white gold pin buckle Dimensions: 36mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed Accessories: Accompanied by Breguet fitted box, blank, undated and unstamped guarantee and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
While the tourbillon is forever associated with Abraham-Louis Breguet (who invented this mechanism in 1801), it was not until 1988 that it was used in a Breguet wristwatch, after Daniel Roth was hired to bring back this illustrious brand.
Roth delved into the brand’s archives to familiarize himself further with Breguet’s works and the result was obviously a tourbillon wristwatch - ref 3350 - with all of the Breguet signatures such as the eponymous hands, guilloche dial and fluted caseband.
The reference 3450, like the present example was launched in the very early 1990s with a large opening for the tourbillon carriage at the lower part of the dial and the hour/minutes are offset on the top part of the dial.
The present reference 3450 is a very early example bearing movement number 12, the movement plate visible through the tourbillon opening has been delicately and lavishly hand engraved with an Arabesque motif that is repeated on the back plate.
The case is also quite unusual and rare, in platinum it features two rose gold bands running parallel to each other, enclosing the coin edge.
Established in 1775 by Abraham Louis Breguet, widely considered the greatest watchmaker of all time, the storied brand continues to thrive in the modern era, creating exceptional high-end watches as the Swatch Group's premier prestige brand. Some of the most important and lasting inventions in watchmaking are attributed to Abraham Louis Breguet, including the tourbillon, shock resistance and the use of hammers and gongs employed in nearly all minute repeating watches made since.
Eighteenth and nineteenth century Breguet pocketwatches are especially sought-after by collectors, and many of them were made for the elite of European society, including Napoléon and Marie Antoinette. Key wristwatches from the twentieth century include oversized dress watches, two-register chronographs, triple calendars and Type XX aviator's chronographs made for the French military and civilians.
