When Abraham-Louis Breguet unveiled the souscription watch in 1797, it revolutionised watchmaking in a multitude of ways. Both technically and aesthetically, it was ahead of its time, with its minimalist and avant-garde design featuring a single hand for reading the hours and minutes. As suggested by its name, it also introduced a new way of operating a horological business as clients paid a quarter of the price of the watch when the order was placed. 

In the centuries since, Breguet has continued this rich artisanal heritage while retaining this same sense of innovation and modern sensibilities. The new Tradition Quantième Rétrograde (ref 7597) is a case in point, inspired directly by these early watches yet offering a thoroughly contemporary interpretation.

The crowning glory of its open-worked dial is the retrograde date, continuing the legacy of Abraham-Louis Breguet, who was one of the first watchmakers to equip timepieces with this function. It elegantly makes its way across the bottom portion of the dial, its smooth sweep over the mechanism requiring the development of a multi-level blued steel hand. Its blue tone is also echoed on the main time counter, decorated with an intricate hand-guilloché Clous de Paris motif. 

It provides a stark contrast to the movement, revealed on the dial and further still through the sapphire-crystal caseback. The 505Q self-winding calibre comes equipped with some of Breguet’s most technically advanced timekeeping, including an inverted lever escapement and silicon horns, the material chosen for its anti-corrosion properties and resistance to magnetic fields. In a final nod to the brand’s founder, the gold oscillating weight references the perpétuelle watch created by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1780. 

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