Breguet Classic Ref. 5920BA Full set 34mm

Subtle. Tasteful. A true connoisseur’s choice.

This 5920BA is Breguet at its best. A deceptively simple dress watch that excels in the visual details. Viewed from the side, you see the beautiful coin-edge case. Instantly recognizable as a Breguet design. Like Rolex have their oyster case, Panerai have their cushion case, Breguet have the coin edge.

The one craft for which Breguet is most famous is probably guilloche work. And this dial has a lot of it. While most watches feature “Swiss made” on the dial, this one mentions “Swiss guilloche main”, meaning the intricate patterning on the dial has been cut by hand. By hand? Well…by hand-operated machines that is. And while that might sound less impressive, it really isn’t. Guilloche machines are extremely rare. The watch houses that have them usually guard them with their lives. It is a true art to operate and maintain them. A cutting head is set up to create intricate patterns through a series of different gears. Kind of like the Spirograph kits you may have drawn with as a kid. It is an art that takes years of practice and is extremely unforgiving. A single error renders a dial worthless.

This dial features several different techniques. The vast majority of the surface is covered with a diagonal hobnail pattern. But look closer and you will spot a razor-sharp railroad track along the perimeter, framed islands for the numerals and Breguet logo, a wave pattern in the seconds sub dial. And for good measure, some concentric brushing is applied to the minute track and sub seconds track. In an age of 3D printing and CNC machining, it is easy to underestimate the pure craftsmanship required to do this by hand. But the result speaks for itself!