Breguet Perpetual Calender Chronograph Ref. 5617 B+P

We all love a brand with heritage. In this respect, Breguet is the absolute king. Abraham-Louis Breguet founded the company in 1775. The house can boast an impressive list of innovations and firsts. The tourbillon, a self-winding mechanism, overcoil hairspring, even the first actual wrist-worn watch. There is a lot of talk about the “holy trinity” Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin. But Breguet probably deserves a spot among those names.

As if that is not enough. Breguet gathered a rather impressive clientele. From Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette to Napoleon Bonaparte, Winston Churchill and Ettore Bugatti, they all proudly wore Breguet watches.

This 5617 features Breguet’s typical classical styling. A busy dial that still retains clarity and visual hierarchy. Speaking of the dial, look at the stunning guilloche work. A craft that requires years of training on highly specialized antique machinery. When handling this watch, the quality of finishing immediately jumps out. No expense has been spared in this respect. Every surface, every edge, it all received the same obsessive attention.

Turn the watch around and you are greeted by a display case back, showing what looks like a miniature city made up of wheels, plates and springs. These are the parts that make up the highly complicated perpetual calendar chronograph movement.

This rare watch is in amazing condition and comes complete with box and papers. Come and admire it for yourself at Reestraat 3 in Amsterdam.