Review - Breguet Classique 5177BR/12/9V6
Another dress watch from me folks!
This time round, it has taken me some time to pick this watch. I have a significant formal dinner coming up in July, black-tie event. Since I rarely have any black-tie events, I am pretty excited and keen to follow the dress code. The perfect excuse to buy a new dress watch too!
As a general rule, dress watches tend to have leather straps (avoid bracelets) and minimal complications. In fact, some anal retentive purists aficionados go as far to say no second hand too. Then you have the ones who say no wristwatch, but pocket watch if you have to. I'm not that extreme, yet.
So far I have these dress watches...
All perfectly good choices but I could not turn down an excuse to buy a new watch, so.....
The Watch
A rose gold Breguet Classique 5177BR/12/9V6. Pretty minimalist with just a date function and seconds hand. The gen had a couple of dial options, one with a Clous de Paris motif and the other a cross-weave guilloché dial. I went for the cross-weave after comparing both in an AD. For me, the cross-weave dial stood out and was more distinct. The Clous de Paris motif is elegant on close-up but blends into a plain dial when looking at it from a slight distance, like when looking down to your wrist.
Gen RRP: £17,500
The cross-weave:
The Clous de Paris:
The Rep
After researching on here and RWI, I had to get this watch. Turns out this is a newer version which had dimensions similar to gen. An older version by a fellow member on here had bling lining the side of the watch. I was glad the newer version ditched that. Initially, I went with Mr Timezone for the watch but twice they could not source it. In the end, Mary managed to source one no problem.
Although I usually avoid rose gold for reps, I decided for this one I had to go for the flashy rose gold. It just seems much more vibrant and classy.
TD Specs (Mary Watches)
MOVEMENT: Japanese Miyota 9015 24J Automatic Movement, 28800bph with decorated rotor
CASE DIAMETER: 40mm
THICKNESS: 9mm (Same as original watch)
DIAL COLOR: White Guilloche Dial with Roman Numerals
CASE MATERIAL: 18K Rose Gold Thick Plated (5 mils) on Solid Stainless Steel 316L
BRACELET: Brown Leather strap with Signed Tang Buckle
FRONT GLASS: Sapphire Crystal
CASE BACK: Display case back with detailed engraving CLASP TYPE: Tang Buckle Dimensions The gen is 38mm in diameter and 8.8mm in thickness. My measurements (this time without air), was 38.6mm diameter and 9.0mm thickness. Pretty spot on! I still cannot get over how thin the watch is. I stacked three one-pound coins behind the watch. You can see them peeking over the watch. Dial The dial on this watch is well-done. Kudos to Breguet for such a simple yet detailed design. I can't say much really, the photos can do all the talking! Here's a close-up of 12 o'clock. With the main Breguet font and tinier Breguet signatures. You can also see the fine detail and finish of the cross-weave motif. And here's one of the 6 o'clock area. This watch has the "upside down Roman numerals" as EBB called it. Date wheel is well-aligned on my watch. On the gen, the date wheel background should have the same colour/material as the metallic-looking ring bearing the Roman numerals. I've read on RWI people were disputing the date font being different from gen. But try asking anyone on the street if they know what is Breguet? These minor details will only be picked up bu a tiny fraction of watch enthusiasts, and will need a side by side comparison. Also, just want to point out the finishing next to the Roman numerals and hour markers. There's so much going on! And of course, Breguet would use, shock horror, Breguet hands for their watches! Because I love it so much, here's another photo of the cross weave dial. That's a lot of Jenga in there. Movement The watch uses a Miyota 9015 and of course has the classic noisy rotor which you will miss out on if you buy gen. I believe there is also a fake plate underneath the rotor, the true movement is hiding underneath that. Note the wave motif around the caseback and the finishing on the rotor. The factory has made some effort to decorate the movement. Functions Just the one: date function. Now I'll know the which day of the month it is. Case Of course, with a rose gold case there is the problem with it being scratched off but that is a headache for future me. Present me is just happy with the shiny rose gold. The jury is still out on what case this is. No screws. No lip for a caseback knife. No "open sesame" with a friction ball. This could well be a front/toploader. Worth taking note if you like to tinker with your watches. The case side has similar detailing as per gen. Simple vertical etching, but elegant. On the crown, there is a cursive B, I think. I'm don't read so good (well). Strap & Buckle The leather strap is an interesting one. It photographs well, as in the photo below. But in real life, it screams cheap. It is not as stiff as some of the bad plastic straps you get on reps. It's actually quite soft and supple. So I'm confused. It looks good on camera, looks cheap in real life, but feels good. Make what you will with that conflicting information. The buckle is a simple tang buckle with no brand engravings. Breguet on the back of the strap. In case you forgot what the brand name when you flip the watch. Very thoughtful! The strap pins use a system I have not encountered before, took me a while to figure it out. Instead of a spring bar tool, you'll need a screwdriver. First, loosen this screw underneath the lug... ....and proceed with loosening the screw on the side of the lug. The screw is part of the pin. Accuracy I cannot be arsed to download timegrapher apps for now. Wifi was shit today. Napoleon lost at Waterloo because he had a Vacheron Constantin mechanical watch. The Prussians and British had quartz. True story. If Napoleon wanted the world to speak French, he should've worn quartz. Overall Did I get a mighty fine dress watch? Yes! Will this watch do the job for my black-tie event? Yes! Has that sated my appetite for watches? No! This Breguet has dimensions and gross detail close to gen. Some compromises have to be made with the date font but that is permissible. An aftermarket leather strap would turn an already classy watch even more posh. It is also slim enough that I would not worry about issues with my cuff. I will need more black-tie events for this beauty! Honourable Mentions On the journey for this dress watch, I had a few other options in mind. I figured it would be nice to include them for others to consider too. 1) Patek Philippe Calatrava 5117 or 5227 I'm sure many of you would be shouting for a Calatrava as THE dress watch. I agree. However, at this point in my life, a Patek looks a bit inappropriate. In fact, one might argue that a Breguet is equally inappropriate. But most people would know Patek as a high-end brand and Breguet as a whaa? 2) A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Thin As a huge ALS fan, I was also considering this. I would prefer a Richard Lange but I don't think they make good reps for that. The only Saxonia thin rep I have encountered has a second hand, which I would remove to look like gen. As I already have a Saxonia Moonphase, I decided to buy the Breguet to balance out my collection. 3) Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Bi-Retrograde Day & Date or Date & Moonphase Yes there are reps of these beauties. I really wanted them but could not find any stock. I recently tried both gens in an AD and let me tell you, this is something else! There's something about the rose gold case and cream dial combination. Unfortunately the reps are pretty thick for these models. Also, at GBP 39,000 a pop that will be the biggest tell of all... The Bi-retrograde Moonphase is even more elusive. One day...
CASE DIAMETER: 40mm
THICKNESS: 9mm (Same as original watch)
DIAL COLOR: White Guilloche Dial with Roman Numerals
CASE MATERIAL: 18K Rose Gold Thick Plated (5 mils) on Solid Stainless Steel 316L
BRACELET: Brown Leather strap with Signed Tang Buckle
FRONT GLASS: Sapphire Crystal
CASE BACK: Display case back with detailed engraving CLASP TYPE: Tang Buckle Dimensions The gen is 38mm in diameter and 8.8mm in thickness. My measurements (this time without air), was 38.6mm diameter and 9.0mm thickness. Pretty spot on! I still cannot get over how thin the watch is. I stacked three one-pound coins behind the watch. You can see them peeking over the watch. Dial The dial on this watch is well-done. Kudos to Breguet for such a simple yet detailed design. I can't say much really, the photos can do all the talking! Here's a close-up of 12 o'clock. With the main Breguet font and tinier Breguet signatures. You can also see the fine detail and finish of the cross-weave motif. And here's one of the 6 o'clock area. This watch has the "upside down Roman numerals" as EBB called it. Date wheel is well-aligned on my watch. On the gen, the date wheel background should have the same colour/material as the metallic-looking ring bearing the Roman numerals. I've read on RWI people were disputing the date font being different from gen. But try asking anyone on the street if they know what is Breguet? These minor details will only be picked up bu a tiny fraction of watch enthusiasts, and will need a side by side comparison. Also, just want to point out the finishing next to the Roman numerals and hour markers. There's so much going on! And of course, Breguet would use, shock horror, Breguet hands for their watches! Because I love it so much, here's another photo of the cross weave dial. That's a lot of Jenga in there. Movement The watch uses a Miyota 9015 and of course has the classic noisy rotor which you will miss out on if you buy gen. I believe there is also a fake plate underneath the rotor, the true movement is hiding underneath that. Note the wave motif around the caseback and the finishing on the rotor. The factory has made some effort to decorate the movement. Functions Just the one: date function. Now I'll know the which day of the month it is. Case Of course, with a rose gold case there is the problem with it being scratched off but that is a headache for future me. Present me is just happy with the shiny rose gold. The jury is still out on what case this is. No screws. No lip for a caseback knife. No "open sesame" with a friction ball. This could well be a front/toploader. Worth taking note if you like to tinker with your watches. The case side has similar detailing as per gen. Simple vertical etching, but elegant. On the crown, there is a cursive B, I think. I'm don't read so good (well). Strap & Buckle The leather strap is an interesting one. It photographs well, as in the photo below. But in real life, it screams cheap. It is not as stiff as some of the bad plastic straps you get on reps. It's actually quite soft and supple. So I'm confused. It looks good on camera, looks cheap in real life, but feels good. Make what you will with that conflicting information. The buckle is a simple tang buckle with no brand engravings. Breguet on the back of the strap. In case you forgot what the brand name when you flip the watch. Very thoughtful! The strap pins use a system I have not encountered before, took me a while to figure it out. Instead of a spring bar tool, you'll need a screwdriver. First, loosen this screw underneath the lug... ....and proceed with loosening the screw on the side of the lug. The screw is part of the pin. Accuracy I cannot be arsed to download timegrapher apps for now. Wifi was shit today. Napoleon lost at Waterloo because he had a Vacheron Constantin mechanical watch. The Prussians and British had quartz. True story. If Napoleon wanted the world to speak French, he should've worn quartz. Overall Did I get a mighty fine dress watch? Yes! Will this watch do the job for my black-tie event? Yes! Has that sated my appetite for watches? No! This Breguet has dimensions and gross detail close to gen. Some compromises have to be made with the date font but that is permissible. An aftermarket leather strap would turn an already classy watch even more posh. It is also slim enough that I would not worry about issues with my cuff. I will need more black-tie events for this beauty! Honourable Mentions On the journey for this dress watch, I had a few other options in mind. I figured it would be nice to include them for others to consider too. 1) Patek Philippe Calatrava 5117 or 5227 I'm sure many of you would be shouting for a Calatrava as THE dress watch. I agree. However, at this point in my life, a Patek looks a bit inappropriate. In fact, one might argue that a Breguet is equally inappropriate. But most people would know Patek as a high-end brand and Breguet as a whaa? 2) A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Thin As a huge ALS fan, I was also considering this. I would prefer a Richard Lange but I don't think they make good reps for that. The only Saxonia thin rep I have encountered has a second hand, which I would remove to look like gen. As I already have a Saxonia Moonphase, I decided to buy the Breguet to balance out my collection. 3) Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Bi-Retrograde Day & Date or Date & Moonphase Yes there are reps of these beauties. I really wanted them but could not find any stock. I recently tried both gens in an AD and let me tell you, this is something else! There's something about the rose gold case and cream dial combination. Unfortunately the reps are pretty thick for these models. Also, at GBP 39,000 a pop that will be the biggest tell of all... The Bi-retrograde Moonphase is even more elusive. One day...
