Breguet La Tradition Seconde Retrograde 7038 & 7097

amanico · 2020-06-30T01:18:37Z

Explore Breguet's 2020 La Tradition Seconde Retrograde 7038 (ladies) and 7097 (men) novelties. Discover community insights on design, movement, and market strategy.

amanico

WPS member · Breguet forum

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Amanico introduces the Breguet La Tradition Seconde Retrograde 7038 and 7097, highlighting Breguet's 2020 novelties. His detailed post provides an in-depth look at both the ladies' and men's versions, focusing on their distinct aesthetic and technical features. This article explores the community's reception and expert opinions on these releases, particularly their design choices and market implications.

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2 new La Tradition are born. Well, two new versions of the La Tradition Seconde Retrograde, to be precise.

One for ladies, the Reference 7038, in rose gold ( 37 mm case ) with a fluted bezel paved with diamonds and a ruby on the crown.

The dial is guilloché, tahitian mother of pearl, with open tipped hands.

The retrograde second is very discrete and doesn't overlap the sublime dial.

The movement is the Cal 505 SR, 14 lignes and a half big, automatic, with a more conventional rotor. The power reserve is 50 hours, made of 216 parts and beating at 3 Hertz. Silicon is used for the lever escapement horns and the balance spring.

A last superb detail and a great idea: Breguet opted for a clutch bag as a watch case. Excellent, and I hope to see something similar for men!

The other La Tradition Seconde Retrograde is for men, with a 40 mm case in white gold.

Here, the blue dial is made of gold, with roman numbers, guilloché. The Seconde Retrograde overlaps the dial. The open tipped hands are rhodium plated steel.

The movement is the same than in the Ladies version. BUT the rotor is different, which is a good thing, as we see with pleasure the historical oscillant weight which is part of the brand's DNA.

My own feelings, now, to be confirmed when I see the watch in the reality...

The Ladies version is sublime. The discrete retrograde second is very much my taste, something I would have loved to see in the men's version. The guilloché mother of pearl is a feast for the eyes. The only thing I regret is that, for manufactures, a ladies version is necessarily jeweled. Without the paved bezel, it would have been purer, while the cabochon in ruby is an excellent and very refined idea.

The chromatic combination of grey and blue is eye catching, on the men's version. I would have preferred Breguet numbers over the roman ones for the dial, and maybe I am missing something, but I would have loved to see gold hands, rather than rodhium plated steel ones...

The original rotor is a feast to the eyes.

A last information: Both are Boutiques Exclusivities.

To be confirmed in the reality, as previously said.

Looking forward to reading your comments and thoughts on these 2 new versions,

Best.

Nicolas

About the Breguet Ref. 7097

The Breguet Tradition 7097 stands out within the Tradition collection for its retrograde seconds display, a distinctive feature that emphasizes the brand's historical design principles while offering a contemporary aesthetic. This reference showcases a significant portion of its movement on the dial side, a hallmark of the Tradition series, allowing for direct appreciation of the mechanical architecture. It represents a modern interpretation of Breguet's souscription and tact watches, bringing internal mechanisms to the forefront of the design.

The watch features a round case, typically crafted from precious metals, housing a meticulously finished manual-winding movement. The open-worked dial reveals bridges, gears, and the pare-chute shock protection system, a Breguet invention. The retrograde seconds hand sweeps across an arc at the 10 o'clock position, complementing the off-centered time display. A sapphire crystal protects the intricate dial, ensuring clarity and durability.

This reference appeals to collectors who value mechanical transparency and historical horological references. Its design, which highlights the movement's construction, positions it as a technical and artistic statement within Breguet's offerings. The Tradition 7097 is available in various metal configurations, each maintaining the core design principles of the retrograde seconds display and visible movement components.

Specifications

Caliber: 505SR1

Case: White gold

Diameter: 40 mm

Dial: Silver

Water Resist.: 30 meters

Crystal: Sapphire

Key Points from the Discussion

The ladies' Reference 7038, despite its diamonds, is considered by some to be a more appealing design due to its size, movement-to-case proportion, and the absence of overlapping elements on the dial, making it a strong contender even for those who typically prefer men's watches.
The smaller case size of the ladies' model offers better proportionality with the movement, avoiding common design flaws like overlapping indicators or cut numerals that detract from legibility and aesthetic coherence.
The introduction of color, particularly blue, in Breguet's 2020 novelties is seen as a strategic move to refresh the brand's image and attract a younger demographic, making the designs feel more contemporary.
The decision to make both new La Tradition models boutique-only suggests a potential shift in Breguet's distribution strategy, possibly indicating a move towards reducing authorized dealers and increasing direct sales.
The blue dial on the men's version is achieved through a galvanic blue rhodium plating process, where a gold dial is first silver-plated, then subjected to a rhodium bath that transitions through brown and violet before settling on blue.
While appreciating the overall quality, some collectors express a desire for Breguet to re-issue vintage chronograph models, suggesting that current novelties, though well-executed, are perceived as minor modifications rather than significant new directions.

The Discussion

Uncle Chico

Jun 30, 2020

An enamel dial with Breguet numerals would be a killer combination on the 7097 [nt]

amanico

Jun 30, 2020

I am with you on that suggestion. [nt]

Echi

Jun 30, 2020

Overall, no such thing as a bad looking La Tradition but I'm not sure about the seconds retrograde overlap. I prefer a full dial for the LT (nt)

amanico

Jun 30, 2020