Breguet

foversta
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The 5967: maybe my fav entry level Breguet.

During a long time, I thought that the Breguet 5140 (automatic movement with an off-centered small second) was the best option, with a more affordable price than the Tradition, to enter Breguet's world. But in my head I was regretting the use of this automatic caliber instead of a handwind one which was for me, more suitable in this context. It is the reason why I was very pleased to discover the 5967 and I will explain you why this watch becomes my fav entry level Breguet.





The Breguet 5967 was presented without any drum roll during the 2009 Basel Fair and it was a bit surprising: the watch was deserving more highlights than the shy context of its unveiling. The Breguet 5967 is a very simple watch, a two hands one with a classic Breguet dial and a nice handwind movement.

Classic dial ? Maybe not so classic ! It is classic in its layout (we find the usual two rings around the central guilloché sector: the indexes on the outer ring and the roman numerals on the other one) but absolutely not in the pattern used for the central guilloché sector. In fact, this pattern is far from the classic Breguet style: it is inspired by the Art-Deco trend and it gives to this watch a very different feeling than we have with a Breguet watch. Of course, don't expect a breaking-away from the permanent Breguet collection. The watch doesn't forget its roots. But this pattern brings something different and our eyes are attracted by these 3D cubes. With the different ways the light illumines the watch, the cubes seem to be prominent or to go deep: a very nice visual effect.





If you are an Art specialist, you can think about Mondrian paintings or draughtboards... if you are not and more likely a video game specialist, the Q-Bert playground comes to your mind!

Q-Bert playground:



Anyway, wherever comes from this inspiration, the pattern is very nicely made and becomes the perfect stage for the play of the classic Breguet hands. As I said before, there are only two hands on the dial. Some may think that it is a good idea to preserve its purety. I belong to this category. Others may argue that the watch is too inert to be enjoyable. In fact, we have to consider that the animation on the dial comes from the guilloché pattern. You will notice that the secret signatures... are from being secret as you can easily see them on both sides of the XII. But the light I used to take pictures enhances the details.

I find the case diameter perfect here: 41mm. It is not too large (with a larger diameter, the watch would have become unbalanced and too big for an elegant watch) and not too small (to take advantage of the guillochage).Thanks to its very thin bezel, the 5967 looks a bit bigger than it is actually.

So, let's turn it over now. We discover its caliber which is... totally in coherence with the spirit of the watch. Caliber used is the Frederic Piguet 151 which can be found in some pocket watches like the Cellini and the Jaquet Droz. This caliber is also used by Daniel Roth for its Athys. It is large (36mm) and fills generously the case of the watch. I must confess that thanks to its layout, this Frédéric Piguet is one of my fav handwind calibers. It has a low frequency (3hz) and a power reserve of 40 hours which forces the owner of the watch to wind it everyday... not a trouble at all because it is a quite nice caliber to be wound: the crown may appear to be small but its use is not painful.





Breguet didn't bring any specific decoration on the caliber except the engraved "Breguet". It could be perceived as a lack of ambition but the experience gives the proof that this caliber is nicer when it is  not specifically decorated.





On the wrist, the special charm of this watch works: its readability and elegancy are its key assets.





So why do I prefer it to the 5140 ? The 5140, especially with its enamel dial is a very attractive watch: it also has a nice case shape which makes us think about pocket watches. But I find the 5967 on the whole more coherent: the Piguet 151, thanks to its size, its layout, is a perfect engine for the 5967 while the automatic Piguet used by the 5140, doesn't bring the same feeling: it is after all hidden by a solid caseback.

The Breguet 5140:



It is the reason why, at the end, my heart would lead me to buy the 5967 instead of the 5140.

The 5967 is available with YG and WG cases.





Thanks a lot to the Chronopassion staff for the warm welcome.

Fr.Xavier

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