Editor’s note: As always, this Hands-on Review of the Breguet Classique 7337 is not a sponsored post. For our other detailed hands-on reviews, please head to our dedicated reviews section here.
What Is It
Like an unchained bird, the second’s hand smoothly glides over the off-centered sub-dial at 5, surveying the beauty of the hand-guilloched damier checkerboard pattern; a contrasting disc — the gold dial is silvered with a galvanising process with subtle brushing effect — separates it from the main dial, where the Clos de Paris hobnail pattern mans the shore that commands the movement of the hour and minute hands. The off-centred chapter ring with characteristic Roman numerals surrounds it, allowing eye to read the time ever so legibly.
This is framed by another ring, complementing the sub-dials ring, bringing in a sense of harmony. Symmetric to the off-centered dial but asymmetric to the rest of the watch, two Breguet ‘secret’ signatures subtly nestle between V and VI, and VI and V11.
Framing this ‘simple’ time-telling extravaganza found so often on sports watches — sarcasm intended — is the circular grain d’orge pattern, quietly nudging the fact that 3 different kinds of guilloche patterns adorn the timepiece. Almost in a Jaquet Droz-esque ‘8’ figure style sits atop this a moonphase hat, beautifully decorated and again partly surrounded by a ring matching the rest of the counters.
Flanked on both sides of this at X and II are two further apertures with their own distinct shapes — reminiscent of Breguet historic models such as pocket watch No.3833 — deploying the day and date.
The art of balance in asymmetry is rarely this well executed.
Why
Progress. Keeping up with the times. And relentlessly pursuing the horological art laid down by its founder Abraham Louis Breguet some few hundred years ago.
This ‘previous’ generation Breguet Classique 7337 version from 2009 — with a diminutively thicker case at 10.2mm, slightly longer lug-to-lug of 47.5mm yet larger 20mm lug interhorn spacing — that received an update only recently in March 2020 alongside the Breguet Classique 7137 — which we will also be going hands-on with shortly — has again gone through a facelift in August 2022. This latest Breguet Classique 7337 2022 version comes in a slightly different aesthetic.
Aesthetically, the Breguet Classique 7337 version before 2020 featured a mixture of the following patterns: sunburst detailing, guilloché, and basket weave. The 2020 Breguet Classique 7337 as described featured the patterns of: circular grain d’orge, damier checkerboard, and Clos de Paris hobnail. The latest Breguet Classique 7337 features only two patterns: extremely fine Clous de Paris guillochage and circular barleycorn motif.
Where To Find The Breguet Classique 7337
Various ADs in Sydney including Shums’s Watches, Watches of Switzerland. The Breguet Classique 7337 from 2020 currently is still listed on the Breguet website and retails for 62’700 AUD.
Who Is The Breguet Classique 7337 For
The Breguet Classique 7337 from 2020 is like a timeless melody played sadly rather rarely in a world where the band is only requested for dime-a-dozen sports-watch tunes. In this writer’s opinion it’s best for those who are comfortable in their skins and know the difference between marketing mark-ups and objects with innate value. And yes, one has to be a lover of dress watches to appreciate this to begin with.
Basic Specs of The Breguet Classique 7337
The reference 7337BB/Y5/9VU features the caliber 502.3 QSE1 which is an automatic-winding mechanical movement using the Breguet caliber 502.3 as base. Measuring 27.1mm x 3.65mm, the movement comprises 236 components, 35 jewels, and beats at the low frequency of 3Hz (21’600 A/h). It features a silicon balance spring to counter effects of magnetism and 22 Carats oscillating weight. One of the nice quirky features here is that the whole movement is offset, in other words, asymmetric.
The watch offers an okay 45-hour power reserve and an okay water resistance of 30m (3 ATM).
Breguet Classique 7337 – The Hands-on Experience
Bearing a design inspired by Breguet’s pocket watch quarter repeater No. 3833 — sold in 1823 — the Breguet Classique 7337 for someone with slim wrist like myself (~16.25cm) is a dream come true. The watch measures 39mm x 9.95mm, with a rather decent 47mm lug to lug spacing. Add to this the 19mm lug interhorn spacing, and the watch is sublimely well fitting.
I have encountered numerous times that people find the lugs on the Breguet too long and complain that it must sit large. The wearing experience is, however, the opposite. For reference, my go to comparison watch, the Tudor BB58 Blue measures 39mm x 12.5mm x 47.2mm. To put it in perspective for a lot sports watch oriented readers, the Breguet Classique 7337 features roughly the same diameter and (slightly smaller) lug-to-lug measurements as the Tudor BB58, but is substantially thinner and courtesy the smaller lug interhorn spacing, wears small too.
Here you do have to bear in mind that the lug design with the Breguet Classique 7337 architecture is flat and straight, and that in photos does appear to make the watch look large. On the wrist though, the dial takes centre stage and the watch really does wear well on a slim wrist.
For those who would like even smaller wearing options, the now discontinued Breguet 3337 from the turn of the century will be a great option too. The Breguet 3337 was also inspired by the pocket watch ref. 3833, and frankly, the case back decoration on that with a ¾ off-center winding rotor is far better than the new Breguet Classique 7337 or even most Lange’s I have seen.
As a side note for those interested, the Breguet 3337 was powered by the cal. 507 automatic — based on the F. Piguet calibre P-71 launched in 1985 with 35 jewels, measuring only 2.4mm thick and beating at 3Hz — and featured a 35.5mm diameter case with only 7.3mm thickness and lug-to-lug only 43mm (and lug interhorn spacing of 18mm). Above and below are a couple of photos from a prior Sotheby’s listing.
There is another case-back photo from a different website, but just look at that architecture! Tim Mosso from WatchBox did a review of this sometime ago, and you should definitely watch it for the case-back ogling. Why brands won’t put in this amount of effort in this day and age is beyond me.
If we wish to keep this within the dress watch sector, then another dress watch we recently reviewed, the Patek Philippe 5212A, measures 40mm x 10.79mm x 48mm. Courtesy the two-stepped lug architecture it sits rather nicely on my 16.25 cm wrist too, but compared to the Breguet Classique 7337, it’s still big. So for those with very slim wrists, the Breguet Classique 7337 is a very good dress watch alternative. And honestly, how often does one come across blue hand-guilloched dials?
Talking about the guilloche, the dials for Breguet Classique watches are essentially the making piece de resistance. And the Breguet Classique 7337’s dial doesn’t disappoint.
Have already maintained that unlike the 2022 onwards versions, this features 3 different kinds of guilloche styles. But that’s not all. Under changing light conditions, the light bounces off differently on all three styles, again creating a sense of asymmetry. The non-blue silver parts however maintain one sense of direction of light, brining in contrasting symmetry. The Breguet Classique 7337 really is all about the art of finding balance in asymmetry.
If you wish to read more about Breguet dial making and history, and case-band rolling / fluting and all the other cool stuff Breguet has to offer, we have covered that in our exhaustive review of the Breguet Marine 5817ST here.
Before I wrap this up, I also would like to point out the decoration of the moonphase display. The silvered gold disc moon is sort of raised, set against a glittering lacquered starry night sky evoking the Milky Way, flanked by engraved clouds, bringing a sense of three-dimensional aspect to the display.
That’s All Folks!
That Omega is the favourite child of the Swatch Group is no surprise; and now that Jaquet Droz has gone — taken a direction that no watch enthusiast can attain — truth be told, I wouldn’t mind seeing some of that love filtering down to the likes of Breguet and Blancpain.
The Breguet Classique 7337 thankfully continues its unwavering quest for the art of finding balance in asymmetry. The dress watch may be long dead, but it ain’t forgotten.
To find out more about the Breguet Classique 7337 and other Breguet timepieces, please head to their website here. All images unless otherwise stated are ©WatchYaGonnaDoAboutIt.
