Breguet Watches Review
If you’re in the market for a luxury watch, there are a lot of choices available to you. Still, you shouldn’t fall for the first maker to offer you gold or diamonds, though those are nice things to have. If you’re going to spend a lot of money on a mechanical wristwatch, you should look to buy something from a company that has a history of doing it right.
Breguet watches offer that, and more. The company was founded in Switzerland in 1775, and continues making amazing, beautiful watches to this day. These days, they’re owned by the Swatch Group, but they’re largely left to their own devices when it comes to deciding what to make.
What they make are watches that are luxury timepieces in every sense of the word – they’re handcrafted timepieces with elaborate complications and cases made from gold and platinum. If you like diamonds, you’ll find plenty of them here. You’ll find that there’s a lot to like about them.
Read on for the full Breguet watches review.
Build Quality
Movements
Innovation
Styling and Features
Care and Maintenance
Warranty
Prices
Where to Buy
Summary
Breguet Watches Build Quality
The build quality is exceptional; their timepieces are as well made as those of anyone. This comes from more than 200 years of practice, and today, the company makes a wide variety of watches for men and women that are suitable for any occasions.
The watch cases are made from a variety of materials – stainless steel, gold (white, yellow and rose,) platinum, and even titanium. Water resistance is good; their marine models are good to 100 meters or better, though their jewelry line has somewhat more modest water resistance. Then again, you’re unlikely to go diving while wearing a watch that is covered in diamonds.
The faces are covered with rock-hard sapphire crystal, and in many cases, you’ll find sapphire crystal on the back of the case, as well.
Some watch companies try to be everything to everyone, and these days, that means offering both quartz and mechanical models to the public in hopes of trying to rein in as many potential buyers as possible. That’s not the case with these watches; they make mechanical watches only.
You do have a choice between manually wound mechanical movements and self-winding automatic movements, however. These are Swiss-made and designed and built in-house.
Click here to shop for Breguet watches at Amazon.
If you look up “innovation” in the dictionary, “Breguet watches” should be offered as a synonym. The company has a long history of being first, or close to first, when it comes to introducing many things that are now considered vital to luxury watches. These innovations include:
-
Breguet hands Self-winding movement
- Breguet hands (they’re unique)
- Equation of time complication
- Gold gong spring
- Pare-chute shock prevention
- Tourbillon
- Silicon escape wheel
- Magnetic pivot
The company continues to offer the best in innovation, and the company continues to produce cutting-edge timepieces.
When it comes to styling and features, this brand covers all the bases. If you want a traditional looking, time-only watch, they have you covered. Want a diving watch? Not a problem. How about a bling-encrusted, diamond-covered watch for the evening on the town? They have many.
If you like watch complications, here you’ll find as good a selection as anyone offers. The watch finder on their Website lets you choose the complications you’d like to see on your watch. The list includes:
- Tourbillon
- Twin rotating Tourbillons
- Minute repeater
- Chiming watch
- Alarm wristwatch
- Hour strike
- Grand strike
- High frequency
- Date
- Perpetual Calendar
- Moon-phase
- Equation of time
- Chronograph
- Flyback
- Second time-zone indicator
- Day/night indicator
- Extra-thin
- Fusee Tourbillon
- Power-reserve indicator
- Self-winding
- Hand-winding
We are unaware of any company that offers that many different complications. Keep in mind that many of their watches offer multiple complications within the same timepiece. If you’re a gadget fan and love a watch that has everything, you’ll be right at home.
As you might expect, the care and maintenance of Breguet watches is a bit more complicated and with your average Timex watches. These are elaborate, complex timepieces that are delicate and will require occasional routine maintenance. The company recommends that you send your Timex watches to them every 3-4 years for cleaning and servicing.
A technician will open the case and look for worn or damaged parts. If any are found, they will be replaced, and the remaining parts will be cleaned and lubricated. The watch will be reassembled and cleaned, and you’ll get a watch back that looks just like new.
With proper care and attention to maintenance, you’ll find that your watch should last for many decades.
The warranty offered is the industry average. When you make your purchase, you will receive a warranty against defects in materials and craftsmanship for two years from the date of purchase. Probably 90% of all watchmakers offer such a warranty.
Two years isn’t very long, given that these watches are quite expensive, but then again, these watches are thoroughly tested at the factory before shipping. Genuine defects are likely quite rare.
There’s no getting around it – these watches are very expensive. Prices start in the mid-to-high four figure range and run up well into six figures. You’ll get a stainless steel case if you’re buying in the $10,000 range, but once you get in the $100,000+ range, you’ll see precious metals, gemstones and complications galore. You’ll also get a watch that you’re unlikely to see on the wrists of any of your friends. They are special.
Breguet watches offer luxury, and luxury brands go overboard to ensure that their brands aren’t diluted by universal availability. That means that the company strictly controls who sells their products and how much they’re going to charge for them.
As such, the brand is officially sold only through a very limited number of company-owned boutiques, as well as a very few authorized retailers. You can get a complete list at the company Website.
On the other hand, Breguet watches are available through gray market sellers at a number of online retailers. The gray market for watches is complicated, but these are genuine watches and are usually available at prices that are considerably lower than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Such retailers usually offer their own warranty, and this would represent your best opportunity to buy at a discount.
Breguet Watches Summary
What’s not to love? These watches offer incredible build quality, a great selection of styles, colors, case materials and more complication possibilities than you can count. They’re rare, they’re exclusive, they’re gorgeous, and they’ll last a lifetime, or more.
If you’re looking for a wristwatch that makes a statement, you’ll have a hard time finding a better example than with Breguet watches. They are definitive.