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1 0 6 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I O ne of the oldest surviving watch-making establishments and the pioneer of numerous watch-making technologies, Breguet is a true watchmaking giant. Founded by Abraham-Louis Breguet in Paris in 1775 and currently part of The Swatch Group, the brand’s timepieces are produced in the Vallée de Joux in Switzerland. Breguet has been the favoured watch brand of a series of illustrious historical figures. The likes of Sir Winston Churchill, Selim III Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Napoleon Bonaparte and George Washington have all proudly owned a Breguet. The brand has recently launched the Type XXII 3880, the first series-made mechanical chronograph with a 10 Hz frequency, in rose gold. The emblematic Breguet Type XXII has previously been available in steel but many watch fans will be happy that it has been enriched with an original model in 18-karat rose gold. This fine material highlights the beauty of this unique timepiece, which houses a Breguet chronograph movement with a silicon escapement and flat balance spring whose frequency has been raised to 10 Hertz, endowing the movement with exceptional regulating power, its chronograph seconds hand effecting a complete rotation in 30 seconds. The timepiece’s start function and read-out are thus twice as precise. At the heart of this technical exploit is the use of silicon, resulting in more lightweight mobile components and the avoidance of the lubrication problems generated by high frequencies. The Breguet Type XXII chronograph naturally features a flyback function, allowing the totalizer to be returned to zero and instantly restarted in one and the same operation. Furthermore, the dial includes a second time-zone indicator along with an aperture for a date calendar. A two-position crown resets the second time zone indicator by moving the hour hand at centre without affecting the minute hand. With the crown in that position, the date calendar obeys the time of the main time zone displayed at centre. The chronograph’s brown dial contrasts subtly with the flyback indications in red and the watch is mounted on high-quality brown leather strap. All in all, a truly exceptional timepiece worthy of the finest of wrists. B r e g u e t