Already coveted by collectors, Breguet's latest chronograph speaks volumes about the company's history – and is certainly drawing everyone's attention.
Collectors all over the world are constantly on the lookout for new Breguet timepieces, and the Swiss watchmaker's latest effort is creating a real buzz. Its name? Type XXI 3817. An illustration of the company's links with the aviation industry, this watch pays tribute to the innovative mindset of an extraordinary family – remember that Louis Charles Breguet was instrumental in developing the gyroplane, forerunner of the helicopter, and in 1916 built the famed Breguet XIV plane. In addition to these aviation activities, the firm developed mechanisms for the instruments fitted in plane cockpits along with watches for pilots. As of 1935 it developed its first chronograph wristwatches and in 1954 launched the Type XX issued to French air-force and navy pilots until the early 1980s. Continuing that lineage is this latest model, the Type XXI 3817 featuring vintage-inspired looks and a slate-grey dial, but undeniably forward-looking since it incorporates the most recent innovations. Inside a 42mm steel case beats the 584Q/2 calibre, a self-winding mechanical movement with a flyback function. The watch face displays the date at
6 o'clock, a day/night indicator at 3 o'clock and a small seconds at 9 o'clock, while a sapphire-crystal caseback shows off the workings.
