THE ESSENTIALS
MAKE: BREGUET
MODEL: 3090-2
YEAR: 1985
BOX/PAPERS: NO/YES(ARCHIVE)
CASE DIAMETER: 32mm
CASE MATERIAL: 18K YELLOW GOLD
BRACELET MATERIAL: LEATHER
MOVEMENT: MANUAL WIND
Breguet, a name synonymous with watchmaking excellence, is one of the oldest surviving and most prestigious brands in horology. Established in 1775 by Abraham-Louis Breguet, the brand is renowned for its elegance (think Breguet hands and numerals) and is responsible for numerous horological innovations, such as the tourbillon and the overcoil.
Breguet’s early pocket watches from the 18th and 19th centuries were favoured by European royalty and prominent figures (Napoleon, for example), and they remain highly sought after today. In 1970, the Chaumet brothers took over the brand following its struggles during the mid-20th century and the quartz crisis. Two years later, they hired the great Daniel Roth, and shortly afterward Louis-Maurice Caillet joined the team. Together, they produced some of the most beautiful and collectible Breguet watches ever—integrating modern horological innovations with the brand’s classic design language. Although Roth left to establish his own brand in 1987 after Chaumet’s bankruptcy, many of his designs—such as the perpetual calendar 3050, tourbillon 3357, and triple-date calendar 3040—were preserved for years under new ownership and remain classics today.
Breguet is known for its complications—and for how it manages to fit so much (be it a power reserve, moonphase, date/day, etc.) onto a classically sized dial and sleek case. The present example, however, showcases the brand’s mastery on the other end of the spectrum. The time-only, gold-on-gold ref. 3090-2 is anything but plain. The dial features three types of guilloché finishes, separated by Roman numeral indices and a small seconds subdial, and is adorned with blued steel Breguet hands and a blue sapphire cabochon crown.
Although only 32mm in size, the watch looks beautifully proportioned—even on an 18.5cm wrist. The case remains in excellent condition, with only light marks visible. The cal. 7001 movement came to us in great health, running superbly at +4 s/d, 255 amps, with a 0.3 ms beat error.
The brand kindly confirmed that this watch was delivered to the Chaumet store in London 40 years ago, in July 1985. Breguet made various versions of the 3090, although seemingly not many of any. In fact, this Roman numeral, small-seconds example is the only one of its kind that we could find.
Our friends over at The Strap Tailor custom-made these lovely Saffiano straps specifically for this watch. After a period of relative obscurity, Breguet is once again captivating the hearts of both new and seasoned watch enthusiasts—and deservedly so. A beautiful watch for yourself, your partner, or even your colleague you’re heading to a Coldplay concert with.