Breguet spent much of its early history tackling the technical problems that limited mechanical timekeeping. More than two centuries later, it is returning to that spirit of experimentation, this time with magnetism, high-frequency regulation and a new escapement architecture.
The result is the Expérimentale 1, the first watch in Breguet’s research-led Expérimentale collection. At its heart is Calibre 7250, combining a 10 Hz tourbillon with a magnetic escapement and constant-force architecture. The Breguet Hallmark’s Scientific category gives the watch a stated accuracy of ±1 second per day.
The Expérimentale 1 marks a new chapter in Breguet’s approach to mechanical research, bringing its historical pursuit of precision into a contemporary technical setting.
Engineering Legacy
Breguet’s history provides the context for the Expérimentale 1. Abraham-Louis Breguet patented the tourbillon in 1801, and his work on constant-force mechanisms dates from the same period. The Expérimentale 1 returns to those same concerns, but approaches them through high-frequency regulation, magnetism and modern materials.
The movement operates at 10 Hz, or 72,000 vibrations per hour, considerably faster than the 2.5 Hz frequency used by many traditional tourbillons. That higher frequency allows the balance to make more oscillations per second, but it also places greater demands on the escapement and the consistency of the energy reaching the balance. Calibre 7250 is manually wound, measures 33.8mm across and 6.3mm thick, and provides a 72-hour power reserve.
The escapement is where the Expérimentale 1 makes its most significant technical departure. Rather than using a conventional Swiss lever arrangement to transmit the impulse, Breguet uses controlled magnetic interaction between the escape wheels and pallets. Two escape wheels carry magnetic tracks, while the pallet lever uses magnetic pallets. The arrangement separates the transmission of the impulse to the balance from the rotation of the escape wheels and the rest of the gear train.
This matters because the escapement sits between the energy stored in the barrels and the balance that regulates the watch. At 10 Hz, maintaining a stable impulse becomes particularly important. Breguet’s magnetic system is therefore designed to reduce the effects of friction and variations in torque on the regulating system, while its constant-force architecture helps maintain a controlled supply of energy to the balance.
The Expérimentale 1 carries the Breguet Hallmark in its Scientific category, with a stated accuracy of ±1 second over 24 hours. It is also rated to resist magnetic fields of up to 600 gauss.
The engineering extends beyond the escapement itself. To operate at 10 Hz while working within a magnetic escapement architecture, Calibre 7250 relies on materials chosen for specific technical roles. A silicon balance spring, LIGA-produced components, and titanium or Nivagauss parts are used where resistance to magnetism is required. The movement contains 278 components, but the significance lies less in the number than in how those components work together to support the regulating system.
The same thinking continues through the power train. Two barrels are coupled in series, arranged on separate levels and divided by sapphire spacers. Each contains a double mainspring. The arrangement takes inspiration from Breguet pocket watch No. 3448, but here the historical idea has been adapted to feed a movement operating at a much higher frequency.
That technical architecture is deliberately visible from the dial side. The 43.5mm case is made from 18-carat Breguet gold and takes its proportions from the Marine family, while the sapphire dial exposes much of the movement beneath it. Hours sit at six o’clock, the minutes are offset from the centre, and the seconds appear through the tourbillon at twelve.
The layout also returns to the regulator tradition. Separating the hours, minutes and seconds was once a practical approach to precision timekeeping. On the Expérimentale 1, Breguet retains that arrangement while using it to organise a far more complex modern movement. The result is a dial whose unusual appearance follows directly from the architecture beneath it.
The case then brings that technical character into a more recognisably Breguet form. Double-stepped fluting and faceted lugs frame the solid-gold case, while hand-finished and mirror-polished bridge edges contrast with the more technical surfaces of the movement. A blue rubber strap and 100-metre water resistance add a practical dimension to an otherwise highly technical watch.
Collector Market
The Expérimentale 1 is the first model in Breguet’s separate Expérimentale line, focused on research into materials, electromagnetism, vibratory mechanics and acoustics. Only 75 examples are being produced, each individually numbered on the caseback. The UK retail price was reported at £324,400 (approximately $437,000) in March 2026, against an original international price of CHF 320,000 (approximately £304,000, or $410,000).
There is currently no established secondary-market history for the Expérimentale 1. Its limited production and position as the first Expérimentale model give it a distinct place within Breguet’s contemporary collector market.
A New Chapter for Breguet
Breguet has positioned Expérimentale as an ongoing research and development programme, with its work spanning materials, electromagnetism, vibratory mechanics and acoustics. The line provides a platform for developing technologies that can inform future Breguet watches.
The Expérimentale 1 establishes that direction while keeping Breguet’s long-standing focus on precision at its centre.
