Introducing: The Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 — A Celebratory Model For The Maison’s 250th Anniversary (Live Pics)

What We Know

To celebrate its 250th anniversary, Breguet is reaching into the archives — not for a tourbillon or a complication-laden pocket watch, but for a then-revolutionary idea that once brought high-end watchmaking to a wider audience. The word “souscription” is now firmly a part of the enthusiast watch world lexicon, yet its use is always a cap doff to the greatest watchmaker to ever live, Abraham-Louis Breguet.

It’s time for a quick history lesson. In 1775, Abraham-Louis Breguet established his workshop (and “brand”) in Paris. From the beginning, Breguet produced watches on a level unmatched elsewhere, earning a reputation for innovation and elegance among Europe’s elite, but their excellence came at a price few could afford outside royal circles. Around this time, the political landscape was in the process of changing dramatically when the French Revolution erupted in 1789. By 1793, King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette—two of Breguet’s most important patrons—faced the guillotine. During Robespierre’s subsequent Reign of Terror, Abraham-Louis Breguet became endangered, forcing him to seek refuge in Switzerland.

While staying in Neuchâtel and Le Locle, Breguet continued his exploration of high-end watchmaking but also set out to rebuild his business to, let’s put it this way, fit the new social landscape. It was here in Switzerland where he conceived the Souscription, and when he returned to Paris in 1795, production began. Simplified and single-handed, Souscription watches were both revolutionary products and revolutionary marketing. Marketing-wise, Souscription watches were aimed at the “masses,” priced lower, featured in an advertising pamphlet (believed to be one of, if not the first, watch ads!), and pre-ordered with a 25% deposit. Product-wise, that 25% deposit allowed the Breguet workshop to serialize production in a way that was never possible and pay craftsmen in advance. Breguet’s novel Souscription business model was as efficient as watchmaking could be in the 1790s.

Now, back to 2025. The new Classique Souscription 2025 is a faithful wristwatch reinterpretation of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s historic Souscription pocket watch.

The case measures 40mm in diameter and is made from a new proprietary alloy — Breguet gold, an 18k blend of gold, silver, copper, and palladium inspired by the gold used by 18th-century watchmakers. The case eschews Breguet’s classic fluting for a satin-brushed finish. It features curved lugs for better ergonomics, wrapped around a chevé-profile sapphire crystal — a modern evolution of a form Abraham-Louis Breguet himself pioneered. Put simply, this crystal shape is more flat than domed, with a gentle curve near the periphery to blend into the case curves.

Beneath the crystal lies a white grand feu enamel dial, classically minimal with black petit feu Breguet numerals that are slim and painterly, a railroad minute track, and just a single flame-blued, pomme Breguet hand — in a more vintage-faithful shape than you may find on other Breguet watches and mirror-polished by hand. The time-telling display boasts a surprising level of legibility, thanks, in part, to the large size of the dial.

A secret signature is engraved at six o’clock using a diamond-point pantograph. It reads “Souscription,” a unique serial number, and a script Breguet logo. Abraham-Louis Breguet invented the pantograph-executed secret signature in 1795 to combat fake Breguet watches on the market. The pantograph Breguet uses here dates to the 18th century and was recently acquired from the collection of George Daniels.

The caseback opens the curtain on the manually-wound Calibre VS00, a new movement with 96 hours of power reserve and a modern 3Hz beat rate. Its outer edge is finished with a new Quai de l’Horloge guilloché pattern, inspired by the curves of Paris’ Île de la Cité. The movement incorporates a Nivachron balance spring with a Breguet overcoil, blued screws, and a large engraved ratchet wheel featuring an explanation of the Souscription design by Breguet, taken from that original advertising pamphlet, in his characteristic cursive script.

The watch comes with a navy blue alligator leather strap and a Breguet gold pin buckle. It is presented in a special red Moroccan leather box, referencing the travel cases Abraham-Louis Breguet used centuries ago.

The Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 is not a limited edition and will retail for $48,700.

What We Think

In a (watch) world where the temptation is to treat anniversaries as excuses to flex technical and complicated muscles, Breguet’s choice to revive the Souscription is extremely intriguing. The brand’s history is as rich, or richer, than any other; Breguet’s No. 160 “Marie Antoinette” from 1827 held the crown as the world’s most complicated watch for 77 years. Something flashy and complicated would have resulted in more clicks, but in choosing to kick off its 250th anniversary celebration with the Souscription 2025, Breguet is saying a lot more.

The Sousciprion reference honors Abraham-Louis Breguet’s technical prowess and entrepreneurial spirit, of course, but more interesting is Breguet’s apt recognition of where the watch world is in 2025. Time-only, independently-produced watches continue to be the “hottest” single area for enthusiasts, and the big brands are taking swings to capture a piece of enthusiast pie. For further proof, look at Zenith’s G.F.J., Chopard’s entire L.U.C collection, or Louis Vuitton’s limited series partnering directly with these independent makers. The Souscription is Breguet producing a time-only watch to the exacting standards of independent watchmaking. But here, whereas with the indies, vintage references are a bit more behind the scenes and used as inspiration in the design process, Breguet can directly tie its product to its history.

Along the same lines, the Souscription 2025 also recognizes what collectors are currently most enamored with from Breguet’s vintage oeuvre—the handmade charm of pre-Chaumet-era wristwatches like the Empire and the neo-vintage oddities of the 1980s and 1990s under Chaumet ownership. The aesthetic qualities here revolve around the idea of vintage charm, using old-world techniques and, specifically, pre-20th-century Breguet, with details like the thinner numeral font.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t Breguet’s first brand anniversary watch nor its first attempt to reference the Souscription. The 1990 ref. 3370 was made in 1989 during the brand’s 215th anniversary. “Souscription” is engraved on the caseback, yet the dial execution is only half-Souscription. Hours are displayed via an aperture at 12 o’clock, while minutes are shown via a single central hand. This cheating of the Souscription design then becomes a theme with the ref. 3420 in 1992 and the ref. 1747 in 1997, celebrating the 250th anniversary of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s birth.

I mention these old, pre-Swatch 1999 acquisition, limited editions because many collectors yearn for those days. Neo-vintage nostalgia continues to grip collectors and doesn’t seem to be letting go, but we must recognize the flaws in this era, too. Breguet produces a better wristwatch today than it did in the 1990s and designs a better one, too. Look no further than the Souscription 2025 for proof.

The most direct “older” Breguet line to draw here is to the ref. 1775 in 2000—one of the most lauded Breguet wristwatches produced in the Swatch Group era. While not a Souscription riff, the 1775 features a similarly gorgeous grand feu enamel dial with those painterly Breguet numerals. This reference is a grail for many Breguet collectors, but I think the Souscription 2025’s single-hand design and specific manually-wound movement blow the 1775 out of the water.

Speaking of the movement, an easy criticism to be levied here is that the architecture of the new Calibre VS00, with a large central barrel and a going train symmetrically arranged on either side, is familiar. Many will say this looks too similar to the watches within Breguet’s Tradition collection, and they’re right. The entire Tradition collection is inspired by the movement architecture of Breguet’s Souscription of the 18th century. We’re not looking at a big brand being lazy and designing a “new” caliber based on those it already makes.

I can imagine it was an added challenge in the design process to directly reference a watch that inspired an entire collection. This in mind, the new case and lug shape, as well as the decision not to adorn the case sides with that classic Breguet coin edge, make more sense. The reality is that the fluting found on most of the brand’s case flanks is the result of Daniel Roth’s re-envisioning of Breguet wristwatches in the 1970s, inspired by some of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s production. The simple, brushed shape seen on this watch references other vintage pocket watches, specifically the more pared-down look of the Souscription series.

All of this historical context and storytelling is great, but no product is without flaws to some collectors, at least. Would I have preferred to have scrolled down to the bottom of the press release and see a case diameter under 40mm? Sure. Does a single-hand wristwatch need to be bigger than 36mm to be legible on the wrist? Possibly.

The Basics

Brand: Breguet
Model: Classique Souscription 2025
Reference Number: 2025BH/28/9W6

Diameter: 40mm
Thickness: 10.8mm
Case Material: 18K Breguet gold
Dial Color: White grand feu enamel on gold base
Indexes: Black petit feu enamel Breguet signature, Breguet Arabic numerals, and minute track
Lume: None
Water Resistance: 30m
Strap/Bracelet: Navy blue large-scaled alligator leather, navy blue small-scaled alligator leather lining with 18K Breguet gold pin buckle

The Movement

Caliber: Calibre VS00
Functions: Hours
Diameter: 36mm
Thickness: 5.7mm
Power Reserve: 96 hours
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 21,600 hours
Jewels: 21
Chronometer Certified: No, single hand indicating the time (resolution: +/- 2 minutes)
Additional Details: “Souscription,” serial number, and secret signature engraved with a diamond-point pantograph; “Quai de l’Horloge” handmade guilloché case back, crystal engraved with “BREGUET 250 YEARS,” anti-reflective coating inside; Movement treated in gilded brass in the same shade as Breguet gold, numbered and signed

Pricing & Availability

Price: $48,700
Availability: Immediately
Limited Edition: No

For more, click here.

​Hodinkee 

​Read More