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Breguet Classique Automatic Ladies Watch 9068BR/12/976/D
Ref. 9068BR/12/976/DD00-30-
The Classique 9068 sits within a lineage that runs directly back to Abraham-Louis Breguet's own automatic mechanisms, and the Calibre 591A inside this example is a considered heir to that tradition. At 187 components, a silicon lever escape wheel and a flat silicon balance spring, it is a manufacture movement built for longevity and accuracy in a form — just 7.2mm from caseback to crystal — that is genuinely unusual for a self-winding watch. That thinness is the whole engineering argument: automatic movements and slim cases are naturally in tension, and Breguet has resolved it here without compromise to the mechanism. At 33.5mm the watch disappears under a cuff rather than pushing against it, sitting flush in a way that heavier dress pieces rarely manage. The dial repays attention held close: solid 18-carat gold, silvered and then hand-engraved on a rose engine into a Clous de Paris guilloché, a pattern that changes character entirely as the light moves across it. Blued steel open-tipped hands and black Roman numerals read cleanly against that surface without competing with it. The caseband carries Breguet's fluted coin-edge, and 88 brilliant-cut diamonds set into the bezel and lugs account for just over half a carat — present but not loud against the rose gold. The lugs use threaded screw bars rather than standard spring bars, a detail that signals how seriously the case construction is taken, and the buckle is solid 18-carat rose gold to match. There is no luminescent material on hands or dial, which is entirely consistent with a watch of this character — it is made for candlelight and lamplight, not darkness.
- Reference
- 9068BR/12/976/DD00-30-
- Brand
- Breguet
- Collection
- ClassiqueCase Size: 33
- Case size
- 33.5mm
- Case thickness
- 7.2mm
- Lug width
- 17mm
- Case material
- Rose gold
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Fixed
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 591A
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 38 hours
- Gem set
- Yes
Learn more about Breguet
Abraham-Louis Breguet opened his workshop on the Quai de l'Horloge in Paris in 1775 and proceeded to invent a substantial portion of modern watchmaking. The tourbillon, patented in 1801, remains his most famous contribution, though the pare-chute shock protection, the self-winding perpétuelle, the gong spring for repeaters, and the first wristwatch — made for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810 — all belong to him.
His aesthetic contributions are equally durable and now generic: guilloché dials engraved by hand, blued steel hands with hollowed moon tips, coin-edge case bands, and the slender Breguet numerals. Watches from unrelated houses still use all of them.
The French Revolution forced Breguet to flee to Switzerland in 1793. He returned two years later to a client list that read as the European establishment — Marie Antoinette, Napoleon, the Duke of Wellington, Tsar Alexander I. The Marie Antoinette pocket watch, commissioned in 1783 and finished in 1827 long after both queen and maker were dead, is among the most storied objects in horology.
The company passed through several hands in the twentieth century before Nicolas Hayek acquired it for the Swatch Group in 1999 and invested heavily in restoring its technical standing. The modern Classique and Tradition lines deliberately mine the archive, the latter exposing the movement architecture of Breguet's own subscription watches on the dial side.
- 1775
- Abraham-Louis Breguet opens his Paris workshop.
- 1801
- Patents the tourbillon.
- 1810
- Delivers the first known wristwatch, for the Queen of Naples.
- 1827
- The Marie Antoinette pocket watch is completed.
- 1999
- Acquired by the Swatch Group under Nicolas Hayek.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Watches Under 37mm (1,351), Automatic Watches (1,311), Women's Watches (1,285), Leather Strap Watches (825), Silver Dial Watches (576) and Dress Watches (420).
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 33.5mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
- 38-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 9068BR/12/976/DD00-30- | 275378-5005 | Q3448430 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £15,995 | £15,950 | £11,700 |
| Case size | 33.5mm | 33mm | 34mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 30m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 38 hours | 42 hours | 38 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 38 hours fully wound — so it will usually stop if you leave it off overnight.
What size strap does it take?
17mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb at £15,995, pre-owned. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as pre-owned only, at £15,995 from Mappin & Webb. A pre-owned watch has been worn, and is normally sold under the retailer’s own warranty rather than the manufacturer’s.
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