Breguet Classique Phase de Lune 9088 30mm White Gold

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Breguet Classique Phase de Lune 9088 30mm White Gold

Ref. 9088BB/52/BC0/DD00

The 9088 sits within the Classique collection, which is as close as Breguet comes to a statement of first principles — the forms Abraham-Louis Breguet himself established, reissued without apology. This particular reference is built for the wrist it is sized for: at 30mm it is a considered proposition, and the diamond-set bezel and lugs, 66 stones totalling just over a carat, frame the mother-of-pearl dial in a way that belongs entirely to that tradition rather than borrowing from it. The calibre 537L inside is worth understanding. The silicon flat balance spring and silicon lever escapement are not dressed-up concessions to modernity — they improve thermal stability and remove the need for lubrication at those components, which means the movement runs consistently for longer between services. At 3.5Hz the beat is unhurried. The 45-hour reserve is adequate without being lavish, and through the exhibition caseback the hand-engraved, guilloché gold rotor is the part of the movement most owners will end up watching. The integrated white gold bracelet with its folding deployment clasp keeps the proportions compact and flush at the wrist, which at this case size is where the watch needs to be.

Reference: 9088BB/52/BC0/DD00
Brand: Breguet
Case size: 30mm
Case thickness: 9.8mm
Lug width: 16mm
Case material: White gold
Case shape: Round
Dial: Mother-of-pearl
Crystal: Sapphire
Movement: Automatic
Calibre: 537L
Functions: Small seconds, Moonphase
Water resistance: 30m
Bracelet / strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Strap colour: Silver
Clasp: Deployant clasp
Lume: Luminous
Condition: Pre-owned
Retailer: Mappin & Webb

Additional specifications

Power reserve: 45 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), Silver Dial Watches (576), Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (199) and Solid Gold Watches (90).

What the specifications mean

A mechanical watch for everyday wear.

Strengths

30mm 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

Best forSmall wristsEveryday wear

Less suited toWater

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 45 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.

What size strap does it take?

16mm. 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 £37,950, 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 £37,950 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.