Breguet

Breguet, a brand with 250 years of rich history, has recently seen an almost meteoric rise in interest in its neo-vintage era wristwatches of the 1980s and 1990s. Collectors have focused on this period as it represents the blending of Breguet’s signature elements, such as its coin edge cases, gorgeous hand guilloché dials, and thin, elongated lugs, into wearable wristwatches with modern creature comforts and build quality. To many, this neo-vintage era under the ownership of the Chaumet brothers and the direction of François Bodet, with master watchmaker Daniel Roth at the helm, represents a golden age of Breguet wristwatches.

The reference BA 3230 Classique Chronograph is among the first Daniel Roth designs introduced after Breguet’s re-invention at this time. At 36mm in diameter with all of those signature elements and powered by a Lemania 2310 ébauche, the BA 3230 is simply idyllic. This same base caliber sits at the heart of many of watchmaking’s great chronographs, such as the Omega Speedmaster, Patek Philippe’s references 3970, 5070, 5004, and 5970, as well as a range of references from Vacheron Constantin. The dial is hand-finished with contrasting guilloché and brushed portions, highlighted by the Clous de Paris pattern at the center.

Tiffany & Co., the prominent American retailer, proudly offered Breguet watches to its clients in the era of Chaumet, Bodet, and Roth. The retailer’s signature is elegantly implemented in the dial design on a cartouche at six o’clock, where typically the watch’s individual serial number is displayed. Tiffany-signed Breguet wristwatches are among the rarest and most collectible pieces of this period – the present watch, delivered on 14 November 1984 to Tiffany & Co., New York, is a rare piece and the only known example of a reference BA 3230 co-signed by Tiffany & Co. known to the market.