Breguet Empire 'French Market'

Breguet makes the best dials in the biz. Yeah, we said it.

Their signature engine-turned dials, individually numbered and hand-finished, are simply beautiful works of art. You’d be hard-pressed to find such fine attention to detail in a watch costing many times what, say, a time-only or time-and-date model from the brand’s Classique line trades for.

Celebrated as one of the most influential houses in horological history, Breguet is revered for its groundbreaking contributions to the art and science of watchmaking. Founded in 1775 by the legendary Abraham-Louis Breguet, the brand introduced innovations that continue to shape modern horology — including the tourbillon, the Breguet balance spring, and the instantly recognizable hands and numerals that still bear his name.

While Breguet is renowned for its mechanical ingenuity, it has also long been admired for crafting some of the most refined, classically styled timepieces in existence. This rare 1980s Breguet Empire, made for the French market, is a striking example of that dual legacy — a watch that bridges centuries of tradition while feeling effortlessly modern. Housed in a 32mm 18K yellow gold case with the brand’s signature coin-edge fluting, it’s elegant yet substantial, exuding the quiet confidence of great design.

The hand-guilloché dial is a testament to pure Breguet artistry — finely engine-turned, rich in texture and depth, and complemented by the maison’s elegant “pomme” blued steel hands. Beneath the surface beats a hand-wound Peseux cal. 320 movement, prized for its reliability and refined finishing — a reminder that mechanical excellence is as much about feel as it is about precision.

Fitted with a French-made 18K gold buckle, this Empire stands apart from the more familiar Classique line, channeling the brand’s heritage through a distinctly modern lens. For the collector who values innovation wrapped in understatement, this is Breguet at its most eloquent.

Proof that when Breguet looks to its storied past, the result is always ahead of its time.

Few companies are so steeped in history that their name has become a byword for a particular type of product or style. Breguet is one such company: Their famously elegant numerical typeface and matching handset is now de rigueur amongst the most sophisticated dress watches, from Patek Philippe to Longines to, of course, Breguet itself.

However, these numerals and hands are but a single innovation in a long list of horological firsts devised by master watchmaker and inventor Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823), a Neuchatel-born savant whose Parisian career saw the advent of myriad watchmaking creations that we take for granted today. Indeed, it was Breguet who devised the first self-winding watches, as well as the first gongs for repeating watches and the tourbillon. Not many inventors can claim the king and queen of France as patrons, but indeed King Louis XVI and his bride Marie Antoinette were amongst his admirers.

20th-century Breguet is no less storied: The company’s Type 20 pilot’s chronograph issued to the French Aéronautique Militaire in the 1950s provided a benchmark for military watch design. Its stark black dial and utilitarian look belied the sophisticated retour en vol (“flyback”) mechanism within the movement, which allowed a pilot to stop, reset and start the chronograph by depressing the bottom pusher just once.

More recently, under the current management of Mark A. Hayek, modern Breguet has continued to register new patents and amass a dedicated following. The brand’s “Classique” dress watches from the 1990s and 2000s, for example, feature some of the most striking dials in modern watchmaking, making use of guilloché patterns, blue steeled hands and Roman numerals. While the company’s contemporary offerings continue to increase in sophistication and the number of complications available, it’s surely these simple, gorgeous time-only models that best encapsulate the elegant timepieces of A.L. Breguet himself.

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Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a two-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.