Tradition 7057 White Gold

The Breguet Tradition 7057 is a hand-wound watch that lets the mechanism take up most of its face. Hours and minutes sit on a small silver-colored dial near the top. The rest of the space shows wheels, bridges and the balance that regulates the watch. Its 40 mm white-gold case contains a fairly simple set of functions presented in an unusually revealing way.

The arrangement comes from Breguet's Tradition collection, introduced in 2005. It draws on the construction of the founder's subscription and touch watches, whose central spring barrel and surrounding gear train provided a distinctive layout. The 7057 enlarged the original modern format in 2010.

The barrel stores the wound spring's energy. Wheels carry that energy through the movement, while the balance oscillates back and forth to help control its release. Seeing these parts from the front makes the difference between them easier to follow. Some rotate slowly; the balance has a much quicker, repeated movement.

The time dial is more conventional. Roman numerals surround fine engine-turned engraving, a pattern cut into the metal using a guided tool. Blue hands with open circles near their tips stand out against it. The small dial is complete in itself, but it occupies only a fraction of the watch.

A power-reserve indicator near the upper left shows how much running time remains. There is another indication on the back. Caliber 507 DR1 has a stated reserve of fifty hours and needs winding at the crown; there is no automatic rotor to cover part of the view.

The white-gold case, pale dial and gray movement supports keep most of the watch close in color. Gold-colored wheels, blue screws and the moving balance interrupt that pale structure. The decoration is detailed, but much of what draws attention is simply the mechanism at work.