Home » Baselworld - World Watch and Jewellery Show » New Breguet Classique La Musicale 7800 Plays Bach’s Badinerie
The watchmaking brand named after one of the greatest horologic innovators of all time, Abraham-Louis Breguet, has previewed its latest version of La Musicale 7800 timekeeper from the Classique lineage. It is supplied with a refine movement automatic Calibre 0900 that features a few innovations which are used to enhance the quality of the sound while preserving the water resistance of the piece. The main feature that gave the name to Breguet Classique La Musicale 7800 is its musical complication coupled with a dial rotation which can be used not as an alarm indication, but also can be activated by a push of the button. For the latest version of the piece, the selected tune is Badinerie by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Enhanced with the technology used commonly in high-end musical boxes, La Musicale 7800 runs on proprietary Calibre 0900 with the patented musical mechanism. Thanks to the trait, it is able to reproduce Badinerie, the final movement of the orchestral suite No.2 in B minor, the classical piece composed by J.S. Bach. Instead of the commonly used cylinder, the patented mechanism utilizes disc with pins which alternately act on the 15 teeth on its comb-shaped keyboard. Another astonishing innovation is a Liquimetal membrane which enhances the quality of the sound by amplifying the frequencies. The presence of the membrane allows the watch to have its gold case-back with a number of openings set around its edge. This creates a Helmholtz resonance phenomenon for improved listening experience without jeopardizing the water resistance of the watch – Breguet Classique La Musicale 7800 is water proof to 30 meters despite the presence of said cavities.
To ensure an immaculate tempo of the tune, the caliber uses the first magnetic strike governor ever used in horology. Thanks to this device which includes magnets which are isolated in a cage and separated from the rest of the movement, La Musicale 7800 produces the crystal clear sound without background noise. Furthermore, this also reduces the harmful tension and wear which is common when the usual strike-governors are used.
As it has been mentioned, the melody can be activated at the preselected time or by pressing of the button set at the ten o’clock position. Once the tune (which lasts between 20 and 25 seconds) start playing, the dial of the timekeepers simultaneously begins to rotate. As the dial with the recognizable blued Breguet styled hands for hours and minutes and the violin key shaped seconds hand turns, the refine diamond polished finishes on it creates an eye-catching play of lights to compliment the beautiful tune. While the musical mechanism is activated, the indicator placed between the nine and the ten o’clock positions is triggered. Moreover, the watch likewise has a special blocking system which enables that there is always enough power to play the musical piece.
Calbre 0900 is furthermore supplied with a silicon escapement with the Swiss straight line lever and a flat silicone balance spring. It incorporates 55 jewels and functions at the frequency of 28,800 vph, while the extended supported power reserve (at least it can be classified as a prolonged reserve since it is a self-winding movement) measures to 55 hours. The intricate beating heart of the timepiece is placed inside a round housing made from 18 K red gold, and beautified with the engraving of the musical score it plays on its side. The diameter of the timekeeper with the designation 7800BR/AA/9YV 02 is 48 mm, while its height is 16.3 mm.
The final touch of high class featured on the watch is the presentation box in which it is delivered. It is made of resonant wood gotten from the alpine spruce which grows in the Risoud forest near the watchmaker’s facilities in the Joux Valley. When placed in the box during the activation of the melody, the supported tune gets notably louder.
Breguet Classique La Musicale 7800 is the new version of the piece whose previous iteration was presented last year. Unlike the new timekeeper, this version was available in housings made from white and yellow gold, while the supported tune was composed by Rossini.
