Why This 251-Year-Old Watchmaker Is Suddenly Hotter Than Ever in 2026

Welcome to GQ’s 201-level Watch Glossary, breaking down the brands, advanced terms, and specific references that are essential knowledge for every serious collector.Founded in the late 18th century by perhaps the world’s most famous watchmaker, Abraham Louis-Breguet, the eponymous brand was once the horologer to royalty. (He famously made a watch for Marie Antoinette that she unfortunately, ahem, never got the chance to wear.) Breguet is responsible for the tourbillon, an early self-winding mechanism, his famous namesake numerals that nearly every brand in Switzerland uses now, and much more. But despite its massive contributions to horology, the brand's pieces haven't caused frenzies among collectors like those from Rolex, Patek Philippe, or even Cartier. However, like Dune’s Bene Gesserit, the watchmaker’s plans are apparently measured in centuries. Recent signals point to the idea that Breguet may be entering a new golden era as collectors come around to its exquisitely made timepieces.Follow the money, and you’ll quickly find evidence of Breguet’s glow-up. Late last month, at Monaco Legends Group’s fall watch auction, a 1970s-era piece previously owned by a 50-year veteran Breguet watchmaker sold for €221,000. That was nearly of the beginning of the brand's impressive run of auction that makes us wonder, What’s going on with Breguet these days?From one master watchmaker to the nextAbraham Louis-Breguet isn’t the only hallowed watchmaker to steer the brand. Legendary names like George Daniels, F.P. Journe, and Michel Parmigiani have contributed to the brand’s legacy. At auction, many collectors are keying in on a period of Breguet led by Daniel Roth from the mid-’70s to 1987. After he left Breguet, Roth went on to found his own successful brand that now sells for six figures at auction. The combination of these two powers is proving irresistible to today’s collectors.Ref. 3050AThe Ref. 3050A was a signature piece of Roth’s reign at Breguet and epitomizes the designer’s contributions to the brand. Roth introduced the first modern piece from the manufacturer with a perpetual calendar. The piece’s guilloché dial is also a signature of the Roth era. The watch sold for €85,800 at the end of October.Classique Perpetual Calendar ref. 3057The 3057 was the successor to Roth’s first watch at Breguet, the 3050. The big change is the transparent caseback. This lovely semi-skeletonized perpetual calendar hammered for some 200% above its estimate—not a huge surprise considering Breguet made only a couple of these a year when they were in production. Notably, thanks to the addition of that exhibition caseback, we can see the pretty, highly decorated automatic movement.Classique Complications ref. 3355PT00PA0It’s platinum. It’s skeletonized. It’s got a tourbillon. It’s got a matching bracelet. It’s accompanied by all its factory goodies. What else could one ask for in a pre-owned Breguet? Still, a $387,000 hammer price is a remarkable outcome.Classique Grandes Complications ref. 5447This oversized perpetual-calendar minute repeater, likewise executed in platinum, commanded almost $271,000 at Phillips this weekend—proof positive of the appeal of classical Breguet looks mixed with modern movement technology and finishing.Classique Tourbillon ref. 3357An evolution of the Daniel Roth-era ref. 3350, this gorgeous tourbillon wristwatch features one of the hallmarks of Breguet’s signature style: a beautifully guilloché dial combined with blued steel hands and a Roman-numeral minute track.The defining watches of modern BreguetType XXBreguet took a significant left turn in the 1950s when it began producing the Type XX flyback chronograph for French military aviators. It still serves as an important pillar in the brand’s lineup today.Classique Tourbillon ref. 3350Introduced in the late 1980s, the ref. 3350 is Breguet’s first wrist-worn tourbillon—a significant milestone for the brand that invented the complication. Emblematic of the Daniel Roth era of Breguet production, it has since become a neo-vintage classic.Classique SouscriptionReleased in 2025 in celebration of the firm’s 250th birthday, the Classique Souscription uses a single hand to tell the time against a Grand Feu enamel dial mirroring vintage Breguet pocket watches. Just this week, the maison followed it up with the platinum version seen above.ExpérimentaleThe Expérimentale 1 is the first step in a new collection of envelope-pushing, ultra-complicated watches. Fitted with advanced materials, the “1” features watchmaking’s very first high-frequency tourbillon, which beats at an astounding 10 Hz. This is a great way forward for modern Breguet—a model that embraces the brand’s tradition as the industry's most inventive watchmaker.Now a quarter-millennium old, Breguet has one of the most extensive histories of any watchmaker still in operation, with records reaching back generations. Its finishing is exceptional; its complications are rooted in some of the earliest experiments by one of the world’s most famous horologists; and its designs are superb. As prices continue to skyrocket for watches at auction, especially for hotshot newcomers, it’s exciting to see one of the most storied brands in history catch fire, too.