A few weeks ago we visited Geneva Watch Days, and Breguet was one of the brands exhibiting that week. In their beautiful boutique on the famous Rue du Rhône, Breguet was showing not only their new Type XX on a steel bracelet, but also (under strict embargo) this new gold Type XX Chronograph 2067. And now one has arrived at Fratello HQ, and we’re here to review it.
4th Generation Type XX Rose Gold
A little over a year ago, Breguet unveiled its new Type XX and Type 20 models at an event in Paris. In conjunction with a visit to the French National Museum of Air and Space at Bourget airport, we got to see Breguet’s new direction for this iconic chronograph. This is the fourth generation of the Breguet Type XX and Type 20, with the third release being the Type XX Chronograph 2067 in 18K rose gold.
For those of you who don’t know what a Type XX is, here’s a brief overview of this pilot’s watch: 70 years ago, the French Air Force needed chronograph wristwatches for their pilots. The watches were key equipment for calculating remaining fuel, flight time, and for performing certain maneuvers. These intense air operations required an accurate watch with a chronograph complication.
Military and Civilian Versions of Breguet’s Pilot’s Watches
The French Air Force set out its requirements for such a watch, which they named “Type 20.” The specifications included a black dial with luminous numerals and hands, a rotating bezel, and a flyback function. Additionally, the watch had to withstand the changes in acceleration of an airplane and, of course, handle air pressure differences.
Watch brands that had contracts to produce pilot’s watches for the military were also allowed to produce them for the consumer market: in Breguet’s case, these watches were given the designation “Type XX”, with the Air Force model retaining the Arabic numeral “20”.
Breguet Type XX Chronograph 2067 on the Wrist
Today we are introducing the new Breguet Type XX Chronograph 2067 in 18K rose gold, an ultra-exclusive version of a watch that was once a tool watch for French Air Force pilots.
This is not the first time Breguet has released a gold Type XX; previous generations of this series have also had gold editions. In fact, the gold Type XX ref. 1780 was introduced in 1955. Breguet only produced a total of three gold Type 20/Type XXs at the time, and the ref. 1780 is currently housed at the Breguet Museum in Paris.
Breguet Type XX ref. 1780 1955 — Image: Breguet
A new watch inspired by the vintage Type XX ref. 1780
If you look closely at the images of the Type XX ref. 1780, you’ll notice that the bezel has blue enamel-filled numerals. Blue is also present in this new Breguet Type XX Chronograph 2067. The 18K rose gold bezel features a blue ceramic inlay with gold numerals. This is the first time Breguet has used a ceramic bezel insert, which means future models may feature different colors.
The sunburst dial and three concentrically engraved registers are also blue, while the Breguet logo, hour markers and hands are rose gold. I think the combination of rose gold and blue is very chic. The watch comes on a blue alligator leather strap, as well as a blue NATO strap with white edges. Each strap has an 18K rose gold pin buckle.
I wear watches with leather and NATO straps, the latter of which is very comfortable on the wrist. Since it’s new, the leather strap is still a bit stiff, but I’m sure it will break in. The NATO strap molds to the shape of your wrist from the moment you put it on, and with the 18K gold hardware, it matches this Type XX very well in precious metals.
The NATO strap is very high quality, as you would expect from a luxury watch brand, and while I don’t recall ever trying a NATO strap with gold hardware before, it looks good and adds a premium feel to an accessory that is “intentionally” designed.
No tools required
Breguet has an interchangeable strap system that allows you to easily change the strap without tools. In this case, the pin is located between the lugs. NATO straps can be added and removed without any “tricks” and leather straps simply click onto the pin via the pushers under the lugs. With this system, the pin will not scratch the inside of the (gold) lugs.
The Breguet Type XX is a large watch, 42mm wide and 14.1mm thick, but it fits very comfortably on my 18.5cm wrist. The gold bezel is a bit wider than the case, which makes it look a bit larger than the official specs, but as I said before, it fits perfectly on my wrist.
High-beat movement
Inside the gold Type XX is Breguet’s Caliber 728, a high-beat automatic movement with a frequency of 36,000vph (or 5Hz). This caliber is the same one that powers the 2023 steel Type XX.
Years of development
Development of this movement began in 2019. This caliber has a column wheel and is anti-magnetic thanks to several silicon components (hairspring, escape wheel and pallet lever angle).
Movement decoration
As you can see, the movement is perfectly finished and decorated with a sunburst motif, snailed, beveled and circular graining. The rotor, or oscillating weight, is made of gold and painted black. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the rotor is shaped like an aircraft wing.
This is not a reproduction of the Type XX ref. 1780
In the mid-1990s, Breguet produced reissues of the Type XX in precious metals, and after introducing an improved Type XX in steel last year, a new heavyweight champion has been born. Breguet has done a great job of producing an even more luxurious version of the iconic chronograph that was once used by the French Air Force. This time, the brand has chosen design elements from the original Ref. 1780 from 1955 even more carefully than the 1990s model. This watch is not a reissue, nor is it intended to be one.
A new direction for Breguet?
Last year’s announcement marked the beginning of a new generation of Type XX and Type 20 models, which will come in a variety of sizes and materials. As a Breguet fan, I’m excited to see what new releases the brand has in store. Gregory Kisling will take over as the brand’s new CEO on October 1st. Considering he’s worked at Omega since 2004 and previously worked at Cartier’s Collection Privé, this should be exciting news.
lastly
This new rose gold Breguet Type XX Chronograph 2067 is a delight on the wrist, and I can only imagine how this watch would sit on a sun-tanned wrist on the Cote d’Azur or in Orange County, but to be honest, the watch also performed well in a rainy Hague, Netherlands, during the week that we “owned” it.
This is a watch for those who appreciate Breguet craftsmanship and also enjoy pure luxury on the wrist, and I hope that in the future Breguet will add more variations to this collection, such as smaller diameter models and yellow gold (a material that Breguet stopped using some time ago).
This gold Breguet Type XX Chronograph 2067 is priced at 35,000 CHF (including VAT), all specifications are listed at the bottom of this article and you can get more information straight away on the Breguet website.
Let us know what you think of this new Breguet Type XX in the comments section below.
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