Breguet’s iconic women’s watch, the Classique Dame, is back and this time it’s living life in colour. For the first time the storied Swiss brand has introduced a quick-change system to a selection of vibrant alligator leather straps that are as easy to slip on and off as a pair of shoes.

It’s hardly surprising that Breguet has tapped into the trend for personalisation that has been a feature of women’s watches recently. This is a brand that has been making watches women want since the 1800s. Abraham-Louis Breguet himself had numerous female patrons including Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France, Empress Joséphine, and, by far his greatest patron, Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples. Youngest sister of Napoleon, she purchased her first Breguet in 1805, at the age of 23, and proceeded to purchase a further 34 watches and clocks after that. Murat is most famous for commissioning an “oblong [read oval] repeater for bracelet”, effectively leading Breguet to create the first wristwatch. It is this play of tradition and progress that continues to be at the heart of Breguet’s designs for women.

The past and future come together in the Classique Dame; the petite princess of the Classique line with its dainty 30mm case. The mother-of-pearl dial is awash with Breguet’s signatures. There are the blued “moon tip” hands, the italicised numerals, and finally an emphasis on guilloché. This one diminutive dial contains three different types – Clous de Paris in the centre, a ring of satine circulaire on which the numerals sit, flanked by the two lines of sauté piqué – a delicate form of guilloché that takes its name from a piece of ballet choreography where the dancers form a linked circle and dance en pointe. All this is done with a traditional rose-engine lathe, which, given that mother of pearl is notoriously brittle, is a tremendously tricky skill to master. It’s not just the dial for which Breguet has brought out the rose-engine lathe. Turn the watch over and its marks are all over the beautifully finished calibre 537/3 from the circular barleycorn pattern on the platinum oscillating weight to the lines of Côtes de Geneve on the bridges. This may look like a traditional dial and movement, but it has a very 21^st-century heart – a silicon balance spring, which is resistant to corrosion and anti-magnetic, so the 3.5Hz frequency won’t be disrupted if it’s left near a powder compact for too long.

However, it’s the new strap system that really brings this classic design into the modern age. Pusher activated, it enables the wearer to switch between colour pops of leather in seconds. The diamond-set case comes in 18-ct white or rose gold and the two extra straps have been chosen to complement these. For white gold there is an electrifying teal or a decadent Byzantium purple, while rose gold has the option of a rather eye-catching peacock or a tasty raspberry pink. Yes, there is always the option of a sophisticated black satin for a more minimalist look, but surely, it’s more fun to live life in colour?

breguet.com