This Stunner Is Almost Certainly the Most Accurate Mechanical Watch You Can Buy

We all know that accuracy is of little consideration to most people shopping for mechanical watches. After all, the cheapest quartz watch will be more precise than almost every mechanical watch on the planet, and it’s been this way for over 50 years.

But even though precision is no longer the main draw for a mechanical watch like it was pre-Quartz Crisis, there’s still something special about a mechanical watch making new strides in the pursuit of accuracy. Even if their creation will never keep up with a cheap Casio, there’s a certain level of charm associated with classically trained watchmakers embarking on a quixotic quest for precision.

The latest such quest comes to us from Breguet, which has been putting the industry on notice all year as it celebrates its 250th anniversary with stellar release after stellar release. Its newest is the Classique 7225, which is almost certainly the most accurate mechanical watch on the market today.

Breguet

To be precise

For some context, let’s first go over what kind of accuracy is expected from a mechanical watch. For common, affordable movements from the likes of Seiko, Miyota and Sellita, accuracy tends to fall somewhere around ±15 to 40 seconds per day (spd).

COSC chronometer certification improves accuracy to -4 to +6 spd, METAS Master Chronometer certification calls for 0 to +5 spd, Rolex’s Superlative Chronometer standard achieves a rate of ±2 spd and the Omega Speedmaster Super Racing, with its Spirate system, slightly improves that to 0/+2 spd.

The record for the most accurate mechanical watch belongs to Zenith’s Defy Lab from 2017, with a stated accuracy of ± 0.5 spd. But that was just a prototype, not something a person could purchase and wear. Also, although they have mechanical elements, I’m not counting Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive movements, since those use quartz oscillators. So, as far as I know, the Speedmaster Super Racing is the most accurate mechanical watch a person can actually buy.

Or, at least it was.

Omega

The new Breguet Classique 7225 has a certified maximum deviation of only ± 1 spd, putting it in line with many entry-level quartz watches. But to get that kind of astounding accuracy out of a traditional balance wheel and Swiss lever escapement, Breguet had to get a little nontraditional.

The secret? Magnets.

Mutual attraction

Building upon technology the brand first patented back in 2010, the Calibre 74SC manual-wind movement powering the Classique 7225 uses Breguet’s exclusive magnetic pivot technology.

In every mechanical watch, the balance and escapement work in tandem to form the beating heart of the movement. Any problems in accuracy typically come from some external force — be it friction, gravity, shocks or magnetism — affecting these delicate components and throwing them off.

Breguet

Breguet effectively removes the influence of all of these forces through the use of its ingenious magnetic pivot. Rather than the staff that holds the balance wheel being mounted on lubricated jewels like on other mechanical watches, Breguet places a micro-magnet on each side of the balance, creating a magnetic flux through the staff that holds it in place.

Because the balance is essentially free-floating (it does lightly touch one side due to a deliberate flux imbalance that keeps it stable), it’s largely unaffected by friction and gravity in all six positions. Its magnetic pivot-created field automatically resets the balance’s position if it’s knocked off-kilter by a shock, meaning it’s basically self-regulating.

The lack of friction also allows the balance to oscillate at a whopping 10Hz, double the speed of a normal “high-beat” movement like the Zenith El Primero and improving its precision.

And what about the magnets? Shouldn’t they negatively affect the balance? Well, no, because Breguet has made the balance’s double hairspring and both the pallet lever and escape wheel of the escapement out of silicon, which is amagnetic.

Breguet

The movement is a looker, too, with plates and bridges coated in 18K Breguet Gold and engraved with a depiction of Breguet’s Swiss hometown. There’s also a phenakistiscope animation incorporated into the escape wheel that alternates between “1775” and “2025,” the year Breguet was founded and the current year — a first for Breguet.

The watch’s design is something special, too. Its 41mm case, made of 18K Breguet Gold, is sleeker and more modern than we’re used to seeing from the Classique collection. The dial, also made from 18K Breguet Gold and hand-guillochéd, has a design inspired by the Breguet No. 1176 pocket watch from the early 19th century.

Like that watch, it features two small seconds counters at 2:00 and 10:00. On the modern watch, the small seconds at 2 acts as the running seconds, while the one at 10 can be reset and restarted on-demand thanks by activating the pusher at 8:00. While not the most useful complication, this flyback functionality does allow the wearer to have some fun spontaneously timing various events, and it was inspired by a similar chronograph predecessor launched by Breguet in 1820.

Breguet

Pricing and availability

Surprisingly, the Breguet Classique 7725 is not a limited edition, though it is part of the brand’s ongoing (and spectacular) 250th Anniversary collection.

Unsurprisingly, it is expensive, but maybe not as bad as you’re thinking. Despite containing 56.8g of gold and possessing exclusive technology that makes it more accurate than probably any other mechanical watch, the Classique 7725 can be yours for the almost-reasonable price of $99,000.

Breguet

Breguet Classique 7725

Specs

Case Size	41mm
Movement	Breguet Cal. 74SC manual-wind flyback small seconds
Water Resistance	30m

• $99,000 at Breguet

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