The story that always comes back to Breguet Reference 7235BH/0H/9V6 is that the moon at 2 o'clock isn't new. Breguet painted that exact moon disc by hand more than two centuries ago, on a pocket watch they sold in 1794 and called No. 5. When the maison turned 250 last year and started releasing anniversary pieces, Maison pulled out that old watch, looked at the layout, and decided yes, this still works.
Build it again. The result is the Classique Phase de Lune 7235BH/0H/9V6, a 39 mm dress watch in warm Breguet gold, sitting at the more romantic end of the line. It continues a conversation that started 231 years ago.
It is the slimmest watch in the collection. Production is capped at 250 pieces worldwide, That alone tells you who this watch is for. The collector who already understands what an Abraham-Louis Breguet design code looks like and wants a contemporary expression of it on the wrist.
As you go further into this blog, you will find a closer look at the design, the calibre inside, the historical thread running through the dial, and how the watch sits among the other anniversary releases.
So, let’s get started.
A Closer Look at the Design and Overall Aesthetics of the Breguet Classique 7235
The 7235 is built on classical proportions and a layout that has been part of the Breguet language for more than two centuries. The hands sit at the center, the small seconds and power reserve sit on the lower half of the dial, the moon phase sits up high, and nothing fights for attention. Each element has its own quiet space.
Case Material and Structure: The case is crafted from 18K Breguet Gold, the maison's proprietary alloy developed for its 250th anniversary. The composition is 75 percent gold blended with silver, copper, and palladium to recreate the warm, slightly pink tone of the gold used by watchmakers in the late eighteenth century. It sits somewhere between rose and yellow gold, closer to the color of an antique pocket watch than anything you’d see in the current display window.
Case Dimensions and Proportions: Measuring 39 mm in diameter and only 9.9 mm thick, the 7235 sits comfortably under a cuff. Lug width is 20 mm. The case is a three-part construction with fully integrated lugs that curve gently from the middle of the case, giving the watch a softer wrist presence than older Classique references, where the lugs felt more bolted-on.
Sapphire Caseback: On the back, you can see the calibre is fully on display through a sapphire crystal caseback. The bridges are hand-engraved with the Turgot map of Paris, a detailed eighteenth-century survey of the city that included every street, building, and tree around the Île de la Cité. That is the area where Abraham-Louis Breguet’s original workshop stood, and the same geographic inspiration sits behind the Quai de l’Horloge motif on the dial. The two surfaces are connected by a single idea.
Lugs, Crown, and Water Resistance: The lugs are welded directly to the case, the crown is non-screwed, and water resistance is rated at 3 BAR (30 meters). This is not a watch for swimming, and Breguet does not pretend otherwise. It is a dress piece, built for a different kind of life.
Dial and Signature Breguet Hands: The dial is solid 18K Breguet gold, hand-guilloché in the Quai de l’Horloge pattern. The motif is inspired by the curves of the Seine as it flows around the Île de la Cité, with the contour lines following the Turgot map almost exactly. The hour and minute hands are blued steel, executed in the classic pomme (apple) style with hollowed-out tips that have been a Breguet signature since the 1780s. Roman numerals sit along the chapter ring, accompanied by a small Arabic minute track at the outer edge.
Moon Phase Display: Sitting at the 2 o’clock position is a recreation of the original moon disc from the No. 5 pocket watch of 1794. The disc is solid gold, painted by hand, and ties this watch back to one of the earliest moon phase mechanisms Breguet ever fitted into a portable timepiece.
Strap and Buckle: The strap is large-scale navy blue alligator leather with small-scaled alligator on the inside lining, finished with tone-on-tone stitching. The pin buckle is 18K Breguet gold to match the case. Navy blue against warm gold is a pairing that has aged well across every Breguet anniversary release this year.
Mechanics Behind the Watch ⬇️
The 7235 is powered by the in-house calibre 502.3.DRL, a refined evolution of Breguet’s long-serving 502 family.
Winding System: The movement is self-winding, driven by an off-centered 18K gold oscillating rotor. The off-center design allows the rotor to sit lower in the calibre, which is part of how Breguet keeps the case under 10 mm in total thickness.
Power Reserve: When fully wound, the watch will run for 45 hours. That is a working weekend if you take it off on Friday evening, which is the working envelope you want from a dress watch.
Frequency: The balance oscillates at 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz). That is the traditional, classical frequency for a refined dress watch. It is not the place to chase precision records, and Breguet does not. The 7225 handles that brief elsewhere in the collection.
Inside the Calibre ⬇️
The 502.3.DRL is the kind of movement that rewards attention. There is a lot happening in a small space, and every part has been finished to a level that you only see when you’re looking through the back of the watch.
Movement Dimensions: The calibre measures just 3.95 mm in thickness. That figure is what allows the 7235 to maintain a 9.9 mm overall case height while still housing a moon phase, a power reserve, and a small seconds. For a comparison point, most modern automatic dress watches with a moon phase sit closer to 11 or 12 mm.
Jewels and Components: The movement runs on 37 jewels and is built from roughly 250 individual components. The bridge layout is exposed through the sapphire caseback, with the Turgot map engraving cut directly into the surface of the bridges.
Silicon Balance Spring: Breguet uses a flat silicon balance spring in the 502.3.DRL. Silicon is non-magnetic, far more resistant to temperature swings than traditional steel, and holds its shape better over time. If you want a deeper read on why the material matters, the brand’s own work on balance spring development goes back to Abraham-Louis Breguet himself, who redesigned the hairspring in 1795 with the overcoil that still carries his name.
Inverted Silicon Lever Escapement: The escapement is also silicon-based and uses an inverted in-line lever architecture. This reduces friction at the contact points and means the watch needs less servicing intervention to stay accurate over the long term.
Off-Centered 18K Gold Rotor: The rotor is solid 18K gold, off-centered so it sits flush with the bridge architecture rather than covering the upper portion of the movement. The result is a clearer view of the calibre through the back, with the rotor acting almost as a frame around the engraved Turgot map rather than a barrier across it.
Other Celebrated Timepieces from Breguet’s 250th Anniversary Collection ⬇️
The 7235 is part of a wider anniversary line, with each reference taking on a different aspect of Breguet’s heritage. A few worth knowing about ⬇️
Breguet Classique Souscription 2025BH/28/9W6
The Souscription 2025 revives one of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s most clever commercial ideas. The original was sold by advance subscription, with customers paying upfront for watches that hadn’t been built yet. The modern wristwatch keeps the single-hand layout and the white grand feu enamel dial.
Breguet Classique Régulateur à Pivot Magnétique 7225BH/0H/9V6
The 7225BH/0H/9V6 is the technical companion to the 7235. Same Quai de l’Horloge guilloché, same Breguet gold, but where the 7235 takes the classical route, the 7225 carries Breguet’s new magnetic pivot system, running at 10 Hz with a certified accuracy of ±1 second per day.
Breguet Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035BH/H2/9V6
The Tradition line is where Breguet inverts the architecture and puts the movement on the dial side. The 7035BH/H2/9V6 is the first Tradition to wear a flinqué enamel dial in translucent Breguet blue, built on a Breguet gold case. Limited to 250 pieces.
Breguet Classique 7145BB/15/9WU06
The 7145BB/15/9WU06 is the Year of the Snake limited edition, with a hand-engraved gold dial finished in black galvanic treatment and hand-painted green lacquer. Only 8 pieces worldwide.
Breguet Classique 7185BH/15/9W6
The 7185BH/15/9W6 continues the zodiac theme into the Year of the Horse, with another short-run dial executed in Breguet’s signature decorative arts language.
Discover the Breguet Classique 7235 at Jewels By Love
At Jewels By Love, we’re proud to be an authorized retailer of Breguet timepieces. Our work with the maison stretches across six generations of family experience in haute horlogerie, and the team understands what makes each anniversary reference different from the next.
The 7235BH/0H/9V6 is a watch that needs context to be appreciated properly. The dial layout makes more sense once you know about the No. 5 pocket watch from 1794. The case engraving means more once you’ve traced the Turgot map back to the streets where Abraham-Louis Breguet actually worked. Our team can walk you through all of that and answer the technical questions that the spec sheet does not.
We also work with collectors interested in other 250th anniversary references, the wider Breguet Classique line, and pieces from Patek Philippe, Cartier, and Nomos..
Our boutique is in the duty-free shopping district at 69B Front Street, Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles. For availability, pricing, or to arrange a viewing of the Classique 7235, get in touch with the team at Jewels By Love.
