Andrew McUtchen Tours Breguet Manufacture After Criticizing Brand
Following a public critique of Breguet's perceived stagnation, journalist Andrew McUtchen was invited to tour the brand's manufacture. The visit aimed to address his previous criticisms regarding production volume, hand-finishing, use of historical machinery, and communication.
McUtchen previously suggested a 50% reduction in production, increased hand finishing, utilization of historical machines, and improved communication for Breguet.
The manufacture tour revealed over 30 manual rose engines, the oldest dating to 1928, used in production.
McUtchen found the engine-turning process on a rose engine to be surprisingly intuitive, likening it to musical or photographic instincts.
Craftsmen perform hand-finishing on components like mainplates, achieving a black polish visible under a microscope, a process applied to every watch.
Breguet CEO Gregory Kissling acknowledged a communication gap and discussed efforts to better convey the manufacture's story, including recent anniversary tours.
The article mentions specific Breguet models such as the 7725 with a magnetic pivot achieving ±1 second per day precision, and the Tradition line.