Breguet is enjoying some well-deserved time in the sun, thanks to a bold new watch and a brand new CEO.

First of all, the CEO. Gregory Kissling is set to take up the top job at Breguet in October, and fans of the prestige brand should be very excited. Kissling is a Swatch group veteran, having spent the last 20-odd years in Omega’s product department, most recently as VP of Product. And while, of course, Kissling can’t take all the credit, Omega’s product offering over the last two decades has become increasingly elevated, technical and generally impressive, helping the brand consolidate its top-tier status. Breguet is a different beast entirely. Commercially, it’s a much smaller player, making less than 50,000 watches a year, but nonetheless, it’s a brand with exceptional potential. Not only in its centuries of heritage but also in its assets (the brand’s collection of rose engines alone is the envy of many ateliers). Nicholas Hayek Senior famously regarded it as the crown jewel of the Swatch group, but in recent years, it’s been something of a sleeping giant. Kissling could well be the man to show us just what Breguet is capable of.

As for future direction, it’s not too hard to guess. The brand is renowned for its classical, dressy watches but has recently been making strong moves into sportier territory with its Marine line and, more recently, its aviation collection. The Breguet Type XX Chronograph 2067 is the latest offering in this latter line, an extension of the Type XX Chronograph initially launched in 2023, a modern interpretation of the brand’s historic military watches. This latest version offers something for the civilian side of the street: an assertive, modern pilot’s chronograph with plenty of sophisticated touches.

While it’s counter-intuitive to think about military watches in precious metals, there are three gold-cased versions of the original Type XX model, dating back to 1955, with one example in the Breguet museum. What is completely new, however, is the ceramic bezel insert, and graduated for hours and is bi-directional, making it easy for the wearer to track a second timezone (a handy feature in a pilot’s watch); the rich blue hue is also the perfect match for the sunburst blue dial, which has plenty of texture thanks to the snailed registers and applied gold markers (filled with lume, natch). As for the dial design, it’s the same layout we’re familiar with from the previous Type XX, with a plus-sized running seconds register on the right and a date between four and five. There’s a lot going on with the overall design, an impression only amplified by the glossy ceramic bezel and gold case, but there’s absolutely no denying the overall quality of the watch.

Certainly, the movement is worth attention. It’s the same Calibre 728 released in 2023, a smartly designed flyback chronograph beating at 5 Hz with pleasing finishes. The blackened gold rotor is inspired by the wings of a plane, and open, to allow a better view of the quality finishes of the caliber, a mix of chamfered edges, polished surfaces and plenty of circular graining. Finally, Breguet opted for a column-wheel style chronograph for maximum accuracy and a cross-through bridge design for improved shock resistance.

The Breguet Type XX Chronograph 2067 is an appealing evolution of the brand’s dual military/civilian product philosophy. With the gold and blue, it’s certainly giving a much less martial aesthetic while still being a solid contender in the high-end chrono market.

Tech Specs: Breguet Type XX Chronograph 2067

Movement: Automatic-winding Calibre 727; 60-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; small seconds; flyback chronograph; date; 15-minute and 12-hour counters
Case: 42mm × 14.1mm; rose gold; 100m water resistance
Dial: Sunburst blue
Strap: Two interchangeable straps: one in alligator leather, the other in NATO fabric; each has its own 18K gold pin buckle