1990s Breguet Classique Day Date Moonphase

Back in the fall of 2022, I became enamored with Breguet and set my eyes on acquiring one of their neo-vintage dress pieces. Not knowing where to begin, I reached out to @homieliu who advised me to look into the references 3130, 3330, and 3040. After a quick search on each, I liked what I saw, especially the 3330, but the prices were above what I could pay, so I resigned to keep an eye out for their more affordable time-only references.

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Fast forward to 2023 and I was able to source a yellow gold 5907 that I instantly fell in love with. My experience with the 5907 cemented my admiration for Breguet’s intricacy and craftsmanship, and it was a staple in my collection for much of that year. However, my mind began entertaining the idea of a more complicated watch, and soon I was back researching the 3130 and 3330.

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Before you know it, a yellow gold 3330 popped up on the Instagram feed of the ever influential @meticulist. While I buy for myself more sporadically these days, things tend to snowball once I lock onto a reference. Seeing that 3330 was the tipping point for me. Unfortunately, it sold before I could make a move so I was forced to look elsewhere. My search then led me to this white gold 3330 from Collectors Corner NY, and the rest, as they say, is history.

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Students of Breguet will know that the 3330 is essentially a replica of a pocket watch that was created by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1829. Daniel Roth re-introduced that design, among others, as a wristwatch during his storied career at Breguet. The symmetry of the dial, the combination of different finishes, and the thin 35.8mm case are just sublime. I’m not sure there’s a more beautiful day date moonphase in existence, and I’m absolutely thrilled to add this grail to my collection!