Breguet Classique Tourbillon Messidor 5335BR Skeletonised Dial

Opening Context
Few complications are as inseparable from a watchmaker’s history as the tourbillon is from Breguet. Abraham-Louis Breguet patented the invention on 7 Messidor, Year IX of the French Republican calendar—26 June 1801—and the Classique Tourbillon Messidor takes its name directly from that date. Rather than treating the tourbillon simply as a technical feature, reference 5335 places it at the centre of an openworked watch conceived as a tribute to that history.
In the 5335BR, that architecture is housed in a 40 mm 18K rose gold case. A transparent sapphire dial and extensively skeletonised movement remove much of the visual separation between dial and calibre, leaving the mechanics themselves to define the character of the watch.

Why This Reference Matters
The Messidor is distinctive because Breguet approaches skeletonisation without abandoning the codes that make a Classique immediately recognisable. The off-centre hours and minutes retain traditional Breguet hands and a restrained chapter indication, while the tourbillon occupies the prominent position at 6 o’clock. Around them, the movement is opened to reveal bridges, wheels and structural components that would ordinarily remain concealed.
Inside is the manually wound Calibre 558 SQ2, comprising 201 components and offering approximately 50 hours of power reserve. Breguet specifies a 2.5 Hz frequency and extensive hand finishing throughout the skeletonised mechanism, including polishing and anglage.
The result is very different from a conventional tourbillon with an aperture cut into the dial. Here, the entire watch has effectively been designed around exposing the calibre.

On the Wrist
At 40 mm, the Messidor has enough diameter to give the movement room to breathe without becoming excessively large. More notable is its approximately 9.7 mm case thickness, which keeps the proportions unexpectedly elegant for a watch built around a tourbillon and such elaborate openworking.
Rose gold brings warmth to an otherwise highly technical composition, while the black leather strap provides a necessary visual anchor. Because so much of the dial is transparent, the watch changes considerably with its surroundings—the wrist, light and even the strap beneath it become part of what is seen through the movement.
It has unmistakable presence, but that presence comes from mechanical depth and detail rather than sheer size.

Condition & Transparency
This example is presented on a black leather strap with an 18K rose gold folding clasp. Specific information regarding case condition, polishing history, crystal and sapphire dial condition, movement condition, strap condition, box and papers, and previous servicing has not been provided. These details should therefore not be assumed. Given the complexity and finishing of the Calibre 558 SQ2, confirmed service history and proper tourbillon operation are particularly relevant when assessing an individual example.

Why It Belongs in a Collection
The Tourbillon Messidor 5335BR suits a collector interested not merely in owning a tourbillon, but in the historical and technical context behind the complication. Breguet’s connection to the mechanism is fundamental to the Maison’s story, and this reference makes that connection unusually explicit through both its name and its architecture.
Within a broader collection, it also offers a different expression of Breguet from the familiar guilloché-dial Classique models. The traditional case, precious metal and Breguet design language remain, but the experience is far more mechanical and exposed. It is a watch for someone who wants to see the craft rather than have it quietly hidden beneath the dial.

Closing
The Breguet Classique Tourbillon Messidor 5335BR brings one of the Maison’s defining inventions into unusually clear view. Its 40 mm rose gold case, transparent dial, openworked Calibre 558 SQ2 and tourbillon at 6 o’clock create a watch that is both technically expressive and deeply connected to Breguet’s own history. It is elaborate without losing the restraint that gives the Classique collection its identity.

Specifications

• Case Size: 40 mm
  
• Material: 18K Rose Gold
  
• Dial: Skeletonised Dial with Rose Gold Hour Markers, Off-Centre Hours and Minutes and Tourbillon at 6 O’Clock
  
• Strap: Black Leather Strap with 18K Rose Gold Folding Clasp
  
• Power Reserve: 50 Hours
  
• Movement: Manual-Winding (Calibre 558 SQ2)

Shipments are delivered under Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) terms, with duties and taxes payable by the recipient.