TYPE XX

Breguet’s Iconic Type XX Timepiece is Reimagined

Enjoying iconic status for nearly 70 years, accompanying the history of aviation - whether on pilots’ wrists as a precision instrument or on those of ordinary amateur enthusiasts fascinated by its legendary qualities.

The new Type XX brings a new momentum, a new generation and an all-new calibre. Four years of preparation preceded the arrival of this new generation of watches, this time, issued in two versions to meet all expectations: one military-inspired and the other drawing on the finest civilian models.

Taking cues from the emblematic first-generation models, Breguet has instilled a contemporary, dynamic and technological spirit into these watches.

For pilots, and more generally for air- crew members, keeping track of time on board an aircraft is a vital necessity. Operations such as measuring flight time or intermediate flight times, monitoring fuel consumption, taking bearings and carrying out manoeuvres all required instruments that watchmakers would render both more accurate and convenient to handle over the years: on-board chronographs and soon thereafter chronograph wristwatches.

A study of the company archives reveals that numerous “special” products - i.e. suited to the particular constraints of the aeronautical environment - were introduced from the 1930s onwards. 19-line aerodrome chronometers in an antimagnetic silver case, split-second chronographs, small 24-line on-board chronometers with a heat-insulated case, a thermostat and lighting, siderometers. All these highly technical timepieces were delivered both to military aviation and to the recently created French national airline, Air France.

In the 1930s, the company was already producing more and more wristwatches with a chronograph function and the postwar period confirmed the trend. The fashion for wrist worn chronographs was launched and has continued unabated ever since.

For pilots, time is so precious when aboard aircraft that it is necessary, for safety reasons, to establish a principle of redundancy. At the time, that meant backing up the chronograph on the instrument panel with another chronograph - and not just any model - strapped to the pilot’s wrist. If one became unusable, the other would take over. This was the whole point of the watchmaking instruments in which Breguet was to become a specialist, notably with the legendary Type XX.

The second-generation Type XX arrived in 1971 and is recognisable by its enlarged polished steel case, thick lugs and black bezel. Available with or without a 12-hour totalizer, it continued to feature a 15-minute counter. Nearly 800 of these timepieces were sold, most of them to civilians; while on the military side, only 50 pieces were delivered to the Royal Moroccan Air Force. Orders were also placed by Aérospatiale (later Airbus Industries) and purchased by the Presidency of the French Republic as official gifts. The last ones were sold in 1986, spelling the (provisional) end of more than 30 years of a rich history. breguet.com

After a barely ten-year absence, Type XX enjoyed a revival in 1995 with the appearance of the third generation in the form of Reference 3800 “Aéronavale” (without date) and subsequently Reference 3820 “Transatlantique” (with date). The new Type XX picks up the traditional aviation characteristics: black dial, rotating bezel, “flyback” function, now backed by the convenience of a self-winding movement. Aesthetically, it features a fluted caseband, a somewhat anachronistic legacy of the “historical Breguet” style.

The new Type 20 Chronographe 2057 is inspired by the 1100 delivered to the French Air Force between 1955 and 1959, whose name appeared as Type 20 in Arabic numerals. Its black dial has been modernised while remaining faithful to the Type 20 identity. The Arabic numerals and the triangle on 13 the bezel are luminescent and feature a mint green shade, as do all the hands. The 30-minute totalizer located at 3 o’clock is now larger than the 60-second totalizer displayed at 9 o’clock, and a date window has been added between 4 and 5 o’clock.

The second timepiece, Type 20 Chronographe 2067 is a direct descendant of the finest civilian Type XX from the 1950s and 1960s, notably a model made in 1957 and bearing the individual number 2988. While its dial is black as the 2057, it differs in several respects. First of all, its display: the 15-minute totalizer is located at 3 o’clock, the 12- hour totalizer at 6 o’clock and running seconds at 9 o’clock. Just as in the military-inspired version, the totalizer is sized differently to make the dial both more dynamic and more legible.

These two eagerly awaited new additions to the current collection are delivered in a havana-coloured leather presentation box reminiscent of an aircraft wing. Enabling owners to vary the look according to their personal wishes, the new chronograph is fitted with a calfskin strap along with an additional black NATO strap contained in its case. The rapid interchange 15 system (RIS) of the bracelets has been designed to enable the easy, independent and tool-free removal of the leather strap.

The 42 mm steel case is fitted with a fluted bidirectional graduated bezel. Its classic straight crown enables setting in three positions: 1) neutral, 2) date correction, 3) time setting. The 2 o’clock pusher starts and stops the chronograph functions, while the one at 4 o’clock resets and restarts the chronograph immediately, based on the famous “flyback” principle.