3310, Classique Perpetual Calendar, German Dial, Yellow Gold

The ref. 3310 is Breguet’s second, updated Classique Perpetual Calendar from the era of Daniel Roth. It arrived in 1986 and ran through the 1990s (with examples still delivered into the early 2000s), succeeding the earlier ref. 3050 that helped signal Breguet’s mechanical seriousness. The design is pure Roth-era Breguet, made more confident by prior successes. This a QP that perfectly balances traditional Breguet influence with Roth’s contemporary hand. It is a masterclass in guilloché, augmented by a thin coin-edge case and, in this example, German dial.

Crucially, the 3310 was designed during Daniel Roth’s tenure at Breguet. Roth, often remembered today for shaping contemporary independent watchmaking, was also instrumental in dragging Breguet out of dormancy in the 1970s and 80s. While his more famous contributions include the revival of Breguet’s traditional guilloché and complicated wristwatches in Tourbillons, the 3310 is part of that same narrative: a designer attempting to reconcile Abraham-Louis’s heritage with the demands of modernity. 

As Breguet passed under the stewardship of Investcorp in 1987 then (and later in 1999 Swatch Group), watches like the 3310 began to assume new significance. They were evidence that Breguet had not merely survived the quartz crisis, but had found ways to adapt thanks to Roth. As the maison pivoted back toward luxury positioning, anchored in guilloché dials, tourbillons, coin-edge cases, and finely finished calibres in their own finishing style, the 3310 found its audience. 

The design of the 3310 dial is quite unlike most QPs. The dial is artfully arranged into six sections for the day, date, month, leap year, moonphase, and power reserve. Each has its own distinct section of one of five different guilloche styles, which gives an impression like nothing else. This is set against a brushed chapter ring with two dimpled edges. The 36mm case is pure classicism: coin-edge fluted with soldered lugs that extend to screw bars, it could’ve been made 50 years prior. 

All of this depends on the calibre 502, which is an ultra-thin Frédéric Piguet 71 ébauche. It features an off-center rotor, 45-hour reserve, and wonderfully slim proportions as the calibre itself is just 2.4mm thin. Breguet modified it extensively to achieve the layout here. The calibre lives on even until today in the Classique Quantième Perpétuel 7327. Though hidden, it is still meticulously finished.

The 3310 is a snapshot of Roth-era Breguet during its upswing, industrializing and moving from a small team toward Swatch Group. Breguet’s director at the time, Francois Bodet, was quoted as saying that only 2 or 3 ref. 3050 perpetual calendars left the maison’s doors each year, as they required about thirty distinct watchmaking professions to create a single watch. By the time the 3310 came around, that’s estimated to be 5-10. Even so, they were never made in the volume of a 3940 or similar. They were and are niche, highly skilled watchmaking for a small, dedicated audience of Breguet collectors.  

This 3310 presents excellent case condition with deep hallmarks and engravings. Its case sports light signs of occasional wear, including hairlines and small wear on its bezel. The dial shows light signs of patina with no damage. It is running well in specification on our timing equipment. It comes with its original deployant clasp on its original black leather strap.

This example is modelled on an average-sized 7-inch wrist.