Feature: Jaeger-LeCoultre Vs Breguet

When it comes to market-leading innovation, groundbreaking invention and out-and-out 'Oh my God I want one', Jaeger-LeCoultre and Breguet are among the best of the very best watchmakers in the world. These centuries-old timepiece tinkerers have contributed more to watchmaking than pretty much anyone else out there, moving technology forward in leaps and bounds, even today. The question that remains seems simple, but it'll take a whole lot of thinking to find the answer: which watchmaker is best? We take two contemporary masterpieces from each brand and pit them head to head to see which comes out on top.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Tourbillon 1658420

Abraham-Louis Breguet, inventor of the tourbillon, developed the pioneering technology to negate the effects of gravity on the balance wheel by continuously rotating the whole thing. The watchmaker has had a bit of practice since 1801, so it goes without saying that it's good at it, but what about Jaeger-LeCoultre? How does its offering stack up against the masters?

The headline figure is the price. Utilising stainless steel for the case instead of precious metals, Jaeger-LeCoultre has accomplished something of a luxury bargain—a tourbillon for around £40,000. This isn't any cut-price Friday special either, because the same fantastic workmanship that Jaeger-LeCoultre uses in its range-topping Gyrotourbillon is present here in spades. Neat touches abound, such as the date hand, which jumps across the aperture in the dial so as not to obscure the tourbillon. Also, this tourbillon isn't manual wind, it's automatic, making it a sensible day-to-day proposition. But doesn't the rotor weight obscure the tourbillon assembly when viewed through the sapphire case back? The answer is no, because Jaeger-LeCoultre has cleverly cut a viewing hole in it.

Did you know? The tourbillon—meaning ‘whirlwind'—is a complication that spreads the force of gravity evenly over the balance wheel. It was originally designed for use in pocket watches, which spend most of the time hanging in the vertical position. The benefit in a wristwatch, which is generally more mobile, is minimal.

Watch Spec | Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Tourbillon 1658420

Case: Stainless steel Dimensions: 41.5mm dia, 12.4mm thick Crystal: Anti-reflective coated synthetic sapphire Water Resistance: 50m Movement: Cal. 978, automatic Frequency: 28,800 vph Power reserve: 48 hours Functions: Time, date, second time zone, tourbillon

Breguet Tradition 7047PT/11/9ZU

With the age of the mechanical watch now passed, the necessity to develop impressive and useful complications is more an opportunity to demonstrate technical ability than anything else. In a way, that opens to floodgates for some truly revolutionary thinking, as Breguet's Tradition 7047 demonstrates. In reality, the fusee and chain—the mechanism used here to keep a constant application of torque applied to the balance wheel—is no new idea, but the incredibly compact design takes the concept to a whole new extreme.

With links that are less than a millimetre thick, the chain in the Tradition 7047 is clearly the centrepiece, and that's an impressive feat when there's a tourbillon with a silicon balance spring and titanium balance wheel on show as well. The watch even has a power reserve indicator cleverly integrated into the mainspring barrel, and although all this wizardry doesn't leave any room for an auto-winding module, it's surprisingly svelte. Then again, this is no daily wearer, it's an art piece; the traditionally hand-guilloched dial takes up barely a quarter of the case and simply features two blued hands.

Did you know? With fusee chain production at its peak in the 18th century, manufacturers turned to the orphanages to recruit their workers. Young girls, whose hands were small, were particularly suited to the job of producing the chains, some of which were slender enough to fit through the eye of a needle.

Watch Spec | Breguet Tradition 7047PT/11/9ZU

Case: Platinum Dimensions: 41mm dia, 15.95mm thick Crystal: Anti-reflective coated synthetic sapphire Water Resistance: 30m Movement: Cal. 569, manual Frequency: 18,000 vph Power reserve: 50 hours Functions: Time, tourbillon, power reserve indicator, fusee and chain

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Minute Repeater 164.64.20

Jaeger-LeCoultre's Master case is home to a different beast here, namely the calibre 947, a minute repeater movement. Pull the lever on the left hand side of the case to its stop, release, and you will be treated to a combination of chimes that reveal the hours, quarter-hours and minutes. The 'code' takes a little while to figure out, but it's no matter, because watching the twin hammers strike their gongs through the skeletonised dial is very compelling.

Despite the case sharing much of its styling with its cheaper siblings, the feeling of luxury is far from compromised. The understated simplicity lets the sublime detailing do the talking and doesn't crowd the artisanal showpiece bristling under the dial. With the movement laid out back to front, the rear is not as interesting to look at as the dial side, but the decoration of what is there is stunning nonetheless. It's easy for watch manufacturers to make a mess of high complications in the attempt to put them front and centre, but Jaeger-LeCoultre doesn't fall for that. This is sheer, discreet class that rewards a keen eye with unsurpassable craftsmanship.

Did you know? The minute repeater may seem like an unnecessary luxury today, but the complication did have its practical uses. As well as providing a means for visually impaired people to tell the time, it also served to aid time-curious users in an era before artificial lighting had become widespread.

Watch Spec | Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Minute Repeater 164.64.20

Case: 950 platinum Dimensions: 44mm dia, 15.8mm thick Crystal: Anti-reflective coated synthetic sapphire Water Resistance: 50m Movement: Cal. 947, manual Frequency: 21,600 vph Power reserve: 15 days Functions: Time, minute repeater, power reserve indicator, spring torque indicator

Breguet Classique 7800BA/11/9YV

At first, Breguet's 7800 simply looks to be a well-decorated three hander, but almost immediately questions are raised by the 48mm case size and the prolific use of musical notation in the decoration. The more astute will then also notice two little windows in the dial, not to mention the addition of a secondary crown and two pushers on the left hand side of the case. The explanation is simple, even if the execution is not: this a musical watch.

On the underside of the dial, pins are scattered in a seemingly disordered fashion, but one press of the top left pusher brings clarity. The intricately guilloched dial - a marvel in itself—begins to rotate, and the pins engage with a fifteen-toothed comb to play Rossini's 'The Thieving Magpie'. Being Breguet, there's some new tech in there too, including an array of magnets that manage wear and background noise from the mechanism, plus a Liquid metal membrane that amplifies the music.

This article started with a challenge, but it's clear that it's going to end in stalemate. It's a cop-out I know, but for every blow struck by one, the other parries, leaving neither with an advantage over the other. We're fortunate enough to live in a time where the collective centuries of these two old greats are beyond compare, and it would be borderline sacrilege to suggest that one was better than the other. Still, it was fun trying.

Did you know? As well as a Liquidmetal membrane, Breguet utilises a series of slots in the caseback to amplify the sound produced by the calibre 0900. Impressively, despite it having several large holes in its case, Breguet have managed to give the 7800 a water resistance of thirty metres.

Watch Spec | Breguet Classique 7800BA/11/9YV

Case: 18-carat gold Dimensions: 48mm, dia 16.3mm thick Crystal: Anti-reflective coated synthetic sapphire Water Resistance: 30m Movement: Cal. 0900, automatic Frequency: 28,800 vph Power reserve: 55 hours Functions: Time, musical alarm, power reserve indicator