There is a lot going on with the Breguet Tradition Chronographe Indepéndant 7077. It is technically complex, for starters, which is quite clear given that most of its mechanics are exposed on the dial side. It has two independent geartrains: one, on the right side, is for the hours and minutes like any mechanical watch, ticking at 3Hz; the other, beating at 5Hz, is dedicated to the chronograph function. Separating the functions this way benefits the timekeeping precision of both mechanisms.
The most obvious power solution for this dual-geartrain setup is to also double-up on power sources, but the 7077 eschews this in favour of something more intriguing and elegant. It has but a single barrel; the chronograph is powered by a secondary spring that is charged when the reset function is activated. This dedicated chronograph power system, which is patented by Breguet, has two primary benefits: an instant start-up as the energy delivery peaks very quickly; and a consistent torque delivery that means smooth and uninterrupted operation. The downside is that it only lasts for 20 minutes, which makes the 7077 a high-performance sprinter—a specialist at measuring short time intervals in an extremely precise manner and at a higher resolution, thanks to the faster beat rate allowing 1/10th of a second measurements.
And then there are its looks. All matte, dark grey and architectural, the 7077 leans into its symmetry—the timing sub-dial is dead centre, hovering over the two geartrains, flanked by a power reserve indicator on the right that goes up to 55 hours, and a 20-minute counter on the left. In rare fashion, the symmetry continues on the back as well—visible through the display caseback, the manually wound calibre is remarkably symmetrical here, too, down to the position and shape of bridges, screws and jewels. Although the crown breaks the theme a little by being in the usual 3 o’clock position (putting it at 12 o’clock must have been considered at some point but seems to have been deemed a feat too far), the chronograph pushers at least are at four and eight.
The 7077 has been around for a while—since 2015, actually—but now benefits from an exceedingly simple but extremely effective change. They call it ‘Breguet Blue’ and—Abraham-Louis approved or not—it is a very handsome dark blue that was probably overdue. Found on the sub-dial, indicators and chapter ring, it introduces an element of contrast to the watch that was missing on past executions. It makes it easier to read and provides a visual anchor that enhances the appreciation of the rest of the watch.
This is not a casual timepiece, not at this complexity, capability or size—and the latter is quite considerable at 44mm in diameter and more than 14mm in thickness. But then again, watches as nakedly complicated as this one are better off on the larger—for the viewing, if nothing else.
