Twenty years after it first appeared on the wrist of collectors, Breguet’s Tradition collection returns in 2026 with a set of new models. Fresh dials, refined finishes, and a welcome rubber strap signal that one of horology’s most compelling collections is very much alive and, if anything, more relevant than ever. Launched in 2005, Tradition arrived and put everything on show. Over the following two decades, it became one of the most studied and admired lines in high watchmaking.

The new 2026 models, the Tradition 7037, 7038, 7067, and 7097, build on the original with a select number of refinements. Arabic numerals replace Roman ones on several dials, Grand Feu enamel makes a welcome appearance, and a rubber strap arrives on a Tradition for the very first time. Each change connects back to the vision of Abraham-Louis Breguet himself, a man who spent his entire career doing things slightly ahead of where the rest of the world was ready to go.

That tie between past and present is the real story here. He designed the now-famous Breguet Arabic numeral style in 1783, which was a radical choice at the time, and one that would be adopted by watchmakers across the industry for generations. Two and a half centuries later, the Manufacture is making precisely the same choice again, and it feels just as deliberate.

Inside the mechanics

The Tradition has always done something a little different. Instead of hiding the movement behind the case back, it brings it right to the front. By inverting the calibre so it faces the dial side, everything that is usually concealed such as the gears, bridges, the balance wheel, the barrel cover, is placed on display.

That idea of openness goes back to Abraham-Louis Breguet, who set out more than two centuries ago to create movements that were technically excellent but also beautiful to look at. The offset hours dial at 12 o’clock is a direct nod to his Tact watch, first conceived in 1795 and sold from 1799. That thinking still runs through every piece in the 2026 Tradition collection.

Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7037

The 7037 is the most immediate expression of that idea. A 38 mm white gold case frames a clean layout of hours, minutes and a retrograde seconds hand that sweeps and snaps back in a single motion. Inside, Calibre 505 SR delivers a 50-hour power reserve, built from 245 components with 38 jewels, and driven by a 950 platinum oscillating weight beating at 3 Hz. It is a movement built for reliability, but finished with care at every level.

What defines this model is the colour. For the first time in the Tradition line, the entire movement is finished in blue. The mainplate is shotblasted, the bridges satin-brushed, and the barrel cover hand-guilloché with a fine snailed pattern. Everything is worked by hand, and it shows.

Crafted in white Grand Feu enamel and set with Arabic numerals, it feels familiar in form but fresh in context. On the reverse, the platinum oscillating weight follows the half-moon shape originally designed by Abraham-Louis Breguet for early self-winding watches. It remains one of the most efficient ways to wind a movement and is still used today.

The watch is finished with a blue saddle-stitched rubber strap with light grey topstitching, alongside a white option for a lighter feel.

Tradition GMT 7067

The GMT 7067 takes the same visible architecture and adds a second layer of time. The hours dial features a Grand Feu enamel gradient that moves from pine green at the centre to deep black at the edge. It is a subtle shift, but technically demanding, requiring precise control at every stage of firing. Local time sits on the main dial, while home time is positioned at 8 o’clock. A day and night indicator at 10 o’clock completes the display, with adjustment handled by a crown that allows the second time zone to move in one-hour increments.

There is also a historical thread running through the design. The home time subdial can be ordered with either Arabic or Oriental numerals, a reference to watches made by Abraham-Louis Breguet for clients in the Ottoman Empire in the early 1800s. These so-called Ottoman watches were highly personalised, often featuring enamel dials and elaborate decoration.

The idea of tracking multiple times also runs through the brand’s history in a more practical sense. In 1815, Breguet was appointed Watchmaker to the French Royal Navy, tasked with creating timepieces that could maintain accuracy across different latitudes long before time zones were formally defined.

The 7067 is housed in a 40 mm platinum case and fitted with a black rubber strap with green stitching. It is powered by the manual-winding Calibre 507DRF, offering a 50-hour power reserve.

Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7038

The 7038 takes the same mechanical foundation and shifts the focus towards contrast and decoration. The 37 mm white gold case is set with 58 brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel, while the crown carries a single watch jewel. Inside, the movement is rendered in a darker finish, allowing the architecture to stand out more clearly against the shadows.

For the first time in the Tradition line, the dial at 12 o’clock is made from black aventurine glass, with fine metallic particles giving it depth and movement in changing light. At the centre, the barrel cover is finished with a sunburst guilloché pattern, a technique introduced to watch dials by Abraham-Louis Breguet and still produced today using restored traditional lathes.

On the back, the oscillating weight mirrors that same guilloché finish, creating a visual connection between both sides of the watch. The 7038 runs on Calibre 505 SR with a 50-hour power reserve and is paired with a black satin-finished fabric strap and a diamond-set white gold buckle.

Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7097

The 7097 takes a more restrained approach to colour and contrast, using subtle shifts rather than bold statements. The hours dial is crafted in white Grand Feu enamel, slightly thicker than guilloché gold, giving it a stronger presence on the wrist. Each dial is individually fired, meaning no two are exactly the same. A discreet signature, almost invisible, is also applied, and is a detail intended only for the wearer.

A charcoal grey barrel cover introduces contrast at the centre, while rose-gilt gears and a distinct balance rim bring structure and clarity to the movement. Each element has its own finish, but together they reinforce the architecture.

The watch sits in an 18K rose gold case and is powered by Calibre 505 SR1 with a 50-hour power reserve. On the back, the white gold oscillating weight echoes the shape designed by Abraham-Louis Breguet for his early perpétuelle watches, a design that still influences self-winding systems today.

It is available on a grey calfskin strap with ecru stitching, or a grey rubber alternative.