Referencing its storied military heritage, Breguet has brought back the Type XX pilot’s chronograph.
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Breguet has long looked to the skies, with the Swiss-French manufacture creating examples for the US Air Force as early as 1918. In the 1950s, Breguet, along with several other watchmakers, submitted prototypes for the timepiece it would go on to call the Type 20. Breguet submitted a design in 1954; a pilot’s watch equipped with a flyback chronograph that enabled pilots to time consecutive events without having to reset the hands, ensuring maximum ease of function in the sky.
Now, the latest Breguet releases come almost seventy years after the first mil-spec Type XX chronographs were delivered to the French Air Force in the mid- to late-1950s.
Since then, the pilot’s watch has undergone any number of changes. The latest releases see the Type XX and Type 20 — a civilian and military-inspired release, respectively — contemporise the classic. Both timepieces are crafted from steel, feature a bidirectional bezel, and measure in at 42mm. Each is bestowed with a new automatic movement; calibre 728 for the civilian and calibre 7281 for the military, both with a 60-hour power reserve.
Why the variation? The devil is on the dial. The Type 20 (military version) has a bicompax setup with a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and running seconds at 9 o’clock; the former slightly larger than the latter. Meanwhile, the Type XX (civilian version) adopts a tricompax layout, with a 15-minute counter at 3 o’clock, 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock, and running seconds at 9 o’clock. This deviation is due to the use each function would viably have in military and civilian applications.
The Arabic numerals of the Type 20 are coated in mint green lume, as are its syringe hands, while those of the Type XX are a creamy yellow—with the latter featuring elegant alpha hands.
Both iterations are equipped with the manufacture’s rapid interchange system and are presented on a black calfskin strap, with an additional black NATO strap. Priced at $26,200AUD, the Type XX and Type 20 are available via the Breguet webstore.
Words by Henry Blake
