Exclusive Interview | Gregory Kissling, CEO of Breguet
- Nuno Margalha
- Aug 3
- 4 min read
From the legacy of Abraham-Louis Breguet to the Experimental No. 1, a conversation about innovation, precision, and the future of one of the most important manufacturers in history.
In the year it celebrates its 250th anniversary, the manufacture presented a remarkable set of new products, including the Classique Souscription 2025, the Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035, the Type XX Chronographe 2075 and the Experimental No. 1. More than just new watches, these releases reveal a strategy based on innovation and the constant pursuit of chronometric precision.
During our visit to the Breguet Boutique in Geneva, we spoke with Gregory Kissling, CEO of the manufacture. In this exclusive interview, we discussed the legacy of Abraham-Louis Breguet, the origin of the Experimental No. 1, the new constant-force magnetic escapement developed over more than a decade, and the vision that will guide the brand's technical development in the coming years.
Few manufacturers can claim that, 250 years after their founding, they continue to develop new technical solutions directly inspired by the ideas of their founder. Breguet is one of those rare exceptions.
Among the most important revelations is the confirmation that the Experimental No. 1 is just the first chapter of a new research platform. Breguet intends to present a new innovation every year, using these watches to develop technologies that, once validated, can be integrated into the manufacture's other collections.
If there is one conclusion to be drawn from this conversation, it is that innovation continues to occupy the same place it did in the time of Abraham-Louis Breguet: at the heart of manufacturing's identity.
Experimental No. 1: the beginning of a new innovation platform.
The Experimental No. 1 was one of the main topics of conversation. Far from being just a limited edition of 75 pieces, this watch inaugurates a new research and development platform created to explore technical solutions that may be integrated into future Breguet collections.
Gregory Kissling reveals that the name Experimental No. 1 was not chosen by chance. The manufacturer's goal is to present a new innovation every year , using the Experimental line as a true technological laboratory. Each project will allow for the development of new solutions, testing them in real-world conditions, and subsequently adapting them to the brand's other initiatives.
The first chapter of this new approach presents a constant-force magnetic escapement , developed over more than ten years and protected by patent. Instead of resorting to traditional systems, Breguet chose to exploit the properties of magnetism to create a mechanism capable of supplying constant energy to the regulating organ, while simultaneously reducing the complexity of the construction.
According to Gregory Kissling, this technology will not be confined to the Experimental No. 1. The intention is to progressively integrate it into other Breguet projects, transforming this project into a true development platform for the entire manufacturing process.
More than just an exceptional timepiece, the Experimental No. 1 represents a statement of intent: to continue innovating while following the same philosophy as Abraham-Louis Breguet — understanding physical phenomena, experimenting with new solutions, and putting technology at the service of precision.
The legacy of Abraham-Louis Breguet
Much of the interview was dedicated to the extraordinary inventive capacity of Abraham-Louis Breguet. Gregory Kissling recalls that, despite having developed dozens of revolutionary solutions, the founder of the manufacture patented only two inventions: the constant force escapement and the vortex .
According to the CEO of Breguet, this reality is explained by the context of the time. At the end of the 18th century, the patent system was very different from the current one, and many innovations were disseminated without any legal protection.
More important than the number of patents was the impact of these inventions. Even today, the principles developed by Abraham-Louis Breguet continue to serve as the basis for many manufacturing research projects.
The pursuit of precision
The pursuit of precision is perhaps the common thread running through the entire interview.
Gregory Kissling explains how Abraham-Louis Breguet sought to resolve the main factors affecting the movement of a mechanical watch: torque variations throughout the power reserve, the effects of gravity, friction, and nowadays, also magnetic fields and micro-shocks.
The Experimental No. 1 brings together precisely several of these solutions in a single watch. The tourbillon compensates for the effects of gravity, the new constant-force magnetic escapement stabilizes the energy supplied to the regulating organ, the 10 Hz frequency reduces the influence of micro-shocks, and the construction ensures high resistance to magnetic fields.
The result is a certified accuracy of ±1 second per day , a performance that Gregory Kissling considers to represent a new milestone for mechanical watchmaking.
The Perpétuelle: when watchmaking no longer needed a key.
Among the many historical episodes discussed in the interview, Gregory Kissling highlights the Perpétuelle , one of the first self-winding clocks in history.
Developed just a few years after Abraham-Louis Breguet arrived in Paris, this watch used an oscillating weight to harness the user's natural movements and keep the movement wound.
More than a technical innovation, the Perpétuelle profoundly altered the experience of using a watch. For the first time, it was no longer necessary to use a key daily to wind the mechanism.
It was this invention that boosted Breguet's reputation with the French court and, later, with the major European royal houses.
Long before the wristwatch
Another particularly interesting point in the conversation concerns the origin of the wristwatch.
Gregory Kissling recalls that it was Breguet who developed, in 1810 , what is generally considered the first wristwatch in history, created for Caroline Murat , Queen of Naples.
More than a century before this format became popular among men, driven by the First World War, manufacturers were already exploring the potential of this new way of wearing a watch.
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