Image: Breguet
This Breguet Type XX Only Watch 2021 Chronograph is a one-of-a-kind piece, but it achieves that rare status with no gimmicks. As in 2005, Montres Breguet supports Only Watch and its organizer, the Monegasque Association against Muscular Dystrophy, in their mission to fight debilitating diseases with amazing timepieces.
As we have already reported, the Only Watch auction serves a charitable cause and often results in very fascinating timepieces. Yes, these are all unique, but sometimes they offer a taste of the future. With the Breguet Type XX Only Watch 2021 Chronograph, you get uncompromising attention to detail and a movement with history.
In some context, everything you see in the Breguet Type XX Only Watch 2021 Chronograph reflects both the contemporary Type XX line and the historic edition that heralded the legend of the Breguet pilot’s watch. This is not a shorthand for relaxation or reinterpretation – to be honest, it is not really a model for those who are new to the Breguet Type XX wristwatch. This is a unique charity piece, so it could be argued that the regular rules don’t apply.
Perhaps we could call the Breguet Type XX Only Watch 2021 Chronograph a symbol of doing the right thing at the right time. It’s a direct successor to the 2019 Breguet Only Watch model, also a Type 20 chronograph as is the case. Military-specified versions were designated as Type 20 while civilian versions were designated as Type XX.
Image: Breguet
Collectors should note that this is a hand-wound which will give you an idea of what is going on under this watch face (which we will turn to in a moment). As in 2019, the Valjoux caliber 235 is in use here, which has been restored and returned to active service. Aside from the fact that the caliber is not a regular caliber, it also connects the Breguet Type XX Only Watch 2021 Chronograph with the Type XX models of the 1950s and 1960s.
The bronze-colored dial, the Breguet signature at 12 o’clock. And the straight crown is a reference to the civilian models of the Type XX; the bronze color of historical models would be a natural result of age thanks to the patination. On the modern side, the syringe pointers as they are and the markers are both equipped with Superluminova. The 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock distinguishes this model, as does the bidirectional bezel and the aforementioned crown, from the 2019 model.
Image: Breguet
Interestingly, there is a new reference in the contemporary Breguet Type XXI 2021, announced just before the Only Watch model was unveiled. We get to that online and in print, but the case proportions there are contemporary (42 mm), while with Only Watch it’s still the same as in the 1950s (38.3 mm). It goes without saying that the Breguet Type XX Only Watch 2021 Chronograph is a steel case with a solid case back (engraved with the Breguet Type XX Only Watch 2021 Pièce Unique).
The biannual Only Watch auction will take place this year on November 6th in Geneva, Switzerland.
For more information on the Breguet Type XX Only Watch 2021, visit the brand’s website here.
