As restrictions lifted after many listless months in New York, I met with a collector of unusual Breguet watches in Harlem. We sat outside, on Malcolm X Boulevard, enjoying iced coffees at a distance. It was a welcome reprieve, made all the better by my guest, Christophe, known as @Toiche on Instagram. Our topic? The alluring Breguet Type 20, a solid, utilitarian chronograph created for the French Army during the ’50s.
This prestigious piece certainly stands apart when considering the historic watchmaker’s opulent oeuvre. The Type 20 feels about as far from Marie Antoinette, tourbillons, and guilloché as possible. That incongruity always lent mystery to the watch’s design, yet the piece plays an essential part in Breguet lore. Naturally, I wanted to know more. Christophe was more than happy to oblige, explaining the watch’s authentic roots. Like many military pieces, he told me, the Type 20 was born of a nationwide government request, asking watchmakers to propose a hard-wearing, flight-ready design.
“The requirements were typical for a 38mm stainless-steel military pilot watch: a chronograph, a black dial — a clean dial, so it is easy to read
