Breguet Classique Tourbillon Messidor 5335BR/42/9W6: specs, siblings, prices and buying checks

The Breguet Classique Tourbillon Messidor 5335BR/42/9W6 is Breguet's open-worked one-minute tourbillon in an 18 ct rose gold Classique case of 40 mm: a hand-wound calibre 558SQ2 with 50 hours of power reserve, the carriage at 6 o'clock, a sapphire dial that leaves the skeletonised plate and bridges in full view, and a case only 9.7 mm thick on an alligator strap with a rose gold deployant. The name recalls the month of the French Republican calendar in which Abraham-Louis Breguet was granted his tourbillon patent in 1801, and the watch is the most direct statement in the current range of what that patent was for. This guide covers the specifications, what the Messidor name means, how the skeleton movement is built and finished, how the 5335BR compares with the platinum 5335PT and with the Extra-Plat 5367, the Squelette 5395 and the 3797 in the same catalogue, how it wears, dealer prices in October 2026 and what to check before buying. Bizak & Co. sources the 5335BR to order; the Breguet Classique collection lists the configurations we can seek.

Last reviewed on October 7, 2026 by Filip Biczak. Prices are dated observations, not quotes.

Breguet Classique Tourbillon Messidor 5335BR/42/9W6 specifications

Sources: Breguet, Classique Tourbillon Messidor 5335BR/42/9W6 for the case, calibre and strap data above, and the Breguet Classique collection page for the current line-up of Classique tourbillons and time-only models. The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry publishes the industry's export statistics and the rules that govern the "Swiss made" marking on the dial.

What does Messidor mean on a Breguet?

Messidor is the tenth month of the French Republican calendar, the harvest month that ran from late June to late July. Abraham-Louis Breguet filed for a patent on the tourbillon in the summer of 1801, and the grant is dated 7 Messidor of Year IX, which is 26 June 1801 in the Gregorian calendar. The tourbillon places the balance, balance spring and escapement inside a carriage that rotates, here once a minute, so that the positional errors a pocket watch picks up standing upright in a waistcoat pocket are averaged out rather than accumulated. Breguet uses the Messidor name for the 5335 to mark the reference as the house's purest tourbillon: no calendar, no second complication, the carriage alone on display in the lower half of the dial.

The reference matters to buyers for the same reason. Breguet is the brand that invented the device, and the Classique line is where the house keeps the codes that Breguet himself established: the coin-edge caseband, the welded lugs with screwed bars, the hollow apple hands and the secret signature. The 5335 adds the open-worked movement to those codes, which makes it the Classique that shows the most of its mechanism.

How is the calibre 558SQ2 built and finished?

The 558SQ2 belongs to Breguet's family of hand-wound tourbillon calibres, the 558 series, which also powers the Classique Tourbillon 3357 and the diamond-set 3358 in the same catalogue. "SQ" stands for squelette, the skeletonised version, and the plate and bridges have been cut back to the minimum needed to hold the train and the carriage. What remains is engraved by hand and the barrel is left exposed under the hours chapter, so the mainspring's state of wind can be read from the front. The balance runs at 2.5 Hz, the traditional slow beat of a Breguet tourbillon, and the balance spring carries a Breguet overcoil, the raised terminal curve that A-L Breguet devised to make the spring breathe concentrically. The carriage completes one revolution a minute and carries the small seconds on its axis.

Because the dial is sapphire, there is no metal between the wearer and the movement apart from the hours chapter printed on the crystal. The sapphire caseback shows the other side, where the ratchet wheel and the skeletonised bridges are equally finished. With 201 components the 558SQ2 is a simple movement by modern standards, and that simplicity is the point: the Messidor is about the tourbillon, not about adding functions around it. The 50-hour reserve means a wind every second morning in practice, and the watch is set through the non-screwed crown in the normal way.

5335BR vs 5335PT: rose gold or platinum?

The two are the same watch in different metals, and on October 7, 2026 our catalogue had them about US$5,000 apart. The rose gold is the one most buyers picture, because the warm case gives the skeleton somewhere to sit; the platinum is the quieter and heavier choice, and it tends to be the rarer one on the secondary market. The movement, strap construction and dimensions are identical, so this is a decision about colour and weight, not about mechanics.

5335BR vs 5367, 5395 and 3797: which Classique tourbillon?

The decision inside the Classique tourbillon range comes down to what you want to see and whether you want to wind it. The 5367 is the thinnest and the only one with a solid dial, and its automatic 581 with 80 hours is the most practical movement of the four; our 5367PT guide covers it. The 5395 takes the same 581 and skeletonises it, which costs considerably more on our October 7 asks because the open-working of a 3 mm automatic is a harder exercise. The 3797 adds a retrograde perpetual calendar to a hand-wound tourbillon and is the thickest. The Messidor sits between them in price and is the most traditional: a slow-beat, hand-wound tourbillon with nothing else in the way. There is also the 35 mm platinum 7357 for smaller wrists, which our 7357PT guide covers, and the time-only 5177 for anyone who wants the Classique case without a complication.

How does the Breguet 5335BR wear on the wrist?

At 40 mm by 9.7 mm, the Messidor is a true dress watch in proportion and slips under a shirt cuff without catching. The welded lugs on a Classique sit straight and fairly long for the case, so the lug-to-lug span matters more than the diameter when judging fit; on wrists from about 16.5 cm (6.5 inches) upward the watch sits flat and looks the right size, and on smaller wrists the 35 mm 7357 or 3358 is the better Classique tourbillon. Rose gold keeps the weight modest, and the alligator strap with the two-blade deployant holds the case centred rather than letting it roll. The fluted caseband and the coin-edge finish catch light at the edges and make the 40 mm case look smaller than a plain polished case of the same size.

Legibility is the compromise. The hours chapter is printed on the sapphire and the hands are steel over a rhodium-toned skeleton, so reading the time at a glance takes a fraction longer than on an enamel-dial Classique, especially in low light; there is no luminous material. Buyers who want the tourbillon and a quick read should look at the 5367. Buyers who want to watch the carriage turn will not mind, because that is what the sapphire dial is for. The 3 bar rating and the non-screwed crown mean the watch should stay away from water.

How much is a Breguet Classique Tourbillon Messidor 5335BR/42/9W6? Prices in 2026

• Retail. Breguet publishes a recommended retail price on the 5335BR product page linked above and refers buyers to its boutiques and authorised points of sale for the current figure, which varies by market and with gold prices. The Messidor is a catalogue model rather than a limited edition, so a boutique can normally order one, with a wait that depends on the metal and the market.
• Secondary market. Through 2025 and 2026, unworn and lightly worn 5335BR examples with full sets have generally been asked below Breguet's recommended retail, as is usual for gold complicated Breguets, with the platinum 5335PT rarer and asked a little higher. Skeleton tourbillons are a narrower market than steel sports watches, so asks vary more between dealers and a dated quote matters.
• Bizak catalogue asks. On October 7, 2026 our sourced catalogue listed the 5335BR/42/9W6 at US$236,099 brand new and the platinum 5335PT/42/9W6 at US$241,099 brand new, both sourced to order. On the same day the Extra-Plat 5367PT sat between US$208,699 and US$221,499, the Extra-Plat Squelette 5395 between US$290,599 and US$309,899, the 3797 between US$212,299 and US$229,999 and the 35 mm 7357PT at US$190,999, all brand new and sourced to order.

Those figures describe what we saw on one day and will move with gold, with currency and with how many examples are being offered. Ask for a dated quote for the exact metal, strap and paperwork; our Patek Philippe price guide explains how we read asks against sales for haute horlogerie references, and the same method applies to Breguet.

Is the Breguet Messidor 5335BR a good investment?

It is a watch to own, not to trade. Complicated gold Breguets have historically sold on the secondary market at a discount to retail, and the Messidor is no exception, so buying new at full retail and expecting to sell at a profit in a few years is unrealistic. The other side of that is that a well-bought pre-owned or unworn example gives up little when it is sold on, because the discount has already been taken. The reference has stayed in Breguet's catalogue for well over a decade without a case or calibre change, which keeps the market orderly: there is no new generation making the old one look dated. If resale matters, buy below retail with a full set and ask for a written cash-buy assessment before committing; if the tourbillon matters, buy the metal you want and wear it.

Buying a used 5335BR/42/9W6: what to check

• Paperwork. The Breguet certificate should carry the full reference 5335BR/42/9W6 and a case number that matches the engraving on the caseband or lug. Breguet records the sale at a boutique or authorised dealer; ask for the dated sales receipt as well as the certificate. A warranty that has lapsed is not a fault on a watch this age, but missing paperwork should be priced in.
• Tourbillon carriage. Watch the carriage complete a full turn in one minute with the watch dial-up; it should rotate evenly with no hesitation. A carriage that stalls or a seconds indication that jumps points to a shock or a service need, and a tourbillon service is costly.
• Skeleton finishing. Under a loupe the hand engraving on the plate and bridges should be crisp and the anglage even; polishing marks, dust or a fingerprint under the sapphire are visible on an open-worked movement in a way they never are on a solid dial, and they mean the case has been opened by someone other than Breguet.
• Case edges and fluting. The coin-edge caseband should have sharp, even flutes and the lugs their original profile; soft flutes and rounded lug edges mean polishing, which costs gold on a rose gold case.
• Crown and setting. The crown is not screw-down; it should pull out positively to the setting position and the hands should move without backlash. Check that the hours chapter printed on the sapphire shows no flaking.
• Power reserve. Fully wound, the watch should still be running after two days off the wrist. A reserve well short of 50 hours points to a tired mainspring or a service.
• Strap and clasp. Breguet's two-blade deployant should close with a clean snap and carry the Breguet signature; a worn strap is not a fault, but a non-Breguet clasp should be disclosed and priced.
• Price against the band. A full-set Messidor offered far below the dealer asks above is the most reliable warning sign.

Our authentication process describes what we inspect before dispatch.

Quick answers

How much is a Breguet Classique Tourbillon Messidor 5335BR/42/9W6?

Bizak's sourced catalogue listed the 5335BR/42/9W6 at US$236,099 brand new on October 7, 2026, sourced to order, with the platinum 5335PT/42/9W6 at US$241,099 the same day. Breguet publishes its recommended retail price through its boutiques and authorised points of sale.

What movement is in the Breguet 5335BR?

The hand-wound calibre 558SQ2, a skeletonised one-minute tourbillon with 201 components, a 2.5 Hz balance on a Breguet overcoil spring and about 50 hours of power reserve. It is visible through a sapphire dial on the front and a sapphire caseback.

What size is the Breguet Messidor 5335?

40 mm across and 9.7 mm thick, with a 21 mm lug width, in 18 ct rose gold or platinum. It wears as a dress watch and suits wrists of about 16.5 cm and up.

Why is it called Messidor?

Messidor is the month of the French Republican calendar in which Abraham-Louis Breguet was granted his tourbillon patent, dated 7 Messidor Year IX, or 26 June 1801. Breguet uses the name for its purest tourbillon, the 5335.

What is the difference between the Breguet 5335 and the 5367?

The 5335 Messidor is a 40 mm hand-wound skeleton tourbillon with calibre 558SQ2 and 50 hours of reserve; the 5367 Extra-Plat is a 41 mm automatic tourbillon with calibre 581, 80 hours of reserve and a solid enamel or blue dial in a 7.5 mm case.

Request a Breguet 5335BR/42/9W6 sourcing quote

Tell us whether you want rose gold or platinum, the condition and paperwork you require, your budget and timing, through our sourcing enquiry form. We confirm the specific watch, photographs, paperwork and final price before you commit. Catalogue entries: 5335BR/42/9W6 rose gold, 5335PT/42/9W6 platinum, 5367PT/29/9WU Extra-Plat, 5395BR/1S/9WU Extra-Plat Squelette, 3797BR/1E/9WU; browse the Breguet Classique collection, the Breguet collection, or sell or trade your Breguet.

Related reading: Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat 5367PT guide · Breguet Classique Tourbillon 7357PT guide · Breguet Classique 5177BR guide · How to sell a watch to a dealer.