jmpTT
732
Disappointing - The Type XX was nerfed...
Jun 07, 2023,07:24 AM
Releasing a watch that is an emotional letdown for the Purist is one way to generate passionate community engagement. Great job, Breguet.
These 2023 iterations of the Type XX will not be remembered as the best of the line, but they're not awful either. They're disappointing, a new example of a great design with a niche audience being nerfed into a less appealing design for a wider audience.
First, the positives. The mismatched coin edge midcase is dropped for a simple brushed finish. The facets on the lugs look good. The crown is nicely finished. The new movement could be outstanding, when the reliability issues are ironed out (expected with a new movement).
The negatives. The date window is not essential in 2023. It draws my attention to the dial being a touch oversized for the register location. Looks like a focus group version of the Only Watch Type XX, which is not something kind to say about a $20,000 watch. It's as though the people who bid more than CHF 200,000 on the Only Watch editions knew. Push comes to shove, something would be changed for the worse.
I doubt all of the issues will be addressed, unless Mr. Hayek is an enthusiast at heart. It will be costly to develop a slightly smaller case size and modify the chronograph movement (to delete the date set crown position), just to make an enthusiast edition that will be bought by twenty Purists and maybe fifty other aesthetes who are not community members.
Sticking just with the Swatch stable, better to focus on the successes, which includes the Speedmaster Professional and the Blancpain Air Command. The Air Command in particular. Similar style, price point and modern movement. It came to market with a near-flawless vintage style dial, slightly improving the scale readability of the vintage original. The blue dial ditched the fauxtina and the midsize model is as thin as the Rolex Daytona.