How The Major Marques Are Building Their Electric Cars

All you need to know about the move to electric cars.

By Sean Evans 16/12/2019

The electric car may only represent a tiny portion of the current market, but that market share is only poised to experience growth – so we decided to take a deep dive into how the major marques build their electric cars.

With PorscheMercedes-Benz, Jaguar, and Audi all tossing well-made hats into Tesla’s ring, the electric drivetrain is being evolved in a number of unique ways, based on the manufacturers’ philosophies for what the electric car should be.

The specific components and applications may vary, but the basic tenets of an electric chassis largely remain the same: the combustion engine is replaced by electric motors, powered by a controller that draws juice from a series of rechargeable batteries. That much you knew, right? But if we dive a little deeper, there’s some fascinating science happening beneath the floorboards of EVs. (Bear in mind, what comes next is oversimplified because we’re not engineers, nor do we wish to beleaguer you in technical jargon. (Also, a hat tip to this Donut Media video for helping our edification.)

Electricity itself cannot be stored in a battery, but electrical energy can be housed within the chemicals of the battery. Those two-node terminals are comprised of different metals, separated by an electrolyte which helps bring the chemicals from the nodes together in harmonious equilibrium, forming an electrical circuit and producing energy.

Audi Battery Assembly Required for Electric Vehicles

Battery assembly at the Audi plant in Brussels. Photo: Courtesy of Audi AG.

If you popped an EV onto a lift and started dismantling the battery pack from the chassis, you’d get down to individual battery cells. These are metal cases housing long spirals of two metal sheets separated by a thin perforated plastic sheet. The sheet that acts as the positive node is made of lithium cobalt oxide, while the negative node sheet is carbon. The whole setup is soaked in organic material, like ether, that functions as the electrolyte. While the cell is charging, lithium ions move through the ether and attach to the carbon. When the battery is discharging, they move back home.

So how does the car actually move? Magnetism. When you send an electrical current through a series of wrapped wires or other metal conduction bar, you generate a magnetic field. The forces from that field can actuate motion in an induction motor. There are two basic parts to this kind of motor: the rotor and the stator. The rotor houses the conduction bars and the stator provides alternating current (AC) to move the rotor. The speed of the rotor comes from the frequency of the AC. Mash the throttle on an EV and you’re increasing the AC. This system requires an inverter module, which sits near the battery and converts the direct current into AC to drive the motor. Because the rotor and the stator don’t physically connect—rotor bearings keep them separate—there’s less wear and tear than in a combustion engine.

Taycan Turbo S: Performance Battery Plus with 93.4kWh.

The Performance Battery Plus, with 93.4 kWh, found in Porsche’s Taycan Turbo S. Photo: Courtesy of Porsche AG.

Also, unlike combustion engines, electric motors can produce vicious amounts of torque immediately, and all the way up to 20,000 rpm. Due to this, there’s not a need for a transmission or torque converter. Further, a combustion engine uses pistons to create side-to-side motion that must be converted into forward movement, electric motors typically only produce rotational force, which is far easier to translate into forward motion. Lastly, the beauty of an induction motor is that when it’s not employed to move the wheels forth, it can harness the speed of the wheels to act as an alternator and recharge the battery system under freewheeling or braking.

This fundamental architecture can be invariably tweaked for a variety of applications. When Porsche was designing the newly-launched Taycan Turbo and Turbo S, the German marque didn’t want to veer far from its sports car heritage. Eschewing “green driving” attributes in favour of repeatable, blistering performance meant the wizards in Stuttgart gave it a massive 800-volt system, doubling the 400 volt systems found in other EVs, which helps increase performance and aids in diminishing charging times since it can handle higher power flowing into the battery pack. (The Taycan can charge at a peak energy transfer of 270 kW, meaning you can take the battery from five to 80 per cent in about 23 minutes on a high-speed DC charger.)

The Porsche Taycan Turbo S An Electric Vehicle Success Story

The Porsche Taycan Turbo S. Photo: Courtesy of Porsche AG.

Porsche also used innovative drive motors, one mounted on each axle, that have “hairpin” winding in the stator coils. These wires are rectangular instead of round and bent into a hairpin shape before being affixed to the stator core by laser beam welds. The design means more densely-packed wiring which affords more copper in the stator. That translates to more power and torque without enlarging the stator itself. While it doesn’t technically need one, the Taycan also includes a two-speed transmission on the rear axle, which realises quicker acceleration from a standstill in first gear, and a long ratio in second gear promises higher efficiency and higher power reserves, especially when travelling at breakneck speeds.

The Taycan uses permanently excited synchronous motors, which differ from the induction motors described above. That goofy name means it uses AC and DC current to keep the rotor speed and the speed of the stator equal, whereas in the induction motor, the rotor is always lagging behind the stator a bit. (For reference, Tesla uses induction motors.) The synchronous motors in the Taycan are more efficient than induction motors of the same output and voltage rating, and they also realize higher constant power over the entire speed range.

A diagram of one of the permanently excited synchronous motor on the Porsche Taycan Turbo S.

A diagram of one of the permanently excited synchronous motor on the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. Photo: Courtesy of Porsche AG.

The sum of all of this is a 750hp electric missile (in the Turbo S. The Turbo boasts 616hp) and 775 ft-lbs of torque that’ll launch the car from zero to 100km/h in 2.6 seconds. As we noted when reviewing the Taycan during a first-drive, it’s absurdly fast. But that’s precisely what Porsche sought during the engineering phase.

The 800-volt on-board power supply in the Porsche Taycan Turbo S.

The 800-volt on-board power supply in the Taycan Turbo S. Photo: Courtesy of Porsche AG.

Mercedes-Benz launched its eSUV, the EQC, this year—the first salvo in a barrage of 10 EVs forthcoming from the tri-star marque over the next three years. Here, the focus was to make a smooth and silent car that still ticks the right Merc hallmarks of quality, safety and comfort. It required tranquillity from the drivetrain to help customers who are making the jump from combustion to electric. Employed on each axle is an induction motor and, in concert, 402 hp and 561 ft-lbs of torque are generated, which is more than ample to get the 2400 kilogram hauling.

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC. An All Electric SUV from the car maker

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC. Photo: Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz.

“Performance is very easy in an EV,” says Dr. Martin Hermsen, senior manager, E-Drive Development & System Integration, who was responsible for the EQC’s drivetrain engineering. “You need a very large battery to reach the requirement for the range, and with this large battery, you have enough power. The question becomes how you will use this power? We put the motor, inverter, and differential all in the same housing, one on each axle, but the front motor is more efficient while the rear system is more for power,” says Hermsen. The 405-volt EQC can adjust in real time to shift between the front and rear motors—or employ both—depending on how you’re driving. Both motors will kick in when you’re in sport mode or are really stepping on it. Relaxed drivers will only see the front motor engaged. 

And it’s indeed a remarkably smooth ride when you’re not lead-footing it. We tested the EQC in a three-country jaunt from Copenhagen to Berlin and found it approachable and intuitive, especially when you’re trying to maximise the 350-kilometre range in eco mode. “When you buy an EV, your belief is that it should be a green driving vehicle. We wanted to deliver that,” says Hermsen. Steering wheel paddles typically reserved for shifting gears are repurposed in the EQC to toggle between regeneration modes. (The EQC does not feature a transmission at all.)

Positioning of the on-board charger, electric drive modules and lithium-ion battery in the Mercedes-Benz EQC.

Positioning of the on-board charger, electric drive modules and lithium-ion battery in the EQC. Photo: Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz.

When you lift off the accelerator, the recuperation of energy starts. In D+ mode, the lightest setting, the recuperation feels like very mild engine braking while the wheels convert and feed energy back to the 80 kWh battery pack. In D-, lift off the accelerator and you’ll feel the EQC’s prow drop as it regains even more energy from the wheels. In D – -, the highest setting, the Mercedes slows so much, traditional combustion engine drivers may feel like something’s gone wrong, but the vehicle is trying to capture as much energy as possible.

In this mode, one-pedal driving is enabled, meaning you needn’t touch the brakes at all if you’re doing it right. “We use a lot of data, including traffic patterns and the car’s camera systems to help achieve the most intelligent and efficient driving possible,” says Hermsen. One-pedal driving may take a little getting used to for new EV drivers, but there’s a gamification aspect to the affair that makes it addicting. You’re constantly trying to see how much energy you can recoup and how long you can go without having to employ the brake pedal.

Mercedes-Benz pledges that its whole portfolio of vehicles will be electrified (fully or partially) by 2022, and the point of the EQC is to make the transition from combustion to pure electric as seamless as possible. For the customers who want the full green experience, it’s a wonderful one. For the folks who want to crank it into sport mode and rip, it’s equally happy to comply.

Audi also chose to launch its first EV in the form of an SUV, the e-tron, for similar reasons to Mercedes-Benz. It cited a need for new EV purchasers to feel comfortable with the vehicle, and the most acceptable body styling was a ute. “We kept the traditional SUV shape,” says Matt Mostafaei, Audi Connected Vehicle and e-tron product manager, “which hurts in terms of efficiency, but helps with the familiar feeling.”

The Audi e-tron 55 quattro. The marques all-electric SUV

The Audi e-tron 55 quattro. Photo: Courtesy of Audi AG.

Underpinning the e-tron is a 95 kWh battery pack—good for 396 volts—that feeds energy to dual induction motors, a smaller one driving the front axle, and a larger motor in the rear. Combined, they generate 402 hp and up to 490 ft-lbs of torque (when using an electrical boost feature). Those induction motors were chosen because of the “advantage to decouple the axle to eliminate drag while freewheeling,” says Mostafaei. “The motors bolster our philosophy that the e-tron should feel as normal as possible to drive.”

That freewheeling means Audi wasn’t as concerned with one-pedal green driving. “Using the brake pedal is the most natural thing for a driver going electric,” says Mostafaei. So, Audi wisely reimagined the braking system. When you hit the brakes on the e-tron, a small fluid reservoir behind the firewall fills up, mimicking the feel of traditional hydraulic brakes. However, 90 per cent of the time, the brake-by-wire system is actually engaging the motors to slow the wheels down. If the stopping event is under .03 gs, the car can recuperate energy without you feeling much of anything. (The e-tron does know when the friction brakes are required during harder stops, and they work perfectly in those scenarios.)

Brake recuperation in the Audi e-tron 55 quattro.

Brake recuperation in the Audi e-tron 55 quattro. Photo: Courtesy of Audi AG.

We’ve driven the e-tron several times and this clever setup works so well, you’ll never know when the motors are slowing you versus the actual brake rotors. Like the EQC, there are also regeneration paddles, which can also help bolster the recuperation. And the whole system can tack on an additional 30 per cent to the e-tron’s range, which is about 200 miles.

Audi also rethought the shape of the cells within the battery pack. “We use pouch cells instead of the common cylindrical cells,” Mostafaei explains. “They’re cheaper, easier to source and lighter. We can monitor the temperature better, too. They also have more surface area so you can condition the battery better for faster charging.” The e-tron can get up to an 80 per cent state of charge in about 27 minutes on a 150 kW DC fast charger. Mostafaei further adds that Audi is experimenting with the chemistry within the battery to help improve the life cycle of the cells.

The e-tron can also manipulate its ride height to help increase efficiency, dropping down to reduce drag or raise up if you need to plow through some snow or venture off-road, where it is surprisingly capable. “Had efficiency been our sole goal, we wouldn’t have added roof rails and heated seats and enlarged the cargo bay,” says Mostafaei. “But we want you to live with the e-tron as you would any other SUV.” Next for Audi is the e-tron GT, a four-door performance sedan that will semi-rival Porsche’s Taycan. Of the car due out next year, Mostafaei claims: “It’ll be a sporty car, but still will focus on luxury and comfort as well.”

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How Off-the-Rack Suits Got Sophisticated Enough to Win Over Bespoke Guys

Ready-to-wear tailoring has never been better, and it offers even the most particular dressers a fast, easy platform for experimenting with their look.

By Aleks Cvetkovic 18/02/2025

The world moves fast—and for once, tailoring is moving a little bit faster.

Guys around the globe are rediscovering their love of suits, but many have determined that they can’t stomach the monthslong wait for bespoke. The good news? Ready-to-wear tailoring has never been better.

That’s in part because bespoke makers are beefing up their off-the-rack offerings. Anderson & Sheppard’s shop-in-store at N.Y.C.’s Bergdorf Goodman—the first outpost beyond its London flagship— opened in December with, among other things, a sharp wool-and-cashmere jacket in a delightful shade of teal. Huntsman’s recent fall-winter collection, billed as its most comprehensive assortment yet, offered everything from tuxedos to shooting breeches. Even Leonard Logsdail, Hollywood’s highly esteemed bespoke purveyor, is experimenting with hem-and-go models.

But non-custom tailors are upping the ante, too. Some of the best ready-to-wear suits on the market come from such brands, whose wholly distinctive points of view provide a welcome departure from the rigidity of many bespoke tailors’ house styles. The preponderance and diversity of such high-quality, easy-to-access threads has recast off-the-rack suits as the ultimate way to experiment with your look, not just a way for some to get dressed on the cheap. What’s more, it reflects the new reality that even people who suit up regularly might want to show up looking different on Thursday night than they did on Tuesday morning.

“Life nowadays is much more fluid,” says Chris Modoo, a London-based stylist who once worked as a tailor on Savile Row. “Things happen, invitations appear. You might get an invite for a black-tie party in the South of France for next Saturday.” Ready-to-wear is the obvious solution when you’re in a last-minute menswear quandary, but “it also means you can try new things.”

One maker worth a test-drive is Husbands Paris, founded by Nicolas Gabard, who sees his role as an “archivist of the past.” His look, inspired by stylish men such as Yves Saint Laurent, David Hemmings, and Gary Cooper, is unabashedly striking—think long, fully canvased jackets, broad lapels, structured shoulders, and wide-leg, high-waisted trousers. These wares are made in small workshops in Italy and Portugal, where craftspeople infuse them with high-end details such as hand-sewn buttonholes and silk bar tacks, a form of stitching that reinforces seams and pockets.

Thom Sweeney L.A. store Brett Wood

They’re the kind of touches any menswear enthusiast can appreciate—even if they’re the trees to Gabard’s style forest. Clothes like this are designed as a form of wearable self-assurance, enhancing what Gabard calls a “classically masculine” silhouette: broad shoulders, slim waist, narrow hips.

“Of course, tailoring has to fit well, but it also has to bring something else,” he says. “More and more [Husbands] customers want to be confident, powerful, and sexy in their outfit.”

When you want to look more suave than soigné, turn to the indie Milanese brand Massimo Alba, which is known for its chic casualwear but made its name with easygoing tailoring. “A great suit is not just about the way it fits but about the way it makes you feel,” says the eponymous label’s founder of his relaxed approach. “For me, the essence lies in balance, between structure and softness, elegance and ease. In my opinion, a suit should adapt to the wearer, not the other way around.”

Alba’s creations are cut from plush materials such as corduroy and flannel, featuring natural shoulders and only the lightest of canvasing in the chest, which results in a less-formal look. Which is not to say they aren’t workhorses: Daniel Craig wore one of Alba’s Sloop suits to dodge bullets in 2021’s James Bond film No Time to Die. “I always focus on fabrics that move with the body, details that whisper rather than shout, and cuts that allow for freedom,” Alba adds.

And freedom is precisely what this newfound inventory of great ready-to-wear tailoring provides. Modoo advises some clients to look to bespoke tailors for investment-level garments, such as morning suits, tuxedos, or the dark, serious stuff you might need for a funeral or odd courtroom appearance. “You know you’re going to wear these for 10 or 15 years,” he says. Let the new class of distinctive ready-to-wear step in when you want to try something that just wouldn’t make sense as a bespoke order. “Your pink-velvet blazer for the Christmas party? How well does that need to fit?”

London bespoke tailor Caroline Andrew is one of many who admits ready-to-wear has its place. Courtesy of Caroline Andrew

Fortunately, with so many options available, the fit is easier to dial in. You can expect most high-end operations to make a long list of changes, from ensuring that the seat of the trousers drapes appropriately to cutting working buttonholes on the jacket. For a peerless experience, you can always reach for garments from one of the many talented bespoke tailors offering ready-to-wear. At Thom Sweeney, such clothes are “all influenced by our bespoke cut,” says Thom Whiddett, who cofounded the brand with Luke Sweeney in 2007. “You try on [our ready-to-wear] jacket, and you immediately get a sense of the proportions and shapes that we put into a bespoke garment.”

That alluring sense of near-instant gratification is the point. For some, nothing will ever replace the distinguished feeling of slipping into a bench-made suit—and plenty are willing to wait for it.

“You have to mentally buy into the process and enjoy it,” says Caroline Andrew, a London bespoke specialist. “The journey is just as important as the finished product.” But ready-to-wear sets the time-strapped tailoring enthusiast down a different path: discovering new facets of your personal style at a record pace.

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Tom Brady Wears a Jacob & Co. Watch Decked in Yellow Sapphires to the Super Bowl

The $740,000 Caviar Tourbillon was an opulent choice for the former NFL star.

By 17/02/2025

Tom Brady was on the field tonight at the 59th annual Super Bowl game, and while the retired NFL hero—a seven-time Super Bowl winner (the most of any footballer in history)—wasn’t playing, he came dressed to impress with a $116,400 Jacob & Co. watch on his wrist.

Brady, who is a notable watch collector, recently sold off several of his timepieces at a Sotheby’s auction called “The GOAT Collection: Watches and Treasures from Tom Brady” this past December. Those timepieces ran the gamut from a Rolex Daytona Ref. 6241 to a unique Audemars Piguet Royal Oak with his name spelled out in diamonds across the salmon-colored tapisserie dial. His Rolex Daytona sold for over $1.5 million, and, in total, his auction raked in around $7 million. So, he’s well-equipped for a new watch purchase.

Whether or not he owns the six-figure sapphire stunner or it was a paid spot, the watch certainly stood out against his conservative but immaculately fit gray suit. “Tom Brady is the epitome of excellence, both on and off the field,” said Benjamin Arabov, CEO of Jacob & Co, in a press release sent out by the company shortly after Brady’s appearance. “We’re thrilled to see him wearing two of our most prestigious timepieces on the biggest stage in sports. The Billionaire Mini Ashoka and Caviar Tourbillon embody the precision, luxury, and innovation that define Jacob & Co. We’re honored to have him represent the artistry and craftsmanship behind every piece we create.”

Like much of Brady’s wrist candy, his 44 by 15.8 mm Caviar Tourbillon is not easy to come by. It is limited to just 18 pieces. It features hours, minutes, and a one-minute flying tourbillon in the JCAA43 movement with 216 components and 72 hours of power reserve. The movement itself is set with 338 brilliant-cut diamonds, while a total of 337 yellow sapphires adorn the case and dial. The clasp is decorated with another 18 baguette-cut yellow sapphires, and the crown comes with 14 baguette-cut yellow sapphires and one rose-cut yellow sapphire. As far as gem setting goes, this is one extraordinary piece, but it certainly seemed like a surprising choice for Brady, who was otherwise dressed like he just stepped out of a boardroom or a Ralph Lauren catalog.

Benjamin Arabov, son of Jacob & Co. founder Jacob Arabov, is now the CEO of the company. The 32-year-old recently took to Instagram to post that he was looking for a rebranding agency with experience in visual identity and packaging. As far as marketing goes, however, with Tom Brady, he’s golden.

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This Vintage Rolex Day-Date Has an Ultra-Rare and Coveted ‘Bark’ Design

The ultra-cool piece from Wind Vintage also comes in pristine condition with a desirable patina.

By Paige Reddinger 17/02/2025

Over the last four years there has been a resurgence in interest for 18-karat yellow gold watches. Much of that is due to fatigue over the long-running craze for steel tool watches, but it is also in part due to the rising value of gold (which shows no sign of slowing), rendering these once undesirable pieces increasingly worth collecting. Add to that the fact that, in some niche and stylish circles, unusual bracelet treatments, gem-setting, and interesting dials are becoming increasingly appealing and you have a new wave of watch collecting emerging. Steel sports watches are still the bread and butter for most dealers, but as pockets of interest in more unusual timekeepers, often from younger and fashion-forward collectors, continue to rise we’re seeing some really fun pieces pop up on the market. Case in point: This 1980s Rolex Day-Date in 18-karat yellow gold with a sapphire and diamond dial from Wind Vintage currently available exclusively on The Vault.

It wasn’t that long ago that dealers had a hard time unloading an all-gold gem-set piece. Eric Wind, the notable dealer and founder of Wind Vintage, says five years ago he would have sold this piece for around $23,000 to $28,000. The asking price today? $45,000. “It is very rare,” he tells Robb Report. “I think that was all clearly hand-done. Funnily enough, bark watches were not very desirable in the past. You know, even five to 10 years ago, they were very, very hard to sell. But, over the last three to five years, there’s been such an emergence and interest in jewellery and watches and work like that engraving and other kind of artistic forms that the watches took.” The style of engraving he is referring to on this watch can be seen on the bezel and middle links of the bracelet that is referred to as “bark” for its rough tree-like appearance.

“Bark” engraving on the bezel and bracelet of the Wind Vintage 1980s Rolex Day-Date
Courtesy of Wind Vintage

And while the bracelet is certainly a notable feature that will stand out in a sea of Submariners and Daytonas, the dial is also worth bragging about. Its diamond minutes track and sapphire hour markers are executed in what is known as a “string dial” because it looks like a string of pearls. “They’ve become very popular,” says Wind. “They were very expensive back in the 80s, just because of the cost of the stones, and there are just not many that exist on the planet.” Likewise, Wind says the canary yellow matte dial is not something he comes across often, having only seen a couple of others.

An up-close look at the patina and “bark” engraving on this 1980s Day-Date from Wind Vintage.
Courtesy of Wind Vintage

Part of what makes this watch so hard to find on the market is that pieces like this often didn’t survive past their ’80s heyday. “A lot of times these watches were so undesirable that dealers would replace the bezel inserts and put on fluted inserts, or smooth bezels or fluted bezels and melt down the bracelets or polish the center link so they looked like a standard Day-Date. Those dealers should have learned that what goes around, always comes around. Now with these interesting Rolex watches on the rise, they’ll become even harder to find.

A Wind Vintage 1980s Day-Date with “bark” engraving and a gem-set “string dial”
Courtesy of Wind Vintage

If you’re interested in the piece and want to speak to Wind about it IRL, he will be at Robb Report’s House of Robb event in San Francsico today during the NBA All-Star weekend.

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Soccer Star Kylian Mbappé Is Now an Investor in Watch Marketplace Wristcheck

Just like Jay-Z.
Published on February 7, 2025

By Abby Montanez 11/02/2025

Kylian Mbappé just went from brand ambassador to investor.

The celebrated French footballer, who currently plays for Real Madrid, has taken a stake in luxury watch trading platform Wristcheck, Hypebeast reported lat week.

Off the filed, the 26-year-old soccer star is a known timepiece collector and has served as an ambassador for Swiss marque Hublot since 2018. With this new partnership, the forward joins a growing group of influential backers, including Jay-Z. The rapper and business mogul took an equity stake in the Hong Kong-based company last summer as part of a recent funding round of $7.9 million.

“I’m thrilled to join Wristcheck as an investor through Coalition Capital,” Mbappé said in a press statement. “As a Hublot ambassador and someone passionate about watches and innovation, I see Wristcheck as a platform that truly understands the next generation of collectors. They’re reshaping the watch industry with a forward-thinking approach that blends technology, transparency, and creativity.” Mbappé did not immediately respond to Robb Report‘s request for comment on his new business endeavor.

Kylian Mbappé is an investor in online watch shop Wristcheck.
Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

Launched in 2020 by renowned horophile and Instagram personality Austen Chu, Wristcheck offers a platform for collectors to buy and sell pre-owned watches that have been authenticated by Swiss-trained watchmakers. Since it was founded, the company has raised more than $21.6 million in funding from investors including the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Gobi Partners GBA, and K3 Ventures.

Mbappé, meanwhile, has achieved remarkable success in his soccer career. He won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France, becoming the youngest player to score in a final since Pelé. At PSG, he has secured multiple Ligue 1 titles and domestic cups. Individually, Mbappé has earned the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award and regularly features in top European scoring charts. And in 2020, he was ranked the world’s highest-paid player, surpassing rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

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Sotheby’s Will Put on the Largest Auction of Breguet Watches in Decades This Fall

To celebrate the revered watchmaking house’s 250th anniversary, the sale includes rare collectibles belonging to living Breguet family members.

By Paige Reddinger 11/02/2025

Interest in Breguet has experienced a quiet resurgence among savvy collectors who appreciate the brand’s deep-rooted watchmaking heritage. This growing enthusiasm will soon take center stage with an upcoming auction that shines a significant spotlight on the storied Maison.

Founded in Paris 250 years ago, Abraham-Louis Breguet was one of the most influential watchmakers in history, best known for inventing the tourbillon and the automatic winding system—along with many other groundbreaking innovations. His legacy continues to inspire modern masters such as F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour. You can see Breguet’s influence pointedly in pieces like F.P. Journe’s famous Chronomètre à Résonance timepiece, voted one of Robb Report‘s 50 Greatest Watches of All Time.

Now, Sotheby’s has announced “the largest sale of Breguet timepieces in three decades.” Though the auction won’t take place until November, the auction house is already working to build anticipation. In the meantime, it might be wise to brush up on the most coveted Breguet references.

Breguet 1827 Perpétuelle à Tact watch made for King George IV Breguet

What may pique collectors’ interest is the sale is being curated in conjunction with Breguet and Emmanuel Breguet, the vice president and head of patrimony, who happens to be a descendant of the original Monsieur Breguet. So far, the only timekeeper publicly associated (at least visually) with the auction is the 1827 Perpétuelle à Tact watch made for King George IV. Still, it hints at the historic level of pocket watches, wristwatches, and clocks that will be on offer. Abraham-Louis Breguet was a frequent supplier of high-end and state-of-the-art timepieces for royalty, including Marie Antoinette, Napoleon Bonaparte, and King George III.

Other highlights include an open-faced montre à tact (a watch that replicates the internal hour hand on the cover of the pocket watch via an arrow so that time could be read via touch) with a calendar and moonphase indications that was the inspiration for the Ref. 3330. A pendulette with alarm, perpetual calendar and repeater, and a two-color gold open-faced tourbillon watch is said to be a part of the sale, although no images were provided as of press time. More info on what will be in the sale will come this spring.

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