The Breva brand is back: in March, the brand unveiled the first model since its disappearance.

The debut model tells us about Breva's new start: this isn't a rebirth, but more of a new lease on life for the company. The novelty has strayed too far from the Breva Génie models. The watch has taken a clear step in the direction of classic design without losing interest in unorthodox complications.

As a quick reminder, the old Breva established in 2010 by Vincent Dupontreué found a way to collectors' hearts by incorporating functions which are more typically associated with electronic sports trackers (the line featured mechanical barometers and speedometers).

The brand's own name is the point of departure for the marketing strategy adopted by Julien Haenny, Breva's new CEO and the former head of Anonimo and Vulcain, who has also held executive positions at MGI Luxury Group, Jaeger-LeCoultre, TechnoMarine and HYT.

Breva is the name of a thermal wind on Lake Como, so the watch is marketed as a marriage of Italian elegance with Swiss haute horology, and the debut model has been named Segreto di Lario (It. "Secret of Lake Como", where "Lario" is another name used for the lake in Italy, otherwise known as "Lago di Como").

The main complication that sets the tone for the watch's design is the double retrograde time scale for the power reserve by Jean-François Mojon of Chronode, who was also behind the concept for the first Breva Génie, so the legacy lives on.

Its movement with two barrels provides a week's worth of power reserve, and the critical seventh day has been given its own scale and hand here. The movement developed based on a C101 caliber is housed in a cushion-shaped rose-gold case that measures 41 mm × 11.10 mm.

Availability of the Segreto di Lario is limited to 25 pieces. Similar to MB&F, Breva not only credits the team of partners behind specific components in the movement, they also provide a detailed description of their spheres of influence.

For instance, work on the design involved specialists from EDGE Design, the case was crafted by AB Concept, Cadranor was responsible for making the dial, GMG Composants manufactured the precision hands, and the strap was created by the Italian manufacturer Cinturini.