Breguet (brand)

Breguet is a Swiss luxury watch, clock and jewelry manufacturer founded by Abraham-Louis Breguet in Paris in 1775. Headquartered in L'Abbaye, Switzerland, Breguet is one of the oldest surviving watchmaking brands and a pioneer of numerous watchmaking technologies such as the tourbillon, which was developed into a practical solution by Abraham Breguet in 1801.[1] Abraham Breguet also invented and produced the world's first self-winding watch (the Perpétuelle) in 1780, as well as the world's first wristwatch in 1810 (the Breguet No.2639, for Caroline Bonaparte, Queen of Naples).[2][3][4]

Since 1999, it has been a subsidiary of the Swiss Swatch Group.

History

Early history

Breguet was founded in 1775 by Abraham-Louis Breguet, a Swiss watchmaker born to Huguenot parents in Neuchâtel. He studied watchmaking for ten years under Ferdinand Berthoud and Jean-Antoine Lépine before setting up his own watchmaking business at 51 Quai de l'Horloge on the Île de la Cité in Paris. The dowry that came with his marriage to the daughter of a prosperous French bourgeois provided the backing which allowed him to open his own workshop.

Breguet's connections made during his apprenticeship as a watchmaker and as a student of mathematics helped him to establish his business. Following his introduction to the court, Queen Marie Antoinette grew fascinated by Breguet's unique self-winding watch; Louis XVI bought several of his watches. In 1783 the Swedish count Axel Von Fersen, who was the queen's friend and reputed lover, commissioned a watch from Breguet that was to contain every watch complication known at that time as a gift to Marie Antoinette. The result is a Breguet's masterpiece, the Marie-Antoinette pocket watch (Breguet No.160).

The business was a success, and around 1807 Abraham-Louis Breguet took on his son Louis-Antoine as his partner, renaming the firm "Breguet et Fils" (Breguet and Sons). Louis-Antoine took over the firm upon the death of his father in 1823. After Louis-Antoine retired in 1833 (he died in 1858) the business was passed to Abraham-Louis' grandson Louis Clément Francois (1804–1883).

Abraham-Louis' great-grandson Louis Antoine (1851–1882) was the last of the Breguet family to run the business. Although he had two sons and a daughter, they did not enter the business, so the Breguet company hired noted English watchmaker Edward Brown of Clerkenwell to manage the Paris factory. Brown eventually became a partner and, after Breguet's grandson's death, the owner and head of the company. When Brown died in 1895 the firm was taken over by his sons, Edward and Henry. On Edward's retirement in the early 1900s, Henry Brown became the head of the firm.[5]

Notable models

Marie-Antoinette pocket watch

In 1783, an admirer of Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France, commissioned a watch from Abraham-Louis Breguet as a gift for the Queen.[29][30] The requirement was that the watch should be "as spectacular as possible, incorporating the fullest range of horological expertise known at the time".[29][31] There was no time deadline or financial limit with the commission.[29]

The final product was the Breguet No.160 grand complication (Marie-Antoinette pocket watch). However, the watch was only finished in 1827, 34 years after the death of the Queen during French Revolution, and four years after the death of Abraham-Louis Breguet (the watch was eventually completed by the son of Abraham Breguet).[29][31] In total, it took 44 years to make the watch.[29][31]

The watch had been kept in the Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem until it was stolen in 1983.[29][32] In 2007, the watch was eventually recovered and returned to the museum.[29][32]

Gentleman's collection

Classique: popular round pieces, usually with reeded casebands and soldered lugs;
Grand complications
The Classique Tourbillon Extra-Flat, available in rose gold or platinum.[33]
The Classique Small Seconds, available in rose gold or in white gold.[34]
La Marine – water-resistant, distinguished by the presence of crown guards;
Heritage – tonneau-shaped cases;
Type XX, XXI, XXII – sports chronographs, based on World War II-era pilots' watches;
The Type XXII Flyback Chronograph, available in rose gold.[35]
Tradition – similar to the long gone Souscription by Breguet, open-faced watches with the movement on the front, along with a small face.

Lady's collection

Classique
La Marine
Heritage
Tradition
Reine de Naples – known by the motto "In every woman is a queen."[36][37]

Most expensive pieces

Breguet & Fils, Paris No.2667 – Pocket watch, sold in May 2012 at Christie's Geneva auction for US$4.69 million (CHF 4,339,000).[38][39][40]
Breguet, Paris, No.4111 – Pocket watch, sold in May 2012 at Christie's Geneva auction for US$2.75 million (CHF 2,547,000).[41][42]
Breguet Sympathique Clock No.128 & 5009 (Duc d'Orléans Breguet Sympathique) – In December 2012, the clock formerly owned by Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans) was auctioned by Sotheby's for US$6.8 million in New York, making it the most expensive Breguet timepiece ever sold at auction.

type	Subsidiary
founder	Abraham-Louis Breguet
area served	Worldwide
key people	Nicolas G. Hayek
industry	Luxury watchmaking
products	Tourbillon, watches, clocks, jewelry
parent	The Swatch Group
foundation	1775
location city	L'Abbaye
location country	Switzerland
homepage	breguet.ch

History

Early history

Recent development

Manufacturing

Inventions and patents

Notable models

Marie-Antoinette pocket watch

Gentleman's collection

Lady's collection

Most expensive pieces

Cultural impact

See also

External links

References