Abraham Louis Breguet

Breguet is one of the oldest surviving watch-making establishments and is the pioneer of numerous watch-making technologies, the most notable being the tourbillon, invented by Abraham Louis Breguet. Breguet has recently introduced a line of writing instruments as a tribute to writers who mention or feature Breguet watches in their works. Breguet watches are often easily recognized for their coin-edge cases, guilloché dials and blue pomme hands (often now referred to as 'Breguet hands').

The History of Breguet

Breguet was founded in 1775 by Abraham-Louis Breguet at the Quai de l'Horloge on the Ile de la Cite in Paris following his marriage to the daughter of a prosperous French bourgeois. Her dowry provided the "financing" which allowed him to open his own workshop. The connections Breguet had made with scholarly people during his apprenticeship as a watchmaker and as a student of mathematics soon paid off. Following his introduction to the court, whereupon Queen Marie-Antoinette grew fascinated by Breguet's unique self-winding watch, Louis XVI bought several of his watches. Marie Antoinette commissioned the watch that was to contain every watch function known at that time, including the following:

• A Clock
• A Perpetual Calendar
• A Repeater
• A Thermometer
• A Chronograph
• A Power-Reserve
• A Pare-Chute

Marie Antoinette never lived to see the watch, as it was completed 34 years later, long after she had been executed. This watch is now part of the watch collection at the Islamic Museum in Jerusalem - Israel.

Breguet Collections

Gentleman's:

• Classique: Simple, Grandes Complications - popular round pieces, usually with reeded bezels and soldered lugs
• Marine - water-resistant, distinguished by the presence of crown guards.
• Heritage - tonneau-shaped cases
• Type XX,XXI - sturdy chronographs, based on WWII-era pilots watches.
• La 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: (mainly distinguished by diamonds)

• Classique
• Marine
• Heritage
• Type XX
• Reine de Naples - oval bezels