July 6, 2010

The Extraordinary History Of Breguet Watches

The art of measuring time has never been as accurate and elegant as it has been after more than two centuries of evolution and innovation. At the forefront of such dynamic evolution is Montres Breguet, a luxury watchmaker founded in 1775 by Abraham Louis Breguet in Paris.

Considered one of the oldest surviving watchmaker, Breguet has earned the reputation of being a pioneer in the art of watch-making with the invention of various watch mechanisms, the most notable of which is the tourbillon. Since its inception, the brand’s loyal patrons included royalties and powerful figures in history such as Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Sir Winston Churchill, to name only a few.

Breguet’s reliability is likewise proven to be the best in the industry when it was commissioned by the French government to supply the Type XX flyback chronograph to the Air Force, the Navy, and the CEV. This legendary model is known to be the most valuable to collectors of all the French military chronographs ever produced.

Another Breguet model hailed by watch connoisseurs is the watch commissioned by Queen Marie Antoinnette, The Breguet No. 160 which contained all the 23 complications possible at that time. The infamous queen never lived to see the watch, having been completed 34 years after her execution.  It is recognized by experts to be the most important watch ever made and is identified as Breguet No. 160 ‘The Queen’, a testament to the extraordinary horological skills of the 18th century.

In 1999, Montres Breguet was acquired by the Swatch Group with Nicolas G. Hayek at its helm. At present, the brand has maintained its reputation for horological innovation and ingenuity. The company still plays a dominant role in the development of watch mechanisms. It has since expanded to produce exquisite jewelry and writing instruments. As it constantly evolved over the centuries, it has remained dynamic, yet never compromising the traditions of excellence and elegance it has inherited from its legendary founder.

 

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