With undeniable authority in the field of Haute Horlogerie, Breguet is rightfully considered part of our cultural heritage. It owes this unique position to the ingenuity of its founder, A.-L. Breguet (1747-1823) and the talent of today’s watchmakers.
Abraham-Louis Breguet was born in Neuchâtel but spent most of his life in Paris. Interested in all aspects of watchmaking, A.-L. Breguet began his career with a number of unique inventions, such as the “perpetual” mechanical watch with automatic winding, the gong spring for repeating watches, or the “pare-chute” device, which entered the history of watchmaking as the first system to protect the movement from shocks and shocks.
Breguet watches were highly valued by King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. Equipped with original mechanisms and escaping or cylinder escapement, these first time measuring instruments were constantly improved.
During the troubled period of the French Revolution, A.-L. Breguet settled in Switzerland, but later returned to Paris with a set of new inventions, including the legendary Breguet spiral, the first travel clock purchased by Napoleon Bonaparte, the “pendule sympathique” device, tactile clocks, and finally the tourbillon, patented in 1801.
Breguet’s fame spread throughout Europe. From now on, the name of the talented watchmaker was reverently pronounced by royalty, as well as in diplomatic, scientific, military and financial circles. A.-L. Breguet developed and produced special models for the most high-ranking clients: for example, in 1810 he created the first wristwatch for the Queen of Naples, Caroline Murat.
Heaped with honors, Breguet was elected a member of the Bureau of Geographical Coordinates and became the official supplier of watches to the Royal Navy. In addition, he was admitted to the Academy of Sciences and received the Order of the Legion of Honor from the hands of Louis XVIII himself!
A.-L. Breguet died in 1823, having gone down in history as a brilliant master who made a real revolution in watchmaking.
Today, more than ever, a company’s success depends on its ability to innovate in watchmaking. Breguet’s inventiveness and craftsmanship have not only not faded with time, but have reached new heights: since 1999, under the leadership of Nicolas G. Hayek and his successor Mark A. Hayek, the number of registered patents has markedly exceeded the number of inventions made by the founder of the company.
