The House of Breguet
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1775 - 1801
1775
-
1801
Abraham-Louis
Breguet
left
his
native
Neuchâtel
in
his
teens
to
complete
his
apprenticeship
as
a
watchmaker
in
Versailles
and
Paris.
In
1775,
he
opened
his
own
workshop
in
the
Île
de
la
Cité
in
Paris.
Thanks
to
Abbé
Marie,
who
took
him
under
his
wing,
he
was
introduced
to
the
French
court,
whose
members
soon
became
part
of
his
clientele.
Forced
to
leave
France
during
the
dark
days
of
the
Revolution,
he
returned
in
1795
to
continue
his
work,
with
many
projects
in
mind.
The
early
years
of
this
brilliant
watchmaker
were
marked
by
inventions
that
still
benefit
the
entire
watchmaking
industry
today.
Opening of Abraham-Louis Breguet's workshop in Paris
Opening
of
Abraham-Louis
Breguet's
workshop
in
Paris
Opening of Abraham-Louis Breguet's workshop in Paris
Opening
of
Abraham-Louis
Breguet's
workshop
in
Paris
A.-L.
Breguet,
born
in
Neuchâtel
in
1747,
set
up
his
own
business
on
the
Quai
de
l'Horloge,
Île
de
la
Cité
in
Paris.
He
had
recently
married
and
moved
into
a
building
overlooking
Quai
de
l'Horloge
on
one
side
and
Place
Dauphine
on
the
other.
He
became
the
owner
at
the
end
of
the
Revolution
and
passed
it
on
to
his
heirs.
Order for watch N°160, known as the “Marie-Antoinette” watch
Order
for
watch
N°160,
known
as
the
“Marie-Antoinette”
watch
Order for watch N°160, known as the “Marie-Antoinette” watch
Order
for
watch
N°160,
known
as
the
“Marie-Antoinette”
watch
One
of
the
Queen's
guards
ordered
a
watch
incorporating
all
the
complications
and
improvements
known
at
the
time.
A.-L. Breguet returns to Switzerland during the French Revolution
A.-L.
Breguet
returns
to
Switzerland
during
the
French
Revolution
A.-L. Breguet returns to Switzerland during the French Revolution
A.-L.
Breguet
returns
to
Switzerland
during
the
French
Revolution
The
watchmaker
took
refuge
in
his
native
country
until
1795,
and
despite
the
distance,
he
managed
to
run
what
remained
of
his
workshop.
Sale of the first subscription watch
Sale
of
the
first
subscription
watch
Sale of the first subscription watch
Sale
of
the
first
subscription
watch
Sold
on
a
subscription
basis
-
a
quarter
of
the
price
is
paid
when
the
order
is
placed
-
this
creation
is
distinguished
in
particular
by
its
single
hand.
Purchase of three timepieces by Napoleon before his Egypt campaign
Purchase
of
three
timepieces
by
Napoleon
before
his
Egypt
campaign
Purchase of three timepieces by Napoleon before his Egypt campaign
Purchase
of
three
timepieces
by
Napoleon
before
his
Egypt
campaign
One
of
Breguet's
most
famous
customers,
Napoleon
Bonaparte
bought
a
repeater
watch,
a
travel
clock
and
a
perpetual
watch
that
year.
Sale of the first “tact watch”
Sale
of
the
first
“tact
watch”
Sale of the first “tact watch”
Sale
of
the
first
“tact
watch”
This
watch
can
be
read
by
touch.
An
arrow
on
the
outside
of
the
case
reproduces
the
position
of
the
hour
hand.
After
“feeling”
the
position
of
the
arrow,
the
wearer
can
find
their
bearings
thanks
to
markers
located
directly
above
the
hours.
Inventions in this period
1801 - 1823
1801
-
1823
A.-L.
Breguet
discovered
a
changed
France
when
he
returned
to
Paris
at
the
end
of
the
Revolution.
Nevertheless,
he
managed
to
continue
developing
his
foreign
clientele
and
created
a
truly
international
distribution
network
that
extended
as
far
as
Russia
and
Turkey.
His
clientele
included
some
of
Europe's
most
prominent
figures.
He
continued
his
career
with
a
number
of
prestigious
inventions,
including
the
Tourbillon.
This
extraordinary
career
earned
him
several
distinctions,
such
as
member
of
the
Bureau
des
Longitudes,
Watchmaker
to
the
French
Royal
Navy,
member
of
the
French
Academy
of
Sciences
and
Knight
of
the
Legion
of
Honour.
He
died
in
1823
at
the
age
of
76.
First purchase of Selim III
First
purchase
of
Selim
III
First purchase of Selim III
First
purchase
of
Selim
III
Ali
Effendi,
then
Minister
for
the
Navy,
commissioned
the
finest
possible
repeating
watch
for
the
Ottoman
Emperor,
Selim
III.
First purchase by Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples
First
purchase
by
Caroline
Murat,
Queen
of
Naples
First purchase by Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples
First
purchase
by
Caroline
Murat,
Queen
of
Naples
With
34
clocks
and
watches
purchased
between
1808
and
1814,
Caroline
Murat,
Napoleon's
youngest
sister,
became
A.-L.
Breguet's
most
important
customer.
This
special
relationship
led
to
the
creation
of
the
first
watch
designed
specifically
to
be
worn
on
the
wrist.
Purchase of a “sympathique clock” by the Tsar of Russia, Alexander I
Purchase
of
a
“sympathique
clock”
by
the
Tsar
of
Russia,
Alexander
I
Purchase of a “sympathique clock” by the Tsar of Russia, Alexander I
Purchase
of
a
“sympathique
clock”
by
the
Tsar
of
Russia,
Alexander
I
He
appreciated
Breguet's
creations
and
encouraged
their
sale
in
Russia.
He
also
ordered
a
series
of
pedometers
to
measure
the
marching
pace
of
his
troops.
Appointment of A.-L. Breguet as Watchmaker to the French Royal Navy
Appointment
of
A.-L.
Breguet
as
Watchmaker
to
the
French
Royal
Navy
Appointment of A.-L. Breguet as Watchmaker to the French Royal Navy
Appointment
of
A.-L.
Breguet
as
Watchmaker
to
the
French
Royal
Navy
After
his
appointment
to
the
Bureau
des
Longitudes
in
Paris
in
1814,
A.-L.
Breguet
was
given
the
official
title
of
Watchmaker
to
the
French
Royal
Navy
by
Louis
XVIII.
This
was
the
most
prestigious
title
a
watchmaker
could
receive,
since
the
very
notion
of
marine
watchmaking
implied
scientific
knowledge.
Death of A.-L. Breguet
Death
of
A.-L.
Breguet
Death of A.-L. Breguet
Death
of
A.-L.
Breguet
A.-L.
Breguet
died
during
the
night
of
16
to
17
September,
aged
seventy-six
years
and
eight
months.
His
only
son
and
associate,
Antoine-Louis
Breguet,
born
in
1776,
took
over
the
management
of
the
company
and
continued
his
father's
work.
1823 - 1870
1823
-
1870
Antoine-Louis
Breguet,
the
founder's
only
son,
took
over
the
company
following
his
father's
death.
He
had
been
immersed
in
watchmaking
from
an
early
age
and
continued
the
family
business
until
1833,
when
his
own
son,
Louis-Clément,
took
over.
With
his
passion
for
the
uses
of
electricity,
he
also
injected
a
new
dynamism
into
the
company,
understanding
that
watchmaking
was
now
aimed
at
a
wider
audience.
This
marked
the
start
of
mass
production.
The company is taken over by the founder's grandson, Louis-Clément Breguet
The
company
is
taken
over
by
the
founder's
grandson,
Louis-Clément
Breguet
The company is taken over by the founder's grandson, Louis-Clément Breguet
The
company
is
taken
over
by
the
founder's
grandson,
Louis-Clément
Breguet
His
passion
for
electricity
made
him
one
of
Europe's
leading
specialists
in
the
field,
to
the
detriment
of
traditional
watchmaking,
which
he
gradually
lost
interest
in.
Purchase by Queen Victoria
Purchase
by
Queen
Victoria
Purchase by Queen Victoria
Purchase
by
Queen
Victoria
The
young
Queen
purchased
a
small
watch
with
an
off-centre
dial
wound
by
a
knurled
button.
Servicing of Gioachino Rossini's watch
Servicing
of
Gioachino
Rossini's
watch
Servicing of Gioachino Rossini's watch
Servicing
of
Gioachino
Rossini's
watch
The
great
composer
owned
a
simple
date
watch
that
his
wife
continued
to
maintain
after
his
death.
Appointment of Louis-Clément Breguet to the Bureau des Longitudes
Appointment
of
Louis-Clément
Breguet
to
the
Bureau
des
Longitudes
Appointment of Louis-Clément Breguet to the Bureau des Longitudes
Appointment
of
Louis-Clément
Breguet
to
the
Bureau
des
Longitudes
Writers in this period
1870 - 1970
1870
-
1970
A.-L.
Breguet's
descendants
gradually
lost
interest
in
watchmaking
in
favour
of
other
sectors
such
as
electricity,
scientific
instruments
and,
later,
aviation.
In
1870,
Louis-Clément
Breguet,
representing
the
third
generation,
sold
the
watchmaking
branch
of
the
company
to
his
workshop
manager
Edward
Brown.
The
Brown
family,
aware
of
the
historical
importance
of
Breguet
and
the
heritage
it
represents,
continued
to
run
the
company
for
a
century.
With
great
perseverance,
they
consistently
maintained
the
brand's
activity
and
traditions,
despite
numerous
difficulties,
crises
and
world
wars.
Sale of the watchmaking company to Edward Brown, workshop manager
Sale
of
the
watchmaking
company
to
Edward
Brown,
workshop
manager
Sale of the watchmaking company to Edward Brown, workshop manager
Sale
of
the
watchmaking
company
to
Edward
Brown,
workshop
manager
Almost
a
century
after
it
was
founded,
the
watchmaking
company
left
the
Breguet
family
and
its
birthplace
on
the
Quai
de
l'Horloge.
Another
family,
the
Browns,
would
take
over
for
exactly
one
hundred
years.
Three
generations
and
four
owner-managers
succeeded
one
another.
Purchase of a watch by the Duke of Marlborough
Purchase
of
a
watch
by
the
Duke
of
Marlborough
Purchase of a watch by the Duke of Marlborough
Purchase
of
a
watch
by
the
Duke
of
Marlborough
Sir
Winston
Churchill's
uncle
purchased
an
exceptional
minute
repeater
chronograph
with
split-seconds,
which
later
belonged
to
his
famous
nephew.
First servicing of Sir Winston Churchill’s watch
First
servicing
of
Sir
Winston
Churchill’s
watch
First servicing of Sir Winston Churchill’s watch
First
servicing
of
Sir
Winston
Churchill’s
watch
Throughout
his
life,
he
visited
Breguet,
either
to
make
purchases
or
to
have
the
watch
he
wore
all
his
life,
N°765,
serviced.
Servicing of Arthur Rubinstein's watch
Servicing
of
Arthur
Rubinstein's
watch
Servicing of Arthur Rubinstein's watch
Servicing
of
Arthur
Rubinstein's
watch
The
timepiece
owned
by
the
famous
pianist
was
first
made
in
1822.
It
later
belonged
to
Prince
Scherbatoff.
Sale of made-to-measure car watches for Bugatti
Sale
of
made-to-measure
car
watches
for
Bugatti
Sale of made-to-measure car watches for Bugatti
Sale
of
made-to-measure
car
watches
for
Bugatti
Ettore
Bugatti
chose
Breguet
to
produce
chronographs
with
a
tachometer
function
for
the
centre
of
the
steering
wheels
of
his
luxurious
“Royale”
automobiles.
Opening of the Place Vendôme Boutique
Opening
of
the
Place
Vendôme
Boutique
Opening of the Place Vendôme Boutique
Opening
of
the
Place
Vendôme
Boutique
Still
a
Parisian
brand,
Breguet
moves
into
28
Place
Vendôme.
It
was
the
first
watch
brand
to
set
up
shop
on
this
iconic
square,
and
remains
there
to
this
day,
having
occupied
several
different
addresses.
1970 - 1999
1970
-
1999
Breguet
changed
hands
in
1970
and
for
fifteen
years
belonged
to
the
Chaumet
brothers,
heirs
to
a
prestigious
jewellery
Maison.
From
then
on,
Breguet
chose
to
devote
itself
exclusively
to
very
high-end
watchmaking,
including
watches
with
complications
that
revived
its
traditional
style.
Production
took
place
in
the
Vallée
de
Joux
in
Switzerland.
In
1987,
Breguet
was
taken
over
by
the
financial
company
Investcorp.
Favourable
economic
conditions
enabled
the
company
to
expand
into
new
markets
in
Asia
and
North
America.
Sale of Breguet to the Parisian jewellers Chaumet
Sale
of
Breguet
to
the
Parisian
jewellers
Chaumet
Sale of Breguet to the Parisian jewellers Chaumet
Sale
of
Breguet
to
the
Parisian
jewellers
Chaumet
From
1970
onwards,
new
watches
with
complications
were
developed
and
made
available
in
several
countries
around
the
world.
Opening of a workshop in the Vallée de Joux (Switzerland)
Opening
of
a
workshop
in
the
Vallée
de
Joux
(Switzerland)
Opening of a workshop in the Vallée de Joux (Switzerland)
Opening
of
a
workshop
in
the
Vallée
de
Joux
(Switzerland)
A
Swiss
workshop
in
this
well-known
watchmaking
valley
was
opened
in
addition
to
the
one
in
Paris.
The
links
with
Breguet's
country
of
origin
had
always
been
close
since
the
company's
origins
and
were
now
considerably
strengthened.
Acquisition of Breguet by Investcorp
Acquisition
of
Breguet
by
Investcorp
Acquisition of Breguet by Investcorp
Acquisition
of
Breguet
by
Investcorp
Bahrain-based
financial
company
Investcorp
acquires
Breguet.
With
a
view
to
expanding
its
production
facilities,
in
1991
it
acquired
Nouvelle
Lémania,
a
watch
manufacturer
specialising
in
top-of-the-range
movements
and
complications,
and
Valdar,
a
manufacturer
of
components.
Together
with
Breguet,
they
formed
a
small
watchmaking
group.
Nouvelle
Lémania
gradually
became
the
Breguet
Manufacture
as
it
supplied
more
and
more
finished
movements
to
Breguet.
Opening of a new Manufacture in L'Abbaye in the Vallée de Joux (Switzerland)
Opening
of
a
new
Manufacture
in
L'Abbaye
in
the
Vallée
de
Joux
(Switzerland)
Opening of a new Manufacture in L'Abbaye in the Vallée de Joux (Switzerland)
Opening
of
a
new
Manufacture
in
L'Abbaye
in
the
Vallée
de
Joux
(Switzerland)
Breguet
moves
into
a
renovated
building
equipped
for
its
specific
needs.
Today,
this
is
the
company's
head
office
and
all
production
activities
are
carried
out
from
the
Manufacture
in
L'Orient
(Switzerland).
1999 - Present
1999
-
Present
1999
marks
a
new
beginning
for
Breguet,
which
is
taken
over
by
the
Swatch
Group.
Under
the
impetus
of
Nicolas
G.
Hayek,
and
thanks
to
major
human
and
financial
investments,
Breguet
regained
its
glory
and
prestige.
Following
his
death
in
2010,
his
grandson
Marc
A.
Hayek
took
over
the
helm
of
this
gem
of
the
watchmaking
world.
In
2024,
Grégory
Kissling
was
appointed
CEO
of
the
Maison,
working
closely
with
Mr
Hayek,
who
is
still
President.
Sale of the Breguet watchmaking group to Swatch Group
Sale
of
the
Breguet
watchmaking
group
to
Swatch
Group
Sale of the Breguet watchmaking group to Swatch Group
Sale
of
the
Breguet
watchmaking
group
to
Swatch
Group
Breguet
becomes
the
fifteenth
Maison
to
join
Swatch
Group
under
the
leadership
of
Nicolas
G.
Hayek,
who
becomes
its
Chief
Executive
Officer.
With
a
genuine
passion
for
the
brand,
he
dedicated
the
necessary
human
and
financial
resources
to
restore
it
to
its
former
glory
and
place
it
once
again
at
the
pinnacle
of
Fine
Watchmaking.
Marc A. Hayek takes over as CEO
Marc
A.
Hayek
takes
over
as
CEO
Marc A. Hayek takes over as CEO
Marc
A.
Hayek
takes
over
as
CEO
Following
the
death
of
his
grandfather,
he
took
over
the
running
of
Breguet
and
has
continued
to
raise
the
company
to
the
highest
level
ever
since.
Creation of Montres Breguet Boîtes
Creation
of
Montres
Breguet
Boîtes
Creation of Montres Breguet Boîtes
Creation
of
Montres
Breguet
Boîtes
The
case
manufacturer
Favre
&
Perret,
which
has
long
produced
cases
for
Breguet
watches,
officially
becomes
Montres
Breguet
Boîtes
(MBB).
Expansion of the L'Orient Manufacture in the Vallée de Joux (Switzerland) is completed
Expansion
of
the
L'Orient
Manufacture
in
the
Vallée
de
Joux
(Switzerland)
is
completed
Expansion of the L'Orient Manufacture in the Vallée de Joux (Switzerland) is completed
Expansion
of
the
L'Orient
Manufacture
in
the
Vallée
de
Joux
(Switzerland)
is
completed
After
the
acquisition
by
Swatch
Group
in
1999,
the
expansion
of
the
Manufacture
Breguet
continued
until
2015.
Inventions in this period
2002
Introduction of the Reine de Naples model including a new moon-phase mechanism
2014
Unveiling of an extra-thin Tourbillon movement
2022
Announcement of an innovative dual time zone watch "Hora Mundi" in the Marine line
2023