Few industries have been as influenced by a single individual as watchmaking has been since Abraham-Louis Breguet. An influence that was not only intense but above all continued over time and which is still reflected today in the creations of many Houses. However, Breguet's merits do not end with a list of the technical revolutions he brought about.
In fact, he retains the virtue of having given a decisive impulse to complicated or “author's” watchmaking, ie the creation of objects for personal use which, while representing the passing of time, are embellished with workmanship and technical finesse. Objects so precious and refined could not fail to make inroads in the hearts of the rulers of the time, notoriously dedicated to the search for splendor and uniqueness.
Breguet and the French Crown
After the brilliant conclusion of his apprenticeship, Breguet opens his own workshop in Quai de l'Horloge, in which he begins to receive his clients working on commission. The fame of Breguet signed timepieces soon spread within the Parisian noble circles, up to the royal chambers of the Palace of Versailles. So much so that in 1782 the Queen Marie Antoinette visit to Breguet's atelier, where, being impressed by the creations, she buys a watch “Perpetual“, which is one of the very first self-winding movements.
The relationship between Breguet and Marie Antoinette strengthened over the years, since the queen soon became one of his best and most demanding customers. The royal support allows the consecration of the Breguet name, within the Parisian ateliers and allows the craftsman to have the necessary funds to experiment with his own newborn technical solutions.
Related to the figure of Maria Antonietta but not commissioned by the queen, the Breguet no. 160 it represents one of the most precious timepieces ever made, as well as the master's complete work. The story, since its inception, retains an aura of mystery which helps to accentuate its charm. In fact, the identity of the client is not known, who must have been a nobleman, a secret admirer of the queen. Some historians argue that this figure could be the Swedish count Axel Von Fersen the Younger, alleged lover of the queen at the time. If the client intended to represent his love for Marie Antoinette through the timepiece, it was certainly a very strong feeling, so much so that Breguet operated without a precise budget.
The motto with which the no. 160 has been achieved could be summed up in the sentence: “the best of everything“. In fact, by express will of the client, the gold had to be extended to all the parts for which no specific material was needed. Even on a technical level, the indications left no room for doubt, with Breguet that he could have indulged himself, inserting any complication.
The craftsman's commitment and the resources put in place by the mysterious buyer were nullified by the outbreak of the French Revolution and the consequent death of the queen. This event combined with the enormous work necessary to create and refine such a complicated timepiece, led to an important dilation of time. Commissioned in 1783, the no. 160 was completed in 1827, 4 years after Breguet's death. From that moment on, the watch remained the property of the Breguet company until 1887, when it was sold to Sir Spencer Brunton. In the 20s the no. 160 was given to the English scientist David Lionel Salomons, after whose death it was donated, together with other relics, to the LA Mayer Institute for Islamic Art Museum in Jerusalem. However, on April 17, 1983, the museum suffered a theft in which numerous objects were stolen, including the Breguet no. 106. It took 24 years for the timepiece to be recovered and brought back to Israel, where it remains today.
Breguet after the French Revolution
The correspondence between the watchmaker and Marie Antoinette lasted until 1789, the year in which the French Revolution and the royal family was sentenced to death. The fall of the Ancien Régime marked a decisive step in Breguet's professional life, a moment punctuated both by economic uncertainties, deriving from the disappearance of his clientele, and by an unprecedented creative fervor up to that moment. In 1793 Breguet moved to Switzerland, which at the time was already home to illustrious watchmakers. The Swiss interlude lasted only until 1795, when Breguet returned to Paris and found a renewed clientele, made up of members of the Napoleonic army. The success achieved among the nobles of the Ancien Regime was also reconfirmed among the newly born ruling class. In 1797 Breguet introduces the famous series of “subscription“, a series of timepieces built upon payment of a quarter of the total. These objects are less expensive than those made to order and help to expand the plethora of customers. The prestige assumed by the Breguet name prompted Napoleon himself to purchase three timepieces in April 1798.
From the early 1800s, Breguet added to the list of its most loyal customers another apical figure of the time, the future queen of Naples, as well as Napoleon's sister: Caroline Murat. between 1808 and 1814 Caroline Murat bought 34 Breguet watches and in 1810 he commissioned what would go down in history as the first wristwatch ever produced. Breguet accepted the challenge and carried it out, delivering the timepiece with repeater and thermometer in 1812.
At this point the Breguet name had crossed the threshold of the Parisian salons to reach all of Europe. In this regard, there are countless expressions of esteem by artists, intellectuals, nobles and sovereigns towards Breguet, among which we remember that of Stendhal and that of the Tsar of Russia Alexander I. The crowning glory of Breguet's career came in 1816, when he was elected to the prestigious Académie Royale Des Sciences. Abraham-Louis died on September 17, 1823 in Paris.
In 1795, the watchmaker took a big step in the perpetual quest for absolute precision, by introducing the Breguet hairspring. It represents an evolution of the flat spiral, invented in 1675 by Huygens, modifying its shape to ensure greater efficiency and precision. The newborn Breguet hairspring was used far and wide throughout the 1800s and 1900s. However, the invention that most of all made Breguet rise to a central figure in the history of the sector is the Whirlwind.
Patented on June 26, 1801, following a request personally forwarded by Breguet to the French Minister of the Interior Chaptal (a scientist and former client of Breguet), this solution significantly increased the accuracy of the timepieces. Indeed, the aim is to cancel out the irregularities resulting from the action of gravity on the watch. This was accomplished by placing the balance wheel, lever and escapement inside a cage that rotates one full rotation per minute around an axis. The project, extremely ambitious, needs 4 years to see the light. In fact, only in 1805 were the first two timepieces equipped with a tourbillon completed and until Breguet's death only 35 units were made and sold.
Lorenzo Rabbiosi (The Watch Boutique)
