Learn about Breguet's history and development mechanisms. Learn about the brand and its popular collections.

Breguet was founded by Abraham-Louis Breguet, who is said to have "advanced the history of watches by 200 years," and continues to carry on the founder's insatiable passion for watchmaking and aesthetic design. Let's take a look at Breguet's history, inventions, and popular collections.

Learn the basics of Breguet

Nowadays, many luxury watch manufacturers release highly accurate timepieces equipped with multiple complicated mechanisms, but without the achievements of Breguet's founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet, watchmaking may not have developed to this extent.

One of the long-established watch manufacturers by a genius watchmaker

Breguet is a long-established watch manufacturer founded in 1775 by the Swiss genius watchmaker and inventor Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823).

Abraham-Louis Breguet invented the shock-absorbing mechanism and automatic winding mechanism, which are essential to modern wristwatches, during the era of pocket watches, and he also invented and improved many other complicated mechanisms, including the tourbillon.

Abraham-Louis Breguet's contributions to the history of watches are so great that it is said that he invented or improved approximately 70% of the mechanisms used in modern wristwatches.

The watches made by Abraham-Louis Breguet were admired by all European courts and were loved by royalty and aristocrats, including Queen Marie Antoinette of France, as well as elites such as scientists, military personnel, financiers, and diplomats.

It is said to have advanced the history of clocks by 200 years.

In 1780, Abraham-Louis Breguet developed the "Perpétuelle," a self-winding pocket watch equipped with a platinum counterweight, and in 1790 he developed the "parachute" mechanism, which can be considered the forerunner of modern-day Incabloc and other shock-absorbing mechanisms.

In addition to developing numerous sonor mechanisms for repeater watches, the company has also developed a perpetual calendar that automatically adjusts for leap years, and a tourbillon that offsets the effects of gravity due to changes in position.

In 1810, he developed the first wristwatch, the Breguet No. 2639, for Queen Caroline Murat of Naples. Thanks to these many innovative inventions, Abraham-Louis Breguet is said to have "advanced the history of watches by 200 years."

The History of Breguet

Breguet is a long-established luxury watch manufacturer that was founded over 245 years ago, but it left the hands of the founding family in 1870 and has since regained its glory by becoming part of the Swatch Group in 1999.

Starting from the Ile de la Cité in Paris

Born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland in 1747, Abraham-Louis Breguet left his hometown as a teenager and went to Paris, France to train as a watchmaker.

In 1775, with the help of Abbot Joseph-François-Marie, he established a luxury watchmaking workshop on the Quai de l'Horloge on the Île de la Cité in Paris.

Introduced to the French royal family by Marie, Abraham-Louis Breguet quickly gained clients among the royal families and aristocrats of various European countries.

Until his death in 1823, he achieved outstanding inventions in terms of design, including various fundamental mechanisms and complex mechanisms of watches, as well as numerous hand-engraved guilloched patterns, Breguet hands, and Breguet numerals.

Leaving the founder's family

Abraham-Louis Breguet's descendants shifted their interests from watchmaking to electricity and aviation, and the third generation, Louis-Clément, sold the watch division to workshop manager Edward Brown in 1870.

After 95 years of business, Breguet passed away from the founding family, and the Brown family inherited Abraham-Louis Breguet's watchmaking legacy.

In 1970, the Parisian jewellers Chaumet brothers bought the Breguet trademark, and in 76 moved the workshop to the Vallée de Joux in Switzerland.

Breguet was sold to the investment company Investcorp in 87, and in 88 it released a tourbillon wristwatch as a tribute to its founder.

Acquisition by the Swatch Group

Under Investcorp's management, Breguet expanded its sales network to Asia and North America, but in 1999 it was acquired by the Swatch Group, the world's largest watch manufacturing group, which also owns Omega and ETA.

In 2001, the company celebrated the 200th anniversary of the tourbillon patent, and in 04 it introduced an automatic tourbillon movement, and in 06 it adopted silicon materials and announced the "Twin Rotating Tourbillon," which featured two tourbillons, making further advances for the new Breguet.

Popular Breguet watch collections

Breguet is a brand that continues to carry on the achievements and legacy of its great founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet, to the present day. We will introduce some of its most popular collections: Classique, Tradition, and Marine.

A refined and classic design

The "Classic" collection, launched in 1972, is based on a simple round case reminiscent of a pocket watch, and recreates traditional elements unique to Breguet.

From ultra-thin watches to complicated watches, the dials are decorated with intricate guilloché and Breguet hands, and some models use authentic oven-fired enamel dials and hand-painted Breguet numerals, combining high visibility, precision, and elegant design.

Tradition: Passing on technical skills to the present day

The Tradition collection, launched in 2005, features a mechanism and design inspired by Abraham-Louis Breguet's masterpiece pocket watch, the Subscription.

The design features a large barrel placed in the center, gears arranged symmetrically on top of it, and an off-center dial at 12 o'clock. The shock-absorbing mechanism uses Breguet's traditional parachute.

The bold openwork reveals the movement components, which are meticulously hand-finished, including the application of "grénaille" (sandblasted) decoration to the surface, recreating the perfect aesthetic design sought by Abraham-Louis Breguet.

Marine: A precision marine watch

In 1815, Abraham-Louis Breguet was appointed by King Louis XVIII of France as manufacturer of marine chronometers (precise timepieces for navigation) for the Royal Navy.

The Marine collection was launched in 1990 as a sporty watch water resistant to 50m, inspired by the company's founder, who holds the title of "Horloger de la Marine," the highest title given to a watchmaker.

The sturdy case with a crown protector is sporty, but also gives off a sophisticated and elegant impression, with hand-lacquered finishes and intricately hand-engraved guilloche patterns decorating the dial.

Discover Breguet's deep history

Breguet was founded by Abraham-Louis Breguet, the most important genius watchmaker in the history of watches, and today the company continues to carry on its founder's insatiable passion for watchmaking and aesthetic design.

Learn about Breguet's profound history and experience the charm of watches that embody the very foundations of watchmaking history.