Abraham Louis Breguet
1747 - 1823A Short Biography
Abraham Louis Breguet is widely considered one of the greatest horologists of all time. Not only was he a technical expert - he is credited with many innovations - but he was also an artist with a distinctive style.Breguet was born in Neuchatel, Switzerland, into a family that already included many horologists. At the age of 15 he was apprenticed to a Versailles watchmaker. He moved to Paris in 1775 and the now famous watchmaking firm the House of Breguet.
Innovations
Breguet's first major contribution to horology was the automatic - perpetuelle - watch. This was first commercialised by Breguet in 1780.His most famous invention is the tourbillon. This is a system whereby the whole watch mechanism rotates to compensate for error. Breguet tourbillon watches are much sought after by collectors.
Other innovations of Breguet include: the first anti-shock system, the overcoil balance spring, the tact watch (for telling the time by touch), the constant force escapement and the sympathetic pendulum.
He was also an innovator in the commercial field and in 1797 launched his "souscription" (subscription) watch. This was made available "on subscription" with those wishing to buy the watch paying an advance deposit, then the balance on delivery. In this way the buyer was effectively providing Breguet with the advance capital necessary to bring his watches to the market.
Abraham Louis Breguet was not just a brilliant technician, he was also a craftsman and an artist. As a result of his technical skills, he was able to produce intricate watches that were flat rather than bulky.
Breguet Today
The Breguet name is still alive and available to buy today. The House of Breguet is now based in Switzerland where it is part of the Swatch group.