Part 1. Abraham-Louis Breguet and his role in the historical events of the era

Today, the masterpieces of the Breguet watch house are directly associated with the world of luxury and “Haute Horlogerie" (High Horology). Following a centuries-old tradition, the house's watchmakers create mechanical timepieces of flawless quality. It is this commitment to tradition that is one of the brand's defining characteristics. Modern Breguet collections and watch lines are often built upon the ideas and technical solutions of the watch house founder. Breguet was called the "watchmaker to kings and the king of watchmakers." Modern researchers compare the scale of Breguet's innovations in the watchmaking world to the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci.

Abraham-Louis Breguet was born in 1747 in the city of Neuchâtel. Showing a keen interest in mechanics and watchmaking from childhood, he began working as an apprentice to his watchmaker stepfather at the age of 15. In 1762, Breguet moved to Paris, where he combined his studies in technical, physical, and mathematical sciences at the Collège des Quatre-Nations with an apprenticeship in Versailles. Breguet studied under Ferdinand Berthoud and Jean-Antoine Lépine, the famous watchmaking artisans of his time. Timepieces crafted by Ferdinand Berthoud are part of the museum's collection. Breguet's academic mentor was the mathematician Joseph-François Marie, who introduced the master to the French court.

In 1775, at the age of 28, Breguet and his wife opened the first watchmaking workshop in the heart of Paris, on the Île de la Cité, on the Quai de l'Horloge. The quay was named in honour of the famous Conciergerie clock. Breguet worked in this workshop for 18 years until the events of the French Revolution in 1793 forced him to return to Switzerland. However, as early as 1795, he returned to Paris and resumed production. In fact, his entire subsequent career in Paris would be tied to this building, which he fully bought out by the end of the revolution and later passed down to his heirs. The historic building of Breguet workshop still stands today.

The workshop of Breguet was popular not only as a watch house but also as a reliable hub for sending and forwarding important correspondence, especially during the turbulent times preceding the Revolution. For instance, Nikolai Karamzin, in his Letters of a Russian Traveller, mentions Breguet as his Parisian contact and liaison for receiving mail: “In the saddest of moods did I take up my pen; now I feel better. In three days, my friends, I shall depart Geneva. My chief occupation now consists of examining the land map and devising a travel itinerary. I desire to make my way to Southern France and see the beautiful lands of Languedoc and Provence; but as I do not intend to tarry there long, you must write to me in Paris, at the address: "A Messieurs Breguet et Compagnie, Quai des Morfondus, pour remettre a Mr. NN."

In 1787, Breguet entered into a commercial partnership with the Parisian watchmaker and dealer Xavier Gide. The company was named 'Breguet et Cie,' and the partnership lasted from 1787 to 1791. Gide provided Breguet’s workshop with capital that helped expand production many times over and survive the difficult financial times preceding the French Revolution.

Breguet’s profound knowledge of physics and mechanics, combined with his exceptional talent for watchmaking, attracted the finest craftsmen of the era to his workshop. Among the workshop's employees and those who trained under Breguet were Louis-Frédéric Perrelet, grandson of the founder of the famous Perrelet brand, and John Roger Arnold, son of the prominent English watchmaker John Arnold. Breguet stated that in Paris, he was able to find only 15 to 20 workers capable of performing his work to the required standard, and not one of them earned less than 20 francs a day.

Numerous fascinating events and acquaintances can be found throughout the inventor's biography. Thanks to his craftsmanship, Breguet was well-known both at court and within wider social circles. Under the patronage of Joseph-François Marie, Abraham-Louis Breguet’s mentor, Jean-Baptiste Marie Charles Meusnier – a mathematician, physicist, engineer, general, and inventor of the airship – was also educated. Meusnier and Breguet were colleagues in the spheres of physics and mathematics. In the realm of watchmaking, the watch maker, astronomer, and inventor Louis Moinet is considered a close associate of Abraham-Louis Breguet. In 1816, Louis Moinet invented the chronograph, naming it the 'compteur de tierces' (counter of thirds). His timepiece measured time with an accuracy of 1/60^th of a second and was equipped with history's first mechanism to return the hands to their starting position. Today, the Swiss watch house 'Louis Moinet' bears his name.

The story of the friendship between Abraham-Louis Breguet and the famous French revolutionary Jean-Paul Marat and his family is considered historically authentic. The beliefs of Marat, one of the Jacobin leaders, sharply contrasted with the reputation of Breguet, who was a supplier to the royal court. However, this did not hinder their cooperation and friendly relations. For instance, Albertine Marat, the revolutionary’s sister, collaborated with Breguet’s workshop as an independent watchmaker. In official chronicles, Albertine's name is mentioned among the suppliers of hands for exclusive Breguet timepieces, and Abraham-Louis himself maintained connections with her. The story of Breguet and Marat's mutual assistance is often called one of the most vivid legends in horological history. According to lore, Breguet helped Marat escape an angry mob that had gathered outside the home of a mutual friend. The watchmaker hid the revolutionary, disguising him in the clothes of an old peasant woman, and helped him safely escape. Later, in 1793, as the political situation in France escalated, Breguet himself faced the risk of execution due to his ties with the aristocracy and the court. It was then that Jean-Paul Marat issued a safe-conduct pass for the master watchmaker, allowing Breguet to leave Paris unhindered and depart for Switzerland.

Another possible friend of the inventor was Agustín de Betancourt, a Spanish-born Russian engineer, architect, lieutenant general, and statesman. In all likelihood, Betancourt acted as a representative, manager, or concessionaire for timepieces produced by the Breguet company for distribution and sale in Spain. This collaboration was mutual, as Breguet participated in the development of the optical telegraph that the engineer was designing in Paris around 1793. It is also possible that this joint work extended to the development of other scientific and technological instruments, since at that time Betancourt was commissioned to contribute to the assembly of the 'Collection of Machines of the Royal Cabinet' in Paris. This collection, in turn, was intended to be housed in Madrid. In recognition of his merits and their strong friendship, the watch house 'Breguet et Fils' created a personalized pocket watch for General Agustín de Betancourt in 1821.

The acquaintance and friendly relations between Breguet and Betancourt wonderfully had an indirect impact on the history of Saint Petersburg. In July 1816, Auguste de Montferrand arrived in Saint Petersburg. He would become the future architect of Saint Isaac's Cathedral and other monumental structures that transformed the architectural landscape of the city. At the time, still an unknown architect and draftsman from Paris, Montferrand carried with him a letter of recommendation from the famous watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet. History remains silent on how Breguet and Montferrand first met. However, thanks to this letter, Auguste de Montferrand was introduced to Agustín de Betancourt. Subsequently, Betancourt’s patronage played a pivotal role in Montferrand securing the position of court architect, and later, Chief Architect for the construction of Saint Isaac's Cathedral and the Alexander Column.

Thus, Abraham-Louis Breguet was not only intertwined with the European horological world but, through a chain of acquaintances, also left his mark on historical events in Russia and beyond. Just as Leonardo da Vinci made astonishing discoveries across diverse fields of science and art, Abraham-Louis Breguet succeeded in uniting the realm of rigorous mechanics, mathematics, and watch making with the world of aesthetics and beauty.

We will share more about the history of the master's horological inventions in the second part of this article.