Few names in watchmaking carry as much weight, heritage, and innovation as Breguet. Since its founding in 1775 by Abraham-Louis Breguet, the Maison has consistently been at the frontier of horological art and science — a place where craftsmanship meets ingenious mechanics, and where aesthetics are inseparable from precision.

Origins & Early History

• 1775: Abraham-Louis Breguet, born in Neuchâtel to Huguenot parents, opened his first workshop in Paris, at 51 Quai de l’Horloge. He had trained under Ferdinand Berthoud and Jean-Antoine Lépine — which grounded him in both technical and theoretic aspects of timekeeping.
  
• His early work caught the attention of royalty and the aristocracy. King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette were among his patrons. One of his most famous commissions was a watch for Marie-Antoinette (No. 160), commissioned in 1783 by Count Axel von Fersen. This piece, completed in 1802, was to include all the watch complications known at the time. 
  
• Breguet also started introducing innovations early on: self-winding watches (the “Perpétuelle”), the “pare-chute” shock protection, etc. His approach was always forward-looking.