Breguet Watches

Breguet’s broad legacy in the field of watchmaking has been alive for nearly 250 years. The art of manufacturing timepieces remained in the family for three generations and later it was forwarded onto one of the trusted heads of the workshop, Edward Brown.

For a century, the company flourished under the Brown family and later Breguet was first passed on to Investcorp and then to the Swatch Group. Throughout the years, Breguet has constantly grown and evolved in many ways. Let’s take a deeper look at its history:

It all began in the year 1775 when Abraham-Louis Breguet founded his workshop in the Ile de la Cité which is located on the Seine River in Paris. At a very young age of 28 years, he devoted his life to the watchmaking industry and was mentored by a famous mathematician, named, Joseph-François Marie. It was Marie who introduced Breguet to the French Court who at once become the company’s clientele, this list consisted of patrons like Napoleon Bonaparte and Queen Marie-Antionette. Breguet’s business flourished and prospered for a decade and during this period he manufactured the elements that are now the trademarks of the brand. In the year 1783, he came up with Breguet hands that are the peculiar Breguet Arabic numerals, the famous open-tipped hands.

Breguet had to leave because of French Revolution that took place in 1789, but he returned and reestablished his workshop in France and started building up his business in the year 1795.

While he was away from France, he arranged his second workshop in Russia and acquired a lot of foreign clientele.

Breguet passed away in 1823 when he was at the age of 76, and his son Antione-Louis was put in charge of the business. He trained his son Louis-Clement who further bought a new and contemporary outlook to the business. By now Breguet watches were being more accessible to people and the newer and younger generation were adding new innovations to the watchmaking industry.

In 1870, the workshop was given over to an English man named Edward Brown, who along with his family took care of the Breguet company for the next 100 years. In 1970, the company was further sold to the Chaumet brothers, who later sold it to Investcorp in the year 1987. The change in management and ownership enhanced Breguet’s business. It was relocated to the Vallee de Joux in Switzerland and expanded Breguet watches production into the North American and Asian markets. Right before the new millennium, Breguet experienced its another big expansion. It was in 1999 when they joined the ranks of the powerhouse manufacturer The Swatch Group. This gave rise to new opportunities and brought in a new dynamism to the brand. At present, Breguet continues to succeed under the umbrella of The Swatch Group and has placed itself as one of the leaders in the watch industry.

The Breguet watches features a unique charm that is reflected through their dials, fonts and of course through their many different hands. Let’s take a quick glance through some of Breguet popular models:

Breguet Type XX
The Breguet Type XX is one of the most Breguet reliable watches. It can survive in deserts, large cities, seaside holidays and even in the go-kart races. Breguet Type XX was launched in the year 1995 right before Breguet was acquired by the Swatch Group. It has taken its inspiration from the Breguet type 20 watches and along with its iconic features, it is now available in a more refined timepiece that proudly sports the Breguet logo. It is a real pilot chronograph with its dial highlighting a black color and contrasting white digits. The case size of the watch is 39mm and has a perfect dressed design that can be worn in a plane's cockpit and during a business meeting.

Breguet Type XXI
This model is the successor of Breguet Type XX's family line. The Breguet Type XXI 3817 was launched at Baselworld 2016 featuring a case size of 42mm. It was first made available in a dark brown color. The numerals of this watch are larger than its predecessors and its layout comprises of an inner flange that is printed with a 60-minute track, then, a step lower, the hour track with 12 diamond-shaped indexes, next to the hour markers (Arabic numerals). Along with a discreet date window, it is ideal to suit any occasion.

Breguet Transatlantique
The Breguet Type XXI Transatlantique 3810, is a sporty yet an elegant timepiece. It is encased in Platinum and features a unique dial that is presented in a slate grey tone and vintage-tinted indexes. The case size of this watch measures 42.5mm in diameter and 15.4mm in thickness, and is fitted with a brown crocodile strap and has a deployant buckle, hence is perfect in looks and comfort.

Thus if you are looking for a pocket-friendly luxury watch that can take on daily abuse and wear, then these are the ideal match for you.