Rare masterpieces, including a carriage clock sold to Napoleon, are showcased together.

Abraham-Louis Breguet, who is said to have "advanced the history of watchmaking by 200 years," is still revered as a great watchmaker nearly 200 years after his death. Born in Switzerland in 1747, Breguet established his workshop in Paris in 1775. His clientele included the most influential figures of the era, such as Marie Antoinette, the Bonaparte family, King George IV of Great Britain, and Emperor Alexander I of Russia.

This retrospective features over 170 pocket watches, marine chronometers, and portraits, showcasing timepieces crafted with the latest technologies of their time. Furthermore, documents rarely seen by the public, including the diagrams Breguet attached to his patent applications to protect his significant inventions, will be displayed chronologically.

Among them are exquisite pieces such as a tactile watch, lavishly adorned with diamonds and sold to Joséphine Bonaparte in 1800, and a medallion watch featuring Breguet's signature "guilloché" dial decoration on a gold case, with silver sub-dials for hours and seconds. This latter piece was sold in 1813 to Elisa Bonaparte, Napoleon's sister and Queen of Tuscany.

Additionally, a carriage clock purchased by Napoleon from Breguet in 1798, prior to his Egyptian campaign, is displayed with a unique presentation that combines the object with the clock itself, further highlighting the exquisite beauty of Breguet's creations. This is one of the exhibition's highlights.

During the exhibition period, Breguet artisans will demonstrate various craft techniques to visitors. On Sundays, October 30th, November 13th, and December 4th, artisans will perform live demonstrations of traditional specialized skills such as engraving, chamfering, guilloché, and cameo carving. Furthermore, on Sunday, November 20th, Emmanuel Breguet, a historian and the curator of Breguet's archives and antique watch collection, who also served as a committee member for this exhibition, will give a lecture, introducing visitors to the world of Abraham-Louis Breguet's remarkable watchmaking.

Abraham-Louis Breguet laid the foundation not only for the Breguet company but also for the very existence of watches as we know them. This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to appreciate his monumental achievements and enduring aesthetic sensibility.