EVERYONE WHO VISITS THE MUSEUM IS GIVEN A GUIDED TOUR,
CUSTOMIZED TO THE VISITOR’S PARTICULAR INTERESTS.
BY LAURENT MARTINEZ
A VISIT TO THE
Documents relating to the original
patents for the tourbillon and the
constant force escapemen
BREGUET MUSEUM
A recent trip to the Breguet museum in Paris has fueled the author’s respect
and passion for Breguet and its famous founder.
Breguet Museum in Place Vendome,Paris
KNOWN AS THE FATHER OF MODERN
HOROLOGY, ABRAHAM-LOUIS BREGUET WAS A
GENIUS, a visionary, and an innovator. His inven-
tions, which include the tourbillon, repeater,
“pendule sympathique,” and countless others,
have made such an indelible mark in watchmaking
that his legacy continues to live on today.
While I’ve known about the museum above the
flagship Breguet boutique at 6 Place Vendôme
for a long time, I never had a chance to pay a visit
until recently. If you have plans to go, I would
recommend going around 10:30 am on a Saturday
morning, like I did, while Paris is still quiet.
Richard Vassor, the Breguet Museum manager,
welcomed me warmly upon my arrival at the
boutique and took me straight upstairs to start
the tour. After about half an hour into the visit,
Richard suddenly realized that, because we were
so immersed in the world of Breguet, he had
not offered to take my coat or provide me with
refreshments.
HISTORY
The size and atmosphere of the museum is cozy,
though it is the largest of the three Breguet
museums (there is one in Zurich and one in
Shanghai). After all, ever since Abraham-Louis
Breguet established his business on Quai de
l’Horloge, Ile de la Cité in 1775, he has stayed true
to the brand’s French identity—despite the fact
that he was born in Neuchâtel, which was then a
Prussian principality and now part of Switzerland.
Among the many royal clients of Abraham-
Louis Breguet were the famous members of the
House of Bonaparte including Emperor Napoleon,
Empress Joséphine, Queen Hortense, and Queen
Caroline. It must be noted that the Queen of
Naples, Caroline Murat (née Bonaparte), was one
of Breguet’s best customers, amassing thirty-four
clocks and watches. Today, Breguet has dedicated
an entire collection of ladies watches to her called
Reine de Naples.
60 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | SUMMER 2019
Iconic Breguet designs