1942 Breguet A2 in the Louwman Museum
(Photo by Alf van Beem.)
BREGUET, AVIATION…
AND CARS
Soon to be on display at one of the three Breguet Museums
is this 1967 Type XX (left), purchased by Breguet from the
same October Phillips auction in New York that made head-
lines with a record-breaking ‘Paul Newman’ Rolex sale. The
chronograph is a reminder of Breguet’s deep involvement
in the field of aviation. In 1907 Louis Breguet, A.L. Breguet’s
great-great grandson, made a name for himself in aviation
with several notable inventions, including the gyroplane, the
ancestor of the helicopter, and the two-seater Breguet XIV
plane. The Breguet watch firm then developed chronograph
mechanisms fitted on aircraft cockpits and began producing
watches for aviators. In 1971 Breguet Aviation merged
with Dassault to form Avions Marcel Dassault-Breguet
Aviation.
During WWII, Breguet was sidelined from building
airplanes by the Nazi-controlled government. So, Breguet
made automobiles, including the Type A2 Electrique. Of the
two hundred manufactured, only a few still exist, including
this one seen in a Dutch museum, and three others owned by
the Breguet family.
Above: The 1911 Breguet Type R.U1 No.40 at
the Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris
Left: A 1958 Marine Nationale Aeronautique
Naval pocket watch with 24-hour dial.
A 1975 Breguet dashboard chronograph.
Above: Breguet Type XX from 1967
WINTER 2018 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | 87