June, 25, 2009 - September, 7, 2009

France, Paris, the Louvre museum

Organized by:
the Louvre museum, Breguet museum, Moscow Kremlin Museums

Pocket watch by "Breguet"The exhibition in the Louvre is going to become an important event in the history of European art. Its exposition comprises unique timepieces by the famous Breguet firm, including watches, clocks and measuring instruments, portraits, archival documents and records, which reveal Abraham-Louis Breguet's outstanding achievements.

Breguet manufactory was founded by Abraham-Louis Breguet in Paris in 1775. Born in 1747 in the city of Neuchatel, Switzerland, he moved to Paris to study profoundly the art of watchmaking and to become the inventor of new escapement methods and watch design hereafter. His career started with a series of breakthroughs: the development of successful self-winding perpetuelle watches, the introduction of the gongs for repeating watches and the first shock-protection for balance pivots. Each watch from his workshops demonstrated the latest horological improvements in an original movement, mostly fitted with lever or ruby-cylinder escapements that he perfected.

Watches by Breguet are easily recognized for their excellent design, coin-edge and flat watchcases, made of gold and silver, guilloche dials, "pomme" or "lune" hands combined with elegant numerals. Breguet production was highly appreciated by King Louis XVI, Queen Marie-Antoinette as well as Russian noblemen. The list of the Breguet's distinguished patrons included Emperor Alexander I of Russia and Napoleon Bonaparte.

Kremlin Museums introduce unique timepieces by Breguet - three pocket watches, of which two are regarded as some of the most technically-accomplished. All the exhibits illustrate an excellent workmanship which has been characteristic of the House of Breguet for over two centuries. The display explores variety of watch-making technologies and methods of watch decoration, developed by makers of the world-known Breguet firm.

 
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