HISTORY MADE
The Marine Équation Marchante joins together three important threads of Breguet’s history: The invention of the tourbillon, creative implementations of equation of time, and Abraham-Louis’ appointment as Horloger de la Marine Royale
Swiss watch company Breguet has a deep-rooted fascination with marine chronometry, dating back to when its founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet, a watchmaker determined to address all areas of horology, took an interest in maritime navigation in the late 18th century. Despite making several marine watches and clocks at this time, it wasn’t until around 1806 that the greater production of marine chronometers first featured in the registers and sales ledges of Maison Breguet.
Several key dates further mark the watchmaker’s entry into the domain of maritime navigation, such as the December 10, 1814, when a royal decree signified Breguet’s appointment as a member of Bureau des Longitudes, a French scientific institution of astronomers, geophysicists, and physicists charged with the improvement of nautical navigation, standardization of timekeeping, geodesy and astronomical observation.
“Abraham-Louis Breguet was a watchmaker at the service of science and human endeavors, and his wish was to solve existing problems,” says Emmanuel Breguet, Vice President, Head of Patrimony, Breguet. “This was an objective he pursued throughout his career through various large-scale projects. As Watchmaker of the Royal Navy, the challenge was great: indeed, at the time, no dashboard or GPS could guide the navigators during their expeditions. Each voyage became a dangerous journey.”
Another key milestone followed when Abraham-Louis was appointed Horloger de la Marine Royale (Watchmaker to the Royal Navy) on October 27, 1815, one that would see him deliver 78 marine watches and clocks to the Navy between 1815 and 1823 – with a further 130 sold between 1824 and 1833 under the management of his son, Antoine-Louis – to explorers who would take their clocks and timepieces on adventures as far-flung as inland Africa, the Middle East and even the South Pole.
Evocative stories such as these explain the enduring reputation Maison Breguet achieved during Abraham-Louis’ lifetime, and beyond. Now, a 21st-century homage brings Breguet’s maritime horology story full-circle with its Marine collection. First launched in 1990, the ‘Marine’ line of watches still possesses all the qualities laid down by Abraham-Louis Breguet yet interpreted in a contemporary way to create sporting timepieces. Again, in 2005 a new generation of Marine watches was launched, and in 2017, the line was given a revamped aesthetic combining a sense of modernity and dynamism.
From the Marine Alarme Musicale 5547, with its wake-up calls and reminders, and the Ladies Marine Collection for women, inspired by the ocean, to the Marine Tourbillon Équation Marchante 5887, with its ‘grand complication’ with running equation of time, perpetual calendar and tourbillon, the Marine collection brings the updated aesthetic codes of Breguet to a new audience – one cognizant of Abraham-Louis’ significant influence in timekeeping as we know it. From Abraham-Louis to The Swatch Group – with its enduring ability to find new innovations and create precise timepieces using only the best and newest technology – and onto Breguet’s torch-bearers and watch-wearers, there is a corresponding desire to make their own impression with a watch that tells more than just the time – it tells the story of time.
