Breguet acquires impressive documents regarding the history of watchmaking

The memoires of watchmaker A.-L. Breguet, timeless pieces of watchmaking history, were auctioned on May 7th for a record sum of 2.3 million Swiss francs to Nicolas G. Hayek, President and CEO of Montres Breguet, just before his unexpected death in late June.

Breguet’s unfinished memoires disappeared after he passed away in 1823 . In early 2010, some of the nearly completed works were discovered. Seven manuscripts were in this collection, including:

1. The history of Breguet and his philosophy
2. One-hand watches and new repeater
3. Souscription watches and repeater mechanism
4. Perpétuelle watches and their repeaters
5. Equation of time, calendars and tourbillons
6. Marine horology
7. Marine chronometers, longitude watches, Breguet balance-spring

Many specialists consider this to be the most significant body of testimony in the entire history of watchmaking: an account of his career as well as a methodical review of his inventions. The auction process for these priceless documents was chaotic, with each manuscript going for four times its initial estimate, until the entire group of documents was regrouped into one lot and finally sold to the Breguet Museum after an intense competition among various institutions and private collectors. This collection, which may in due course be published, has regained its rightful place within the brand’s stunningly rich heritage.

Breguet timepieces will be available at King Jewelers this Fall in Aventura, FL and late 2010 in Nashville, TN. For more information, please visit http://www.breguet.com and http://www.kings1912.com.

Established in 1912, King Jewelers has proudly styled jewelry and timepiece aficionados from around the world. A pioneer among independent couture jewelers, King Jewelers has built an outstanding reputation steeped in quality, value and first-class customer service. King Jewelers features exclusive jewelry designers, offers in-house custom designs, private label jewelry collections, and is an authorized dealer for over forty luxury Swiss watch brands including Alpina, Bell & Ross, Bulgari, Breitling, Cartier, Chanel, Chopard, Concord, Dunhill, Ebel, Harry Winston, Hublot, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Jaquet Droz, Montblanc, Roger Dubuis, Swiss Army, TAG Heuer, and TechnoMarine. With two store locations in Aventura, FL and Nashville, TN, King Jewelers has won numerous awards as the Southeast’s top jewelry store and diamond wholesaler. King Jewelers has GIA Certified Gemologists and offers expert jewelry and watch repairs. King Jewelers is a member of the Jewelers of America, American Watch Guild, and the American Society of Appraisers.