Breguet watches have been a symbol of luxury and style for more than 200 years.  Breguet was founded in 1775 by Abraham Louis Breguet through his marriage to a young French woman.  When he married the young woman, her dowry was enough to provide the money he needed to open his own watch manufacturing shop.  It was in this way that Breguet watches were born.  During the time he apprenticed as a watchmaker, Breguet was able to make a number of connections that helped make his business an instant success.  The craftsmanship and style of the Breguet watches prompted Bregeut to become a favorite among even the royal court, particularly the self-winding Breguet watch.  Louis XVI ended up buying several different Breguet watches. So impressed with the brand, Marie Antoinette commissioned a watch that took 34 years to build. She did not live to see the completed project, which contained every single watch function known to man at the time, including a clock, perpetual calendar, repeater, thermometer, chronograph, power reserve and a pare-chute.  Other famous wearers of Breguet watches include Napoleon Bonaparte, Arthur Wellesley, George Washington, Sir Winston Churchill, and Leo Tolstoy. 

 

The Breguet Legacy

 

Throughout the last 200 years, Breguet has continued to manufacture quality and luxurious watches for both men and women.  Today, the Breguet watch company is owned by the Swatch Group. Since 1976, the company’s watch production has taken place in Switzerland. Breguet is one of the original pioneers of the watch-making industry and has set the standard of innovation. This forward-thinking company developed the first self-winding watch, the first perpetual calendar and the gong spring, amongst other technologies.  Breguet watches are often easily recognized for their coin-edge cases, fine guilloche dials and distinctive blue pomme hands.

 

The Breguet Collection

 

The Breguet watches collection includes luxury pieces for both men and women.  Men’s Breguet watches include the Classique, the Marine, the Heritage, Type XX, and La Tradition.  Each Breguet watch has specific features that make it unique.  The Classique model is a sleek and elegant piece that utilizes round-bezel pieces.  Another popular Breguet watch is the Marine, which is not only water resistant, but is also available with straps that are not metal.  The Breguet Heritage watch features a rectangular face and the Type XX Breguet watch is based on the WWII watches that were worn by pilots.  Breguet also offers several watch models designed specifically for women.  Breguet offers versions of the Classique, Marine, Heritage, and Type XX models.  Each of these is designed specifically with women in mind, though they keep many of the specifications and general features of the men’s versions.  Breguet also offers a watch model called the Reine de Naples.  This particular model is a jewelry themed watch that was inspired by the watch Breguet created for Caroline, queen of Naples (who was the sister of Napoleon Bonaparte). 

 

Breguet at Wingate’s

 

Wingate’s is proud to offer a selection of refined Audemars Piguet watches for men and women including several varieties of: the Heritage collection, Transatlantic, Perpetual Calendar and Tourbillon.