Breguet, Inventor Of The Tourbillon

article 16 Feb 2021

IN 2021, BREGUET TOURBILLON CELEBRATED THE 220TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TOURBILLON

Developed 220 years ago by Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823), the Tourbillon has never been as vital to fine horology as it is today.

This year, the House of Breguet will commemorate its founder’s ingenuity, and the treasure that is the Tourbillon, through various events and the celebration of a new model on June 26th. When the patent was obtained in 1801, the date correlated with the post-revolutionary Republican calendar of France – “7th Messidor of the year IX,” which refers to June 26th on our modern day calendars.

Appointed with a gold or silver case, these Tourbillons are works of art whose aesthetic matches their technological brilliance. Although they were considered to be purely scientific objects, they were given a sophisticated finish. The dials of the Tourbillons are among the most beautiful in the history of the House. Perfect readability – a characteristic of any Breguet watch – and dials whose functionality was enhanced by gold, silver, or enamel: constant seconds, seconds on demand, power reserve, sometimes even thermometer… no two pieces were the same.