Known for high-quality craftsmanship and meticulous design as well as ease of use and portability, Breguet wristwatches and pocket watches have remained quite popular throughout history.
Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747–1823) is commonly called the “father of modern horology.” The Swiss horologist is responsible for the creation of many clock and watch innovations that are still used in timepieces today, including the self-winding watch, the tourbillon movement, the perpetual calendar and a shock absorption system. Breguet is also credited with having designed the first wristwatch.
Born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, Breguet was introduced to watchmaking through his stepfather, watchmaker Joseph Tattet. As a teenager, he traveled to Versailles to apprentice under a master watchmaker. In 1775, he opened his own workshop on the Quai de l’Horloge in Paris.
Breguet was soon crafting timepieces for the French court, including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, who purchased several Breguet designs. In 1783, one of her guards (and an ardent admirer) commissioned Breguet to design a gift for the Queen, asking him to develop the world’s most complicated timepiece. It would take 44 years to complete and was finished by Breguet’s workshop in 1827, four years after his own death and 34 years after Marie Antoinette was executed.
The Breguet No. 160 pocket watch, as Breguet’s 160th watch was officially called, is now in the Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem and was the subject of an infamous 1983 theft before it was recovered in 2006. Breguet now sells a reproduction of what is still the fifth most complicated watch in the world.
Plenty of royals, politicians and virtuosos have acquired their own Breguet timepieces, including Queen Victoria, Napoleon Bonaparte, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Ettore Bugatti and Sir Winston Churchill.
The world’s first known wristwatch — delivered in 1812 — was created by Abraham-Louis Breguet for Caroline Murat, the queen of Naples (and Napoleon Bonaparte’s sister). By the 1930s, wristwatches comprised the bulk of watch manufacturing in America, superseding the pocket watch.
The house of Breguet is still in operation today with an enduring commitment to technical innovation in personal timekeeping. It was run by members of the Breguet family through 1870, after which it was sold to English watchmaker Edward Brown, whose family managed it for the next century.
In 1970, the company changed hands to the French Chaumet family, and in 1999, it was acquired by the Swiss Swatch Group. Breguet’s Reine de Naples drew on the founder’s watch for Murat and introduced an unusual ovate case to a receptive public in 2001.
Find a range of vintage Breguet wristwatches and pocket watches on 1stDibs.
Breguet Stainless Steel Transatlantique Type XX Chronograph 33mm Blue MOP
By Breguet
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Movement: automatic Function: hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph, 12 hour register Case: 33mm, stainless steel, sapphire crystal, diamond and sapphire bezel Dial: blue mothe...
Stainless Steel
Breguet Classique 3210 30.5mm Silver Roman Dial Manual Winding 18k White Gold
By Breguet
Located in San Diego, CA
Style Number: 3210 Serial: 40** Year: ~1990-1999 Model: Breguet Classique Case Material: 18k White Gold Band: Custom Black Leather Strap & Steel Buckle B...
18k Gold, White Gold
Breguet La Marine 18k Gold Stainless Steel Date Automatic Women's Watch
By Breguet
Located in New York, NY
This Breguet La Marine is a refined and highly desirable women’s timepiece, combining the prestige of one of the most historic names in Swiss watchmaking with the versatility of an elegant sport-luxury design. Breguet watches are especially important in horology because the brand is associated with exceptional craftsmanship, technical innovation, and a level of heritage that places it among the most respected makers in the world. The La Marine model is particularly appealing for its blend of sophistication and wearability, with the 18k gold and stainless steel construction giving the watch both luxury and everyday practicality. Its 26mm case offers a classic feminine proportion, while the automatic movement and date function add the convenience and mechanical substance collectors appreciate. In great condition and keeping good time, this is a beautiful Breguet ladies...
18k Gold, Stainless Steel
Breguet Marine Titanium Chronograph Men's Watch 5527TI/Y1/9WV
By Breguet
Located in Dallas, TX
Breguet Marine Titanium Chronograph Men's Watch 5527TI/Y1/9WV - Automatic winding. Marine Automatic. Titanium case with exposition back (42mm diameter). Blue dial with Roman numerals...
Titanium
Breguet Type XX Transatlantique Flyback Platinum Blue Dial 3820
By Breguet
Located in Mayfair, London, London
A rare Breguet Type XX Transatlantique Flyback reference 3820 in platinum, featuring a striking blue dial with Arabic numerals. The 39mm platinum coin edge case is fitted with a bi-...
Platinum
Breguet Marine 3700BA Hora Mundi 18K YG World Time Dial Vintage Watch
By Breguet
Located in Great Neck Plaza, NY
The Breguet Marine Hora Mundi reference 3700BA, launched in the 1990s, embodies the brand's rich horological history, dating back to 1815. This watch features a complex world time co...
18k Gold
Ebel Discovery Blue Dial Quartz Stainless Steel Swiss Made Ladies Watch
By Ebel
Located in Towson, MD
The Ebel Discovery is a Swiss-made ladies sport watch in stainless steel, reference 9087321, dating to the early 2000s. Founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1911, Ebel built its reputatio...
Steel, Stainless Steel
Franck Muller Master Banker Triple Time Zone Automatic Watch
By Franck Muller
Located in New York, NY
Franck Muller Master Banker wristwatch featuring a stainless steel tonneau-shaped case and a silver dial with a multi-time zone display. The dial is signed “Franck Muller Genève” and...
Stainless Steel
Breguet Marine 5817BA Automatic 18K Yellow Gold Watch
By Breguet
Located in New York, NY
A men's watch created by Breguet 5817BA/12/9V8 for the Marine collection, featuring an 18K yellow gold bezel enclosing a 39 mm round case with a silver guilloche dial and Roman numer...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Breguet Classique Serpentine Triple Calendar Rose Gold Daniel Roth Watch 3040BR
By Breguet
Located in Aventura, FL
Created by Daniel Roth for Breguet, the Breguet Classique 'Serpentine' Triple Calendar Moonphase Day Date Ref. 3040 is a masterclass in understated elegance and traditional watchmaki...
Rose Gold
