Breguet

Breguet, No. 4821, sold by Fossin et Fils, Paris, to Prince
A. Demidoff on 3 December 1842 for FF 2,500.
18K gold hardstone-set watch with a special escapement.

Sold by Antiquorum in March 2001, lot 77, for SFr. 160,000.

Breguet, No. 4288. Started in 1823, completed between 1831 and 1833, sold for 6,000 francs to Théodore de Yermoloff on
Oct 31, 1836. 18K gold, slim, early keyless, half quarter repeating calendar watch, constructed on the principle of the "garde-temps".

Sold by Antiquorum in April 2001, lot 154, for SFr. 471,700.

Breguet No. 2664, originally sold in 1814, and overhauled for Prince Orloff. Exrra-flat 18K gold astronomical watch with phases and age of the moon, constructed on the principles of the garde-temps.

Sold by Antiquorum in October 2001, lot 53,
for SFr. 160,000.

Breguet No. 23/647, 18K gold, quarter-repeating à tact, self-winding pocket watch, sold on June 3, 1850 to Monsieur Brocot, on behalf of his Imperial Highness, Grand Duc Constantin Nicolaevitch of Russia.

Sold by Antiquorum in November 2002, lot 45, for SFr.141,000.

Breguet No. 153/2461, Garde-Temps constructed between 1808 and 1809. Gold pocket chronometer with power reserve indication. Sold in 1826 to the Russian Ambassador, Count Pozzo di Borgo”.

Sold by Antiquorum in October 2000, lot 420,
for SFr. 120,000.

Breguet, however, was growing more and more impatient over what he considered Moreau’s extravagant spending and negligence in business affairs. He even considered traveling to St. Petersburg to confer with Betancourt over the best means of straightening out the affairs of his “Maison de Russie”. He eventually gave up the idea, but entrusted his friend with the delicate mission of relieving Moreau of his duties. The latter begged for a reprieve, saying that Breguet’s confidence was too precious for him not to wish to regain it; he was to partially succeed in this task.

This explains why nearly 170 pieces, among them some of the most exceptional ever made by Breguet, were sold in Russia between 1808 and 1810.
A watchmaker was specially dispatched to Russia, merely to assure the service and maintenance of these pieces.

Unluckily for Breguet, relations between Napoleon and the Czar had considerably deteriorated, and in the spring of 1811 Moreau was obliged to flee Russia, with no time to pack up his furnishings or even his material. He entrusted Betancourt with the task of collecting bills as yet unpaid.

The closing of his “Maison de Russie” was very hard on Breguet, especially since he had already lost his outlets in Spain and England. Fortunately, he was able to retain the clientele of most of the Russian aristocrats. In all, over 270 pieces were sold in Russia, and the name “Breguet” was considered to be a synonym of “chronometer”.

The watchmaker’s fame was so great that his name appears several times in Russian literature. In 1825, Alexander Pushkin wrote, in his Eugene Onegin :
“Meantime, he dons his morning coat; A high hat places on his head. His horse the boulevard will tread, And freely range till Eugene note (Helped by his vigilant Breguet) That time has come for lunch today.”
After the fall of Napoleon in 1814, Breguet’s commercial relations with Russia again flourished, with the assistance of enterprising agents, whose addresses are often mentioned on the certificates of the watches sold there.

Breguet further states that the watches may be repaired and maintained: “In Moscow by Monsieur Ferrier In St. Petersburg, by Wenham, Perspective Nevski 66.”

The ink was hardly dry on Napoleon’s act of abdication when on April 2, 1814, Czar Alexander 1er -- who was staying in Monsieur de Talleyrand’s Paris residence in the rue Saint-Florentin -- paid a personal call on Breguet and bought two watches. It was probably during this visit that he also placed an order for a series of “compteurs pour régler le pas des troupes” such as No. 3825, which was delivered for him to General Brosin (today in the Musée Breguet). Like their sovereign, most Russian aristocrats paid a visit to Breguet whenever they traveled to Paris, to place their orders in person. The watches were delivered through the Russian embassy in Paris. Count Charles André Pozzo di Borgo, a Corsican who had become the Russian ambassador in Paris, bought a very fine gold pocket chronometer on July 28, 1826 (today in the Musée Breguet).

Breguet’s commercial relations with Russia continued, with both good periods and difficult ones, until the October Revolution of 1917.

Samuel Roy, Louis Decombaz and Jacques-Frédéric Houriet, in particular, later became his principal correspondents in that country.

Breguet was very close to John Arnold, the famous English chronometer maker, as well as to Arnold’s son John Roger. However, it was Recordon, also from Switzerland, and Fatton, his former student, who aided Breguet with business matters. As for Dumergue, he looked after Breguet’s son when he was in England receiving training in Arnold’s workshop.

The introduction to the Spanish Court came through Breguet’s friend Augustin de Betancourt, who sold numerous watches in Spain. Betancourt introduced the watchmaker to a certain Mr. Castaneda, who on his journeys to Paris bought many watches for Spanish royalty and the Court.

Thanks to his privileged relations with Maurice de Talleyrand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Breguet was able to make use of the diplomatic pouch to send his watches throughout Europe. Through Talleyrand, he also sold many watches to Prince Don Ferdinando, future King of Spain, and the Infants Don Antonio and Don Carlos, when the three were placed under a sort of house arrest by Napoleon, and conve niently became “guests” in Talleyrand’s sumptuous Valençay castle.

Talleyrand introduced the watchmaker to Morali Ali Effendi, Turkish ambassador in Paris. Effendi not only opened the immense Ottoman Empire to Breguet, he also gave him invaluable advice concerning the type of watches that would appeal to the Turkish market, which had previously been monopolized by the English.

All these friendships made it possible for Breguet not only to survive the difficult and dangerous revolutionary period and quickly re-establish his firm upon his return to Paris, but also to weather the other economic crises of the period, which were caused by the conflicts that rocked Europe at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century.

However, the Napoleonic wars and the resulting Continental blockade isolated France from other European nations and put an end to all commercial relations with England. This, in addition to the difficult economic situation in France, forced Breguet to seek other outlets for his production.

His network of friends came to his aid yet again, in the form of a new market that opened up to him thanks to his friend General Hédouville, who in 1801 had become Plenipotentiary Minister in St. Petersburg. A letter dated 17 Germinal year 11 (April 7, 1803) reveals the full importance of his role in introducing Breguet to the Russian market. Not only did the General praise Breguet’s skills to his entourage, he truly acted as a commercial agent. The letter makes reference to no fewer than five watches: a “souscription” watch, for which Breguet has received payment, a smaller watch with two hands that he intends to send within the month, two other “souscription” watches, one of which is to be sent to the Swiss Ambassador to Russia, and a gold engine-turned “souscription” watch for the price of 361/2 Louis that Breguet has given to another friend who is to deliver it to Hédouville so that he may sell it
whenever possible.

General Hédouville only remained in St. Petersburg until 1804, but it seems that during those few years, he was able to introduce Breguet to the most influential people at the Czar’s Court. Despite the fact that neither Abraham-Louis nor his son Antoine-Louis ever traveled to Russia, business developed quickly. Breguet entrusted watches to watchmakers in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Many others were sold through intermediaries such as Frackmann, Labensky, Hocke, Ferrier and Wenham. Business was so good that in 1808 Breguet decided to open a branch of his establishment in Russia. He sent Lazare Moreau to run it, an ambitious young man who had had great success the previous year when he visited all the important European courts and all the Grand Army headquarters. On the way home, he had even stopped at Compiegne where he sold several watches to the king and queen of Spain as well as their Prime Minister, Manuel Godoy, Prince of Peace.

Antoine-Louis Breguet, who was the firm’s bookkeeper, began a new account that he entitled "Maison de Russie". There he kept records of the production costs and sale prices of eighty pieces, “perpétuelle” watches, “souscription” watches, repeating and “à tact” watches, thermometer rings and silver pocket thermometers, various kinds of carriage clocks, which amounted to a total of nearly 90,000 francs at the time. All these goods were entrusted to Lazare Moreau, whose nickname was “Zarenne”.

Moreau, whom Breguet had allowed to call himself "Monsieur Moreau-Breguet" for the occasion, left Paris in late spring. He arrived in Frankfort on August 25, was in Berlin on the 27th and by the 14th of September had arrived in Koenigsberg. There a friend of Breguet, Count Stalkberg, introduced him to the Grand Marshal of the Palace, who in turn introduced him to the Emperor, only a few days after his arrival in the city.

Very optimistic, Moreau writes Breguet: "After having had lunch with him, we went to see His Majesty, who told me he was extremely pleased that a representative of the famous Breguet was setting up shop in the city, and that I could be sure of his protection and encouragement." Moreau sold the Czar a traveling clock and a gold and enamel “à tact” watch. He stated in his letter that the Czar wore only Breguet watches.

On October 20 Moreau arrived in St. Petersburg. He had, however, spent a great deal of money to get there, for his carriage was so heavy that five to eight horses were required to pull it, and horses were rare due to the fact that most had already been reserved by important and wealthy travelers. In addition, the customs duties on the items he was carrying were extremely high.

After having spent eight days at the “Hôtel de Londres”, Moreau rented an apartment at number 42 Avenue Grande Millione for 500 rubles per year. He bought furniture, rented a carriage, began going to all the receptions he could in order to meet people, and paid many social calls. He met the Minister of the Navy “who received me very cordially and promised to ask the Czar upon his return, which ought to be very soon, for permission to bear the title of Horloger de la Marine”.

On November 12, 1808, that permission was granted and Moreau informs Breguet: "his Majesty accorded me an audience of an hour and a half, and told me that he had made me “Watchmaker to His Majesty and to the Imperial Navy”. Moreau took advantage of this audience to sell the Czar the “Pendule Sympathique” No. 423 (today in the Breguet Museum), with its assorted watch, as well as chronometer no. 2115). The sovereign granted Moreau permission to attend Court as often as he liked, saying “work for our Navy, Monsieur Moreau, and as soon as you have something new, be sure and show it to me”. Back in Paris, however, Breguet feels that Moreau is squandering money: a coachman, a servant, a horse, a carriage, a sleigh! He fears that Moreau is living far above his means, and accuses him of not accounting sufficiently for his expenditures and of only sending Breguet money after having received several reminders. Generally Moreau makes payments by means of bills of exchange, but once he sent diamonds, believing it was a good choice, but in fact the diamonds brought only a meager sum when sold in Paris. On another occasion the rate of the ruble had dipped so low that Moreau’s efforts were practically for nothing. Finally, Breguet asked Augustin de Betancourt to keep an eye on Moreau.

Betancourt was an old friend of Breguet’s, perhaps his oldest and best friend. He had helped to develop the metal thermometers that Breguet made, and had assisted Breguet in his improvements to the telegraph, which the watchmaker had invented, along with Chappe, several years previously.

While still in Spain, Betancourt had been spared no effort on his friend’s behalf, introducing him at Court and selling many watches. While on a short journey to St. Petersburg in 1807, he had met the Czar, who had encouraged him to come to Russia in order to found a Corps of Hydraulic Engineers, promoting him to the rank of General.

Betancourt arrived in St. Petersburg on October 19 and met Moreau the next day. Moreau’s letters to Breguet show that the relationship between the two men remained cordial until 1809. They saw each other frequently and Moreau appeared to accept the advice dispensed to him by Monsieur de Betancourt.