If Breguet has established itself as one of the most prestigious watchmakers, it is thanks to its inimitable style and expertise. For more than two centuries, Breguet has been making watches that combine horological prowess with rare elegance.

The art of guilloché
While most Breguet watches have a fluted case middle, a motif that is emblematic of the "Breguet style", the company has also made the art of guilloché its second signature. Delicately guilloché by hand, in gold or silver, the dial of a Breguet watch is always excessively chic. Subtly decorated with a sunburst, barley seed or clou de Paris motif, Breguet dials have "an incredible charm", as Emmanuel Breguet, Heritage Director, puts it.
This rare craft was first introduced in 1786 by Abraham-Louis Breguet. Creating relief on the dial without impairing legibility, guilloché is one of the House's distinctive features. Today, Breguet has several guilloche craftsmen in its workshops. Their most surprising creations may combine up to 4 or 5 types of guilloché.


18k pink gold wristwatch with "Empire" case and off-centred seconds
Sold for €41600 on 23 June 2022

The Breguet style
At Breguet, refinement does not stop at the texture of the dial. From the hour-markers to the hands, the quest for harmony and elegance extends to the smallest detail.
As much visual as functional, the hands sublimate the dial, sometimes going so far as to give it a magisterial allure. Until the 18ᵉ century, they were generally short, massive and often excessively decorated. In 1783, Abraham-Louis Breguet devised a new minimalist and incredibly slender shape so as to achieve greater precision. Known as "eccentric apple" or "crescent moon" hands, these hands, mostly made of blued steel, are now simply called "Breguet hands". This quest for elegance led Abraham-Louis Breguet to revisit the aesthetics of Arabic numerals. He made them his own by refining them and tilting them slightly. Nicknamed the "Breguet numerals", this style became a cult in the watchmaking world and was adopted by the most prestigious manufactures, including Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Omega.


Upcoming auction
Ref. 5967, 18k yellow gold wristwatch
Estimate: €6,000 - €8,000
Sale on 26 March 2024

The Grandes Complications
Breguet has always excelled in the art of complications. A great inventor, Abraham-Louis Breguet developed a surprising number of mechanisms to optimise the precision and reliability of measuring instruments. He invented the Breguet balance-spring, the gong spring for repeater watches and the constant-force escapement, and was the first watchmaker to develop and perfect the tourbillon regulator. He was also responsible for the first watch with a perpetual calendar. Leaving behind an exceptional legacy, the company he founded in 1775 has never ceased to celebrate his genius by producing majestic Grandes Complications watches. The finest examples of these creations, often made to order for kings, princesses or sultans, sometimes feature up to 8 complications. One of the finest pieces presented at auction in recent years is unquestionably the watch that belonged to Princess F. de Faucigny-Lucinge, sold for €53,300 by Aguttes at the sale of Mr B.'s exceptional collection entitled "Une histoire du Temps".


Gold pocket watch with perpetual calendar, moon phases, chronograph and minute repeater,
Purchased on 30 September 1902 by Princess F. de Faucigny-Lucinge
Sold for €53,300 on 28 September 2022.

The secret signature
At the end of the 18ᵉ century, the House of Breguet was immensely famous and its watches were particularly coveted. But this success had a downside: the appearance of the first counterfeits. In 1795, Abraham-Louis Breguet devised an ingenious stratagem to differentiate a genuine watch from a copy: a secret signature. Imperceptible to the naked eye, the brand's 7 letters are embossed on the dial. Visible only in low-angled light, the signature is placed under the 12 o'clock index on enamel dials. On gold and silver dials, it appears in tiny letters engraved on either side of the index. This detail alone testifies to the extreme desirability of Breguet watches, which have often been imitated but never equalled, because the Breguet spirit is unfalsifiable!

For any further information or to include a lot in our auctions, please contact :
Claire Hofmann
+33 7 49 97 32 28
hofmann@aguttes.com