Breguet and Versailles to host exhibition on Marie Antoinette in Japan

In an exclusive partnership with Versailles, Breguet will be co-hosting an exhibition titled “Marie Antoinette, a Queen in Versailles” in Tokyo, Japan 

The President & CEO of Montres Breguet, Marc A. Hayek, recently announced that the maison in an exclusive partnership with the château de Versailles will be co-hosting an exhibition titled “Marie Antoinette, a Queen in Versailles” from October 25, 2016 to February 26, 2017 in the renowned Mori Arts Center Gallery in Tokyo, Japan. This follows the brand’s sponsorship of the restoration of the Marie Antoinette’s favourite residence, the Petit Trianon, undertaken a few years ago.

Historical links connecting Marie Antoinette and Montres Breguet
Abraham-Louis Breguet, the young watchmaker who had left his native Switzerland for Paris in 1762, counted on Abbot Joseph-François Marie, who had close ties to the French court, to give him a good start in the business. Young Breguet succeeded beyond his dreams as Queen Marie Antoinette of France, who was very impressed with the watchmaker, helped him make his indelible mark on the history of the horological industry as a whole.

Breguet received his first order from the Queen in 1782, for whom he created a perpetual repeater watch with calendar. It is likely that Breguet was introduced to the Queen at this time. Other orders followed, even up to a “simple Breguet watch” from within the Temple Prison, where she was held captive in 1792.

Breguet creations inspired by Marie Antoinette
The first and most famous is a watch ordered for her majesty by an officer of her guard, which involved producing a watch that incorporated all the complications and developments known at the time and using the most expensive materials. Unfortunately, it was only completed in 1827 – 34 years after her death, 44 years after it was ordered and four years after the death of Breguet.

In homage to this prestigious customer, the house of Breguet has regularly drawn inspiration from the Queen’s world to create exceptional pieces. For instance, in 2009, it unveiled the “La Rose de la Reine” High Jewellery line, inspired by the famous painting Marie Antoinette with the rose by portrait artist Elisabeth Vigée-Le Brun. Breguet recreated the famous rose held in the Queen’s hands using cameo, the traditional southern Italian art of sculpting the different layers of a shell by hand.

Meanwhile, the “Les Volants de la Reine” collection pays vibrant tribute to the outfits worn by the Queen of France. First presented in 2014, the range astonishes with the elegance and complexity of its shapes, which recall the finest pleated silks and laces that adorned dresses at the time.

The Petit Trianon – the haven of peace in which the Queen loved to relax and which was restored by Montres Breguet – has also become a source of inspiration for the Manufacture. The “Petit Trianon” jewellery line, launched in 2009, offers a simple reinterpretation of the refined, royal theme that characterises the place she cherished so dearly.