Ladies and Gentlemen, the M-A
Click to see it in more detail. This is the watch I’m writing about and it might be the most beautiful watch I’ve ever seen. To look at it up close is amazing - all of the complications are hidden, like a Mac. It actually couldn’t be set by hand. In fact, a master watchmaker had to set it if it wound down, which means this wasn’t a sports watch. The rock crystal is striking and that riot of gears was recreated, piece by piece, from only a few images and a description of the watch by an English collector. I’ve got some more images but I thought I’d put this one up as a treat to you guys. It was actually an honor to be in the same room with the old girl.
November 17th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
That’s really quite incredible.
When was the original made? Nuts to think such intricate things could be built back in the day.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
It was started in 1783.
From the Watch Quote:
Marie-Antoinette
In 1783, Breguet received an intriguing order :
He was to produce a watch for the account of an Officer of the Queen’s Guard that would incorporate every complication and all the latest developments of the time. Neither time limit nor price was imposed.
Breguet spent 37 years perfecting a work of art, but unfortunately, the Queen was to die before ever seeing the fabulous n° 160 watch, known as the Marie-Antoinette.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Frankly this is the most important timepiece to date, Breguet could have been Antonio Stradivari for watchmaking and this is the red violin in this context.
As far as I know, this stunning masterpiece, commissioned by Count Axel de Fersen was finished only in 1827, four years after Breguet’s death, so the whole process lasted 44 years!
Hope writing your book won’t last that long!
Cheers
November 17th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
So that’s the sh*t eh? Looks cool. Does it still work?
November 18th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Q: Does it still work?
A: This is the replica of the original, made for this years Baselworld - so it works pretty well! The original one is probably sitting in a museum safe in Jerusalem, after a watchmaker gave back to that institute, it was stolen from, however nobody could check officially, whether it was the original one - even Mr Hayek was refused to examine the watch at that time. Very strange indeed…