BREGUET IN THE 18TH CENTURY
Breguet no. 1794 with enamel dial with Turkish numerals, sold on January 25th 1806 to the Ottoman ambassador to France
In the late 18th century, as Breguet's work became more popular in the French court, he started to extend his reputation, and his business, to farther and farther away. Even reaching as far as Asia minor.
Poland lost its status as a country in 1795 and was remade as the Duchy of Warsaw in 1807. Despite the turmoil, it remained a reliable client base for Breguet and given the high volume of aristocrats, it was a market Breguet entered early - making his first sales in the 1790s. Russia was another major market for Breguet for much the same reason. In 1804, he sold a repeating watch through an associate in Paris to Count Pushkin, son of Gannibal, the well-known Russian general and aristocrat of African descent and grandfather of great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. Breguet is also known to have sold 9 items to Tsar Alexander I, which the Tsar ordered for himself and several of his subordinates and friends.
Breguet no. 1320 Sold on August 31st 1804 to Esseid Ali Effendi for Beykan Sultan
In the early 19th century, Breguet was facing the loss of the Spanish and English markets due to war and decided to turn east towards the Ottoman Empire. He had established a decent network in Turkey through his friend Esseid Ali Effendi, Turkish ambassador to France and eventual Minister of the Navy. Through Effendi, Breguet was able to sell Emperor Selim III 2 pieces, both of which the emperor loved - greatly elevating Breguet's status in Constantinople. At one time Breguet was even instructed to start using Turkish numerals on the watches he sold in the country.
By the 1820s Breguet's reputation had extended across the world, virtually all of Europe was enthralled with his timepieces and he had even penetrated markets like Egypt and the United States. Starting in France decades before, his maneuvering into the French court paid off significantly as it lay the foundation for a career that would take him around the world.
By: Andres Ibarguen