Major Inventions and Innovations of
Abraham-Louis Breguet and his Successors
Over 120 patents registered since 2000!
| DATE | INVENTIONS | INNOVATIONS |
| 1780 | Twin going-barrels to provide smoother power transfer. | Perpétuelle watch – perfection of the self-winding mechanism with oscillating mass. State of winding indicator. |
| 1783 | Breguet hands and numerals. Watch repeating on gongs. | |
| 1785 | Application of a bimetallic thermometer to a watch. Development of a superior lever escapement. | |
| 1786 | The Breguet dial, engine-turned by hand. | |
| 1787 | New design of repeating work for 10 minute ¼ hour, ½ ¼ hour and minute-repeating. | |
| 1789 | Echappement naturel – escapement working without oil. Breguet key – a ratchet key designed to engage when turned in the correct direction. |
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| 1790 | Pare-chute shock protection. | Collier form watchcase. |
| 1791 | Secondes d’un coup – independent jump seconds stopwatch. | Quatre-baguettes – watchcase. |
| 1792 | Development and production of the mechanism for the Chappe optical telegraph. | |
| 1794 | Aiguilles des Heures Sautante – jump hour hand. Overhanging ruby cylinder escapement. Secret signature. |
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| 1795 | Regulateur à Tourbillon. Pendule Sympathique. |
Perpetual calendar mechanism. |
| 1796 | Montre Souscription. Breguet balance spring. |
Pendule de voyage – the carriage clock in the form that was to be adopted by all other makers. |
| 1798 | Echappement à Force Constante (March 9). Invention of the musical chronometer, the clockwork mechanism that acts as a metronome. Independent seconds hand. |
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| 1799 | Montre à tact. | Nouveau calibre movement. |
| 1800 | Pull-twist piston for repeating. Repeating of the date. | |
| 1801 | Patent of the Tourbillon Regulator (June 26). | |
| 1803 | Hunting-case for slim watches. | |
| 1805 | Pendule Pyramidale. | |
| 1808 | Detachable horizontal platform for a carriage clock. | |
| 1810 | Pendule Sympathique winding and re-setting the watch. | Development of the “fork and roller” lever escapement with draw. Development and production of the first wristwatch, ordered by the Queen of Naples. |
| 1812 | Tri-metallic thermometer. | |
| 1815 | Fully adjustable balance spring stud. | Interchangeable escapement platform for marine chronometers. |
| 1816 | Double train/escapement watch and clock. | |
| 1819 | Ocular of an astronomical telescope. | |
| 1820 | Compteur Militaire. Double secondes d’un coup dedoublante – independent split centre-seconds stopwatch. |
Platinum used for a watchcase. Slide-armed repeating work. |
| 1829/30 | Combined keyless winding and hand setting. | Platinum balance wheel. Watch designed to be worn on the wrist. |
| 1928 | First purpose-built perpetual calendar wristwatch. | |
| 1938 | Start and reset mechanism of a movement with direct-drive seconds hand. | |
| 1939 | Patent of the sidereal timekeeper (February 28). | |
| 1950 | Chronograph reset mechanism. Chronograph minute counter (2 patents). |
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| 1990 | First Sympathique wristwatch and its clock. Double power reserve. |
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| 1991 | Timepiece with a running equation-of-time, perpetual equation-of-time wristwatch. | |
| 1994 | Perpetual calendar mechanism, in-line perpetual calendar wristwatch. | |
| 1996 | Timepiece movement equipped with a perpetual calendar mechanism. | |
| 1997 | Patent of the in-line perpetual calendar wristwatch. | |
| 1998 | The world’s smallest self-winding chronograph movement. | |
| 2002 | 5 patents registered, including: Moon-phase mechanism (Reine de Naples). |
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| 2003 | 7 patents registered, including: Patent for a mechanism to lock the alarm function, column-wheel system (Réveil du Tsar). |
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| 2004 | 7 patents registered, including: Balance for timepiece movement, titanium balance (Tradition Tourbillon Fusée). |
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| 2005 | 15 patents registered, including: Watch equipped with at least two regulating systems (Double Tourbillon). Shock-protection device for balance pivot (Tradition). |
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| 2006 | 13 patents registered, including: A musical module for a watch movement (La Musicale). |
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| 2007 | 3 patents registered, including: Timepiece comprising a power-reserve display device (Tradition Tourbillon). |
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| 2008 | 8 patents registered, including: Gong for a striking or alarm mechanism (minute repeater). Balance spring with “overcoil” terminal curve in silicon (Tradition Tourbillon). |
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| 2009 | 8 patents registered, including: Gong for a timepiece striking mechanism (minute repeater). Tourbillon timepiece movement equipped with a shock-protection device (Tradition Tourbillon). |
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| 2010 | 11 patents registered, including: Timepiece comprising a high-frequency mechanical movement (Type XXII). Striking watch equipped with an acoustic membrane (La Musicale). Magnetic pivots and magnetic anti-shock (Classique Chronométrie). |
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| 2011 | 19 patents registered, including: A musical module for a watch (La Musicale). A balance-spring with two spiral springs. Magnetic governor for the transmission wheel(s) of the movement or strike (La Musicale). |
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| 2012 | 5 patents registered, including: Balance-spring with two spiral springs featuring improved isochronism. Contact-free torque transfer for timepiece. |
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| 2013 | 10 patents registered, including: Wheel in a watch pivoting in a magnetic or electrostatic field. Setting the frequency range of a device that produces sound with vibrating blades. |
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| 2014 | 5 patents registered, including: Mainspring barrel with enhanced transmission. Comb for a music box. Musical watch case featuring enhanced acoustics. |
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