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What is a Lépine Watch Movement?

May 3, 2022 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Today, a “Lépine” movement is one with small seconds opposite the crown. But this is not one of the many innovations we should associate with Jean-Antoine Lépine, one of the greatest watchmakers of all time. Watchmaker to King Louis XV and George Washington, Lépine changed the course of watchmaking forever, with his plate-and-bridges movement design still used today. So why do we contrast “Lépine” movements with “savonnette” or “hunter” and what’s all this about small seconds?

Filed Under: Commentary, History Tagged With: Beaumarchais, Breguet, ETA 6497, hunter, Japy, Lépine, Louis XV, Moeris, Naoya Hida, Savonnette, Zenith Elite

Is Longines the World’s Oldest Watch Brand?

February 21, 2022 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Longines has long claimed to be “the oldest trademark or logo still in use,” and after researching the history of the Longines factory I became intrigued by this claim. Although it is certainly a long-running and successful company, was today’s Longines really the oldest watch brand, let alone the world’s oldest trademark? And what about all those others?

Filed Under: Commentary, History Tagged With: Blancpain, brand, Breguet, Ernest Francillon, Girard-Perregaux, Longines, Luxury Brands, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin

House of Chaumet: How 80s Greed Brought Down a Legendary Paris Firm

November 27, 2021 By Stephen Leave a Comment

On June 13, 1987, noted Parisian jewelers Pierre and Jacques Chaumet were taken into custody for bankruptcy, breach of trust, and fraud. The distinguished gentlemen would be convicted of all these crimes, losing control of the House of Chaumet, one of the most celebrated names in jewelry, as well as Breguet, which enjoyed a similar reputation in watchmaking. The story of the rise and fall of Chaumet is even more fascinating for what is not known about the case, however, and what it tells us about the modern aristocracy.

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Breguet, Chaumet, Daniel Roth, diamonds, Investcorp, Lemania, LVMH, Michel Parmigiani, Nitot, Place Vendôme, SMH, Swatch Group

The Forgotten History of Jaquet-Droz, Switzerland’s Shared Watch Brand

April 22, 2021 By Stephen Leave a Comment

The name “Jaquet Droz” has had many different meanings since the birth of Pierre Jaquet-Droz 300 years ago. For two decades after its formation in 1961, the Coopérative de Fabricants Suisses d’Horlogerie and SAH were leading producers of Swiss watches, commanding a double-digit share of exports and revenue. Was this a success or a failure? And why does the modern haute horology company consistently skip any mention of this history?

Filed Under: History, The Watch Files Tagged With: Bienne, Breguet, Ebauches SA, etablisseur, Investcorp, Jaquet-Droz, Neuchâtel, Pierre Jaquet-Droz, SAH, Swatch Group, Swissonic

Breguet Type 20 French Military Flyback Chronograph

November 21, 2014 By Stephen Leave a Comment

I don’t usually talk about military watches, but this Breguet Type 20 caught my attention. It has fantastic patina, from the faded lume to the cracked crystal, and it represents a unique part of history. I’m not sure it’s worth the € 3,000 starting bid, but it might well be to an enthusiast.

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: Breguet, Breguet Type 20, Chronograph, Flyback, Type 20, Valjoux 22, Valjoux 222

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