Marie-Antoinette No 1160, Breguet's Most Famous Creation

NEW YORK, Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- It was the watch meant for a Queen. It is
the watch that became the Queen of all timepieces.

The story of the watch began in 1783. It was named after Marie-Antoinette, the
young Austrian aristocrat who married King of France, Louis XVI and later
became the Queen of France and Navarre. Commissioned by one of the Queen's
most fervent admirers, A.L. Breguet was given the task of creating a unique
gift for the Queen.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091012/NY90912)

It took 44 years for the watch to come to life. Breguet had created the watch
of all watches with a minute-repeater, a full perpetual calendar, an equation
of time, a power reserve indicator, a bimetallic thermometer, a large
independent seconds hand and a small center seconds hand, a lever escapement,
a gold balance spring and a parachute anti-shock device.

The Queen met her demise 34 years before the watch was finally completed in
1827 by A.L. Breguet's son.

The watch was acquired by the Marquis de Garoye of Paris and changed hands a
few times through history until it was bequeathed to the L. A. Meyer Museum in
Jerusalem by Sir David Lionel Salomons' daughter. In 1983, the
Marie-Antoinette was stolen from the Museum.

Driven by his passion for Breguet, Nicolas G. Hayek, CEO of Breguet decided in
2005 to commission the Breguet Manufacture located in the Vallee de Joux to
reproduce the vanished Marie-Antoinette watch, to be called the No 1160. N. G.
Hayek, also Chairman of the Swatch Group went a step further by becoming the
major patron of the restoration of the Petit Trianon, Marie-Antoinette's
favorite hidden place when alive.

The whereabouts of the original watch were unknown until November 2007 when it
enigmatically reappears in Tel Aviv. Mysterious timing of the destiny of the
Marie-Antoinette as the No 1160 was about to be unveiled.

In April 2008, Breguet proudly presented its Marie-Antoinette in a wood box
made of oak from the gardens of the Petit Trianon. This incredible watch,
usually displayed in the Breguet museum at Place Vendome in Paris, will be
showcased for two limited exclusive engagements in the US at the Beverly Hills
and New York Breguet Boutiques. This is an unprecedented opportunity for the
American public to have a glimpse into watch making and history in the making.
The journey of the Marie-Antoinette keeps on writing itself. . .

The Breguet Boutique
280 No. Rodeo Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
P: 310 860 9911
Viewing Dates and Hours:
13, 15 & 16 October 2009 (10-6 pm)
14 October 2009 (10-2 pm)

The Breguet Boutique
779 Madison Avenue
New York, NY10065
P: 212 288 4014
Viewing Dates and Hours:
19 October 2009 (2-6 pm)
20 & 21 October 2009 (10-6 pm)

http://www.breguet.com

SOURCE Breguet

Amy Chia, Breguet, +1-201-271-4644, amy.chia@swatchgroup.com