Petit Trianon Restoration Funded By Breguet

The centuries-long relationship between legendary watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet and European nobility is symbolized in the October 2nd re-opening of the Petit Trianon on the National Estate of Versailles.  The historic grounds, renowned as a favored retreat of Queen Marie Antoinette, has been closed for the past year to allow for an extensive restoration project. A major portion of the funding was provided by Montres Breguet and Nicholas G. Hayek, CEO and Chairman of  Breguet.   

Despite an untimely death at the hands of the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette managed to become one of the most prolific clients of Abraham-Louis Breguet, commissioning many watches from the celebrated watchmaker.  The ill-fated French queen is principally associated with a super-complicated pocket watch, which was ordered from Breguet by an admirer of the queen.  This watch, which was stolen from a museum in a famous 1980 heist, became the inspiration of a remarkable project for Nicolas Hayek and Montres Breguet, who sought to recreate it, utilizing original treatises and drawings of Breguet and his assistants.  Even though the original Marie Antoinette watch was miraculously recovered early this year, it did not overshadow the Baselworld 2008 introduction of the replica, known as the Ref. 1160 Grande Complication, which proved to be one of the most remarkable timepieces of the exhibition.  

An interesting side note to the relationship between Marie Antoinette, the Petit Trianon, and Breguet concerns the creation of the magnificent presentation box which was made to house the modern recreation of the Marie Antoinette pocket watch.  A centuries-old oak tree--reputed to be the Queen's favorite--finally died, necessitating removal.  Learning of the tree's fate, Hayek asked that a portion of the trunk be reserved for the creation of a fitting presentation case, a request to which the Versailles authorities agreed.