First published in 1997, Breguet, Watchmakers since 1775. The life and legacy of Abraham-Louis Breguet was written by Emmanuel Breguet, a seventh generation descendant of Abraham-Louis and now curator of the Breguet museum. With the original edition long out of print, the book has just been published in its second edition, and made available by Breguet for an affordable price.

Corporate vanity coffee table books are rarely worth attentive study, but Abraham-Louis Breguet is such a significant figure in watchmaking that the updated Breguet tome is definitely worth a read. Add to that the Breguet museum’s impressive collection and the book is hard to turn down.

Measuring 27cm by 29cm and weighing 2.6kg (or 5.7lbs), the second edition is a weighty piece of reading. At 452 pages, the second edition is over 60 pages longer than the first, to accommodate the new images, illustrations and historical timepieces acquired by the Breguet museum since 2000 (like the Bugatti Royale clock purchased last year).

Necessarily, the new edition also includes a chapter covering the Swatch era, after the Swiss watchmaking conglomerate took over Breguet in 1999. It details Swatch founder Nicolas Hayek’s leadership of the company until his passing in 2010, during which its turnover grew 10-fold.

Price and availability 

Breguet, Watchmakers since 1775. The life and legacy of Abraham-Louis Breguet will be available at Breguet boutiques worldwide, priced at SFr130 or €120, equivalent to US$130.