Breguet will cooperate with the Topkapi Palace Museum to hold an antique watch exhibition for sale in the Turkish market. These watches with beautiful glazes and bright colors are masterpieces of neoclassicism pursued from traditional Breguet watches. Stand out from the doctrine of doctrine. This exhibition presents 19th-century timepieces from the Topkapi Palace Museum and the Breguet Museums in Switzerland and Paris, including the self-tuning bell, Breguet and the Turkish ambassador, which were specially designed for Mahmud II. Correspondence between Esseid Ali Effendi and portraits of famous patrons.
The link between A.-L. Breguet and the Ottoman Empire dates back to the early 19th century, when Breguet’s trade relations with its main markets-England, followed by Spain, and again Russia-were stagnated by the Napoleonic wars.
Breguet number 1794/2410. Double gold case with enamel flowers.
Breguet’s initial asset in the Turkish market was his full knowledge of the country, especially his friendship with the Ottoman ambassador to Paris, Esseid Ali Effendi. As of 1798, the patron’s patrons purchased a minute repeater from Breguet in 1799, and then bought a clock in 1801. When he returned to Turkey in 1802, frequent correspondence between the two gentlemen began. During this period, Esseid Ali Effendi ordered a large number of watches, from extremely complex watches to very simple watches. Also includes thermometers and barometers.
In his letter, Ali Effendi explained to Breguet the aesthetic characteristics that these watches must possess in order to attract users in his country. These watches must have a white enamel dial, as well as a colorful, decorative and enamel-rich dual case, such as red. From 1803, Ali Effendi specified that all watches he ordered from Breguet thereafter must have dials with Turkish numerals instead of Arabic or Roman numerals. Therefore, the brand created new works with these aesthetic characteristics, which are completely different from the neoclassical style that the brand successfully introduced into the watch industry.
Breguet dial 1794/2410 in white glaze.
Breguet’s second trump card was his decision to send a trusted watchmaker as the brand’s agent in Turkey. On average, the parent company delivers six to eight precious watches to the agency until 1820, all of which are glazed in Geneva. The workshop in Switzerland is good at making glaze watches, and is familiar with Ottoman patterns, allowing the brand to meet the requirements of the Turkish market.
During this period, the French government was looking for a gift to the new Sultan Mahmud II, so he chose a Breguet watch. So in 1813, the monarch received an extraordinary pair of bells and watches worth 35,000 francs. Sultan Longyan Yue immediately entrusted the representative of Baodi to maintain all the timepieces in the palace.
Bell toll for the King of Sudan, number 758.
Today, the Topkapi Palace Museum houses some of Turkey’s finest masterpieces of Breguet, including the legendary self-bellied bell owned by Mahmud II, which is likely to be one of the brand’s most beautifully decorated works ever. The Breguet Museum also houses several thrilling Ottoman-style works, which Nicolas G. Hayek personally took from the auction at Lectra Group. These works symbolize the fruitful cultural meeting between Breguet’s cutting-edge watchmaking technology and the touching decorative arts of the Ottoman Empire.
In view of this, these 15 amazing works are gathered together for the first time, and a table exhibition was held at the Topkapi Palace Museum from June 1st to August 31st, 2010.