Breguet Reopens Beverly Hills Boutique

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Oct. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- World renowned watch brand, Breguet, reopened its doors to the Beverly Hills boutique after a major renovation, on Thursday, October 03, 2013 with a cocktail reception on Rodeo Drive and ribbon cutting.  The ceremony was hosted by Mr. Rodolphe Schulthess, Breguet V.P. of Global Sales, Mr. Michael Nelson, Breguet U.S. Brand Manager and Mr. Frank Furlan, President, Swatch Group U.S.

Opened in 2006, Breguet Boutique Beverly Hills is located at the heart of Rodeo Drive and is the first store in the U.S. to be outfitted with the brand's new retail concept. The contemporary look of decorative frosted glass is enhanced by guilloche designs in tribute to an art form first introduced on watch dials by the brand's founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet (A.-L. Breguet). It also prominently displays the Blue Breguet Hands, a universal signature of a prestigious timepiece.  In addition to the interior renovations, a specialty clock was installed on the facade of the building. The clock is a replica of the Classique Tourbillon model 3357 which is based on the original Tourbillon design from 1801.

The celebration was amplified by String Theory, a collaborative ensemble of musicians and dancers that utilize invented instruments and sonic sculpture to create their unique performance landscape and sonic footprint. The band is best known for their large-scale performance installations that transform environments and architecture into giant musical instruments. Their instruments have extended up to 800 feet transforming architecture in to giant musical instruments. At the Breguet event, String Theory turned Via Rodeo into an outdoor instrument by hoisting musical strings from the sidewalk to the rooftops of the boutiques creating an oversized aerial violin.

The evening also marked the U.S. launch of the global traveling exhibition, "Breguet the Innovator.  Inventor of the Tourbillon," which will be on display at the Beverly Hills boutique through Saturday, October 19^th. First unveiled in Geneva at the start of 2013, the exhibition showcases a retrospective of the most iconic mechanism ever created in modern watchmaking.

Lauded as the father of contemporary horology, A.-L. Breguet was awarded the patent for the Tourbillon on June 26, 1801. This revolutionary invention, which neutralized the effects of gravity in pocket watches, provided incredible precision in mechanical timepieces. The tourbillon is considered an engineering feat which cemented the illustrious watchmaker's standing as one of the most innovative figures of all time.

Today, the brand continues to pay tribute to its founder and the innovation that changed timekeeping. "Breguet, the Innovator. Inventor of the Tourbillon," pays homage to the legacy of A.-L. Breguet and the impact of the tourbillon on his standing in European society. The exhibition has traveled throughout Europe and Asia and following its Beverly Hills debut, it will move to Chicago and New York.  

Among the priceless historic timepieces on display in the exhibition will be a tourbillon repeater chronometer from 1812, a legendary perpetuelle pocket watch with "a toc" quarter repeater known as the "No. 5," and an antique tourbillon movement. The exhibition will be accompanied by one of largest contemporary collections of tourbillon timepieces in the world, including a rare Breguet tourbillon pocket watch and the ultra-thin tourbillon introduced this year.

"Breguet, the Innovator.  Inventor of the Tourbillon" -- Breguet Boutique Beverly Hills Oct. 4-19, 2013. 280 N. Rodeo Drive (310) 860-9911; Tourbillon Boutique Chicago: Oct 25-29, 2013. 545 North Michigan Avenue (312) 836-3800; Breguet Boutique Fifth Avenue: Nov 8-17, 2013. 711 Fifth Avenue, NYC (646) 692-6469

About Breguet
The world's number one luxury watchmaker
Since it was acquired by the Swatch Group in 1999, Montres Breguet has rapidly moved into the world number one position in luxury watchmaking. Its new products, the true measure of brand dynamism, and its capacity for innovation continue to be a priority. To such an extent that the creativity and ingenuity of Breguet have not run out of steam with the passage of time, but rather have grown, since the number of patents granted under the leadership of Nicolas G. Hayek exceeds the number of inventions recorded by its founder, A.-L. Breguet (1747–1823). Today the brand is continuing to reinforce its dominant role in the development of watchmaking mechanics by devoting very significant investments to research and innovation, as well as to the actual Breguet manufacturing site, which has been enlarged and expanded with new facilities and infrastructure as well as sophisticated machinery. Emphasis has also been placed on recruiting highly qualified watchmakers. A team is ceaselessly working on the design and production of new models that interpret the brand's esthetic values in a novel manner, and on completely original mechanisms that will drive the timepieces of tomorrow. At the heart of the brand's strategy lies the perfecting, through synergies with the Swatch Group, of innovative manufacturing procedures. This demonstrates its historical capacity for constantly reinventing and revolutionizing watchmaking, in order to satisfy the requirements of its extremely sophisticated clientele. It was with this objective in mind that a prestige jewelry line was launched in 2002, with resounding success. www.breguet.com

Image with caption: "World renowned watch brand, Breguet, reopened the doors to its Beverly Hills boutique after a major renovation recently with a cocktail reception and ribbon cutting on Rodeo Drive. Hosted by Rodolphe Schulthess, VP of Global Sales; Michael Nelson, US Brand Manager and Frank Furlan, President, Swatch Group US, the evening also served to introduce "Breguet the Innovator. Inventor of the Tourbillon," a global exhibition of priceless, historic timepieces that will be on display at the Rodeo Drive boutique through October 19th." Image available at: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131009/LA94876-a

Image with caption: "World renowned watch brand, Breguet, reopened the doors to its Beverly Hills boutique after a major renovation recently with a cocktail reception and ribbon cutting on Rodeo Drive. Hosted by Rodolphe Schulthess, VP of Global Sales; Michael Nelson, US Brand Manager and Frank Furlan, President, Swatch Group US, the evening also served to introduce "Breguet the Innovator. Inventor of the Tourbillon," a global exhibition of priceless, historic timepieces that will be on display at the Rodeo Drive boutique through October 19th. Pictured: US Brand Manager, Michael Nelson." Image available at: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131009/LA94876-b

Image with caption: "World renowned watch brand, Breguet, reopened the doors to its Beverly Hills boutique after a major renovation recently with a cocktail reception and ribbon cutting on Rodeo Drive. Hosted by Rodolphe Schulthess, VP of Global Sales; Michael Nelson, US Brand Manager and Frank Furlan, President, Swatch Group US, the evening also served to introduce "Breguet the Innovator. Inventor of the Tourbillon," a global exhibition of priceless, historic timepieces that will be on display at the Rodeo Drive boutique through October 19th." Image available at: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131009/LA94876-c

SOURCE Breguet