Cape Town’s Crown Jewel(er)

Founded by master watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1775, Breguet timepieces are the epitome of Swiss-French craftsmanship excellence. Renowned for setting the standard for which all fine watchmaking is adjudicated, Breguet’s reputation is unmatched. A visionary in the industry, Breguet is credited as the mastermind behind the creation of self-winding perpétuelle watches, the introduction of the gongs for repeating watches and the first shock-protection for balance pivots.

Undoubtedly, each Breguet timepiece is a definitive work of horological art. This notion is endorsed by the sheer stature of the brand’s first supporters: Louis XVI and his Queen, Marie Antoinette. After this, it wasn’t long before Breguet became the indispensable watchmaker to the era’s scientific, military, financial and diplomatic elites, with his timepieces ruling the courts of Europe. In honour of some of his most notable clients, Breguet envisioned some extraordinary creations. In 1810, he conceived the world’s first wristwatch for Caroline Murat, the Queen of Naples, further solidifying him as a horological genius — a laudation that continued to be bestowed on him for his enormous contribution to the field. He was even appointed to the Board of Longitude, and as chronometer-maker to the navy, he entered the Academy of Sciences and received the Legion of Honour from the hands of Louis XVIII.

For centuries, royalty, celebrities and watch enthusiasts have taken pride in wearing these emblems of watchmaking innovation and brilliance — and to this day, these pieces continue to be outfitted with the latest horological improvements in an original movement, mostly complete with a lever or ruby-cylinder escapements. Now, with the Tanur Collection, these epochal timepieces can be purchased right on South African soil, serving as the perfect accompaniment to a diamond-encrusted Tanur Collection necklace or glistening Tanzanite ring.