Revue FH - 17 June 2010
Richly enamelled and brightly coloured, these watches contrast with the neo-classical displays of traditional Breguet watches.
The ties between Abraham-Louis Breguet and the Ottoman Empire date back to the early 19th century. At that time, trade relations between Breguet and its main markets - namely England, followed by Spain and finally Russia - were suspended by the Napoleonic wars.
Breguet's first asset on the Turkish market was his excellent knowledge of the country, and in particular his friendship with the Ottoman Ambassador to Paris, Esseid Ali Effendi. A patron of Breguet's as of 1798, the latter bought a minuterepeating model in 1799 and then a clock in 1801. After his return to Turkey in 1802, the two men kept up a regular correspondence, in the course of which Esseid Ali Effendi ordered a number of watches, ranging from extremely complicated to very simple models, as well as thermometers and barometers.
In his letters, Ali Effendi explained to Breguet exactly which aesthetic features these models must have in order to appeal to clients in his country. They were to have a white enamel dial, as well as a richly decorated and enamelled double inner and outer case in a vivid colour such as red. In 1803, Ali Effendi specified that from then on all the watches he would order from Breguet must have dials with Turkish rather than Arabic or Roman numerals. Breguet therefore created new models incorporating these aesthetic characteristics that were radically different from the neo-classical style he had so successfully introduced into the watch industry.
Breguet's second trump card was his decision to send a trustworthy watchmaker to represent him in Turkey. The parent company sent this representative an average of six to eight extremely valuable pieces per year until 1820, all of them enamelled in Geneva. Swiss workshops specialising in enamelled watches and familiar with Ottoman motifs enabled Breguet to respond to the requirements of the Turkish market.
During this period, the French government was looking for a gift to make to the new Sultan, Mahmud II, and opted for a model by Breguet. In 1813, the sovereign therefore received an extraordinary Sympathique clock worth 35,000 French francs. The Sultan was so delighted that he entrusted the Breguet representative with maintaining all the timepieces in his palace.
Today, the Topkapi Palace Museum owns several of the finest Breguet creations specially made for Turkey, including the fabulous Sympathique Clock owned by Mahmud II, probably one of the most richly decorated objects Breguet ever made. The Breguet museums also possess some magnificent Ottoman style pieces, acquired at major auctions in which Nicolas G. Hayek himself took part in the fierce bidding. These creations symbolise the fruitful cultural encounter between the avant-garde watch technology introduced by Breguet and the richly evocative decorative tests of the Ottoman Empire.
Thus united for the very first time, these 15 exceptional pieces make up a remarkable exhibition that can be admired at the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul from June 1st to August 31st 2010.
