In 1775, the reign of Louis XVI just took place and ushers in a new wind over France. The King is favorable to the arts, and Breguet takes advantage of it to start its own business. He is successful up until the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789. The unstable climate in Paris forces him to flee his adopted country, and he returns to Switzerland. When he comes back, Abraham-Louis Breguet sets out to rebuild his business and find a new clientele.
Invention of the “pare-chute” anti-shock device, to reach its final form 1806.
The shock protection system known as the pare-chute is one of Breguet’s most celebrated inventions. Observing that when watches suffered a blow, the fine pivots of the balance suffered most, Breguet decided to shape the pivots like cones and secure them in position by means of little dishes echoing this shape, that were mounted on a strip spring. The system reached the experimental stage around 1790. Breguet gave a public demonstration of it in Talleyrand's presence by throwing a watch on the floor and retrieving it undamaged. Soon he was fitting all his watches with the system, which he presented in its final version at the Expostion national of 1806. Also known as elastic suspension of the balance, Breguet's pare-chute was the forerunner of today's Incabloc and all other methods of shock protection.
Simple watch, Breguet no. 5084, sold on 17 December 1833 to Mr Greenfield.