BREGUET, ABRAHAM-LOUIS

born Jan. 10, 1747, Neuchatel, Switz. died Sept. 17, 1823, Paris the leading French horologist of his time, known for the profusion of his inventions and the exactitude of their execution. Brguet was apprenticed in 1762 to a watchmaker at Versailles. He took refuge in London during the French Revolution and, upon his return to France, became a principal watchmaker of the Empire. Among Brguet's many inventions and innovations were the overcoil, an improvement of the balance spring that was incorporated into most precision watches, and the tourbillon, an improvement in the lever escapement that rendered it immune to errors due to the changing position of the watch while being carried. Brguet succeeded Ferdinand Berthoud as the official nautical horologist in 1807 and was admitted to the French Academy of Sciences in 1816. Considered to be one of the greatest watchmakers of all time, Brguet had in his lifetime a worldwide reputation and clientele, and he influenced watchmaking throughout Europe.