Marie Antoinette's Breguet Watch Displayed in London

The Breguet No. 160 watch, created for Marie Antoinette, will be displayed for the first time in the UK at London's Science Museum starting December 12, as part of the 'Versailles: Science And Splendour' exhibition. Commissioned in 1783, the watch features 823 intricate parts and is crafted from rubies, sapphires, platinum, and gold, but was completed in 1827 after both the queen and the watchmaker, Abraham-Louis Breguet, had passed away. The timepiece includes advanced mechanisms for sound signaling, a perpetual calendar, a thermometer, and a stopwatch function, all visible through its clear crystal dial. Sir Ian Blatchford, director of the Science Museum Group, emphasized its significance as a masterpiece of engineering and beauty. This exhibition marks the watch's first journey abroad since its recovery in 2008 after being stolen in 1983. The display aims to highlight the scientific advancements encouraged by French monarchs from Louis XIV to Louis XVI.