News Breguet, major patron of the restoration of the Louvre’s Louis XIV to Louis XVI rooms, is celebrating the re-opening of these spaces in conjunction with the greatest museum in the world. On June 17th 2014, President and CEO Marc A. Hayek will be present at the Louvre to welcome approximately 300 guests from all over the world.
This year, in 2014, the exceptional patronage project amounting to several million will reach completion. Undertaken at the beginning of the 1980s, the last stage of the work at the Grand Louvre consisted in renovating the rooms housing all the 18th century art collections. Closed to the public for nearly ten years, the estimated 2,500 m2 area that has been restored is now entirely revamped. The museography and educational presentations have also been completely revised. This redeployment of the collections allows the works to be integrated with a unique palatial architecture combining visibility and clarity.
Through this patronage, Breguet is not only continuing its support of European culture, but also reinforcing its connection with the Louvre Museum. From 1802 onwards, Abraham-Louis Breguet had the honour of presenting his masterpieces at the Louvre in the context of its second Exhibition of Industrial Products. A few years later, Vivant Denon, the first «patron» of the Louvre acquired a minute repeater Breguet watch as well as a bisque clock bought in 1810 and 1811 respectively. Amongst the 18th century art collection at the Louvre is in addition a huge watchmaking range including very beautiful Breguet creations partly bequeathed in 1961 by the widow of Lyon industrialist, Claudius Côte. But we particularly owe the significant strengthening of ties between the two companies to the 2009 exhibition entitled «Breguet at the Louvre. An Apogee of European Watchmaking».
June 13, 2014
