At the epoch of the first troubles of the Revolution of 1789, Breguet
had already founded the establishment which has since produced so many
master-pieces of mechanism. The most honourable, the most flattering
reputation was his. One anecdote will serve to prove the high repute
in which he was held, even out of France. One day a watch, to the
construction of which he had given his whole attention, happened to
fall into the hands of Arnold, the celebrated English watchmaker. He
examined it with interest, and surveyed with admiration the simplicity
of its mechanism, the perfection of the workmanship. He could scarcely
be persuaded that a specimen thus executed could be the work of French
industry. Yielding to the love of his art, he immediately set out for
Paris, without any other object than simply to become acquainted with
the French artist. On arriving in Paris, he went immediately to see
Breguet, and soon these two men were acquainted with each other. They
seem, indeed, to have formed a mutual friendship. In order that
Breguet might give Arnold the highest token of his esteem and
affection, he requested him to take his son with him to be taught his
profession, and this was acceded to.

The Revolution destroyed the first establishment of Breguet, and
finally forced the great artist to seek an asylum on a foreign shore.
There generous assistance enabled him, with his son, to continue his
ingenious experiments in his art. At length, having returned to Paris
after two years' absence, he opened a new establishment, which
continued to flourish till 1823, when France lost this man, the pride
and boast of its industrial class. Breguet was member of the
Institute, was clockmaker to the navy, and member of the Bureau of
Longitude. He was indeed the most celebrated clockmaker of the age; he
had brought to perfection every branch of his art. Nothing could
surpass the delicacy and ingenuity of his free escapement with a
maintaining power. To him we owe another escapement called 'natural,'
in which there is no spring, and oil is not needed; but another, and
still more perfect one, is the double escapement, where the precision
of the contacts renders the use of oil equally unnecessary, and in
which the waste of power in the pendulum is repaired at each
vibration.

The sea-watches or chronometers of Breguet are famous throughout the
world. It is well known that these watches are every moment subject to
change of position, from th