Marie Antoinette watch to go on display for first time in UK

A ticker made for Marie Antoinette and described arsenic “the world’s astir famed watch” is to spell connected show for the archetypal clip successful the UK astatine London’s Science Museum.

Breguet’s No. 160 Marie Antoinette was intended to beryllium worn by the French queen, but she did not unrecorded agelong capable to bask it, and present the ticker volition signifier portion of the Versailles: Science And Splendour exhibition, which opens connected December 12 astatine the South Kensington attraction.

In 1783, Abraham-Louis Breguet was commissioned with an unlimited fund to trade the timepiece for Antoinette, but it was completed successful 1827 owed to Brequet’s pursuit of perfection and the French Revolution, meaning neither the queen nor its creator could spot the finished product.

The world’s astir famed watch, from history’s astir celebrated maker, is simply a existent masterpiece. It came from an property of outstanding invention

Author David Rooney

The ticker is made up of 823 parts, including mechanisms which supported on-demand sounding connected the hour, 4th hr and minute, a perpetual calendar corrected for the leap year, a thermometer, and an autarkic 2nd manus that acts arsenic a stopwatch.

It was crafted from materials including rubies, sapphires, platinum and gold, and has a wide crystal dial which reveals the intricate mechanisms inside.

Sir Ian Blatchford, manager and main enforcement of the Science Museum Group, said: “This glorious ticker volition thrill visitors to Versailles: Science And Splendour, and is 1 of the astir singular items we person ever secured.

“Even successful the smallest details, the ticker perfectly encapsulates meticulous engineering and a dedication to cognition and beauty, ideals which are echoed passim our accumulation and astatine Versailles itself.”

Antoinette was the past queen of France, ruling from 1774 to 1792, erstwhile she was imprisoned successful the Temple Prison by revolutionaries, earlier being beheaded successful 1793 astatine the Place de la Revolution.

The ticker remained wrong the Breguet institution until it was sold to Sir Spencer Brunton successful 1887, earlier yet uncovering its mode into the postulation of Sir David Lionel Salomons successful the 1920s and past aboriginal displayed successful the LA Mayer Museum for Islamic Art successful Jerusalem.

It was stolen successful 1983 and remained missing for much than 2 decades, with its accomplishment successful London marking the archetypal clip the ticker has travelled overseas since its harmless instrumentality to the LA Mayer Museum for Islamic Art successful 2008.

David Rooney, writer of About Time: A History Of Civilisation successful Twelve Clocks, added: ”The world’s astir famed watch, from history’s astir celebrated maker, is simply a existent masterpiece. It came from an property of outstanding invention.

The world’s astir famed watch, from history’s astir celebrated maker, is simply a existent masterpiece. It came from an property of outstanding invention

Author David Rooney

“In its myriad complications it represents, successful exquisite miniature, the cycles of our precise existence. Now, Breguet’s horological tour-de-force volition delight each who sojourn this fantastic exhibition.”

The accumulation volition purpose to instrumentality visitors connected a 120-year travel done the improvement of subject astatine Versailles and however monarchs Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI encouraged technological pursuit and drew connected the technological advances of their times to heighten France’s prestige and widen its influence.

The accumulation volition showcase much than 100 objects, galore of which person ne'er earlier been displayed successful the UK.

It volition beryllium accompanied by a caller book, Versailles: Science And Splendour, edited by curator Anna Ferrari, which volition delve further into the astonishing stories of subject astatine the royal French court.

The accumulation volition tally until Monday April 21 adjacent year, with tickets costing £12, and children aged 11 and nether going free.