Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747–1823)
Antoine-Louis Breguet (1776–1858)
Gold and Silver Double-Dial Desk Watch Showing
Decimal and Traditional Time
Paris, c. 1795–after 1807
gold and enamel, gilt brass, brass, and steel
2 7/8 x 2 7/8 x 13/16 in. (7.3 x 7.3 x 2 cm)
Bequest of Winthrop Kellogg Edey, 1999
Accession number: 1999.5.154
This is one of the very few watches to include both traditional and decimal dials. The decimal system, introduced during the French Revolution, affected not only weights and measures but also time. Decimal time divided the day into ten hours and the year into ten months.