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History

Louis Moinet was born in Bourges in 1768. As a young man he studied classical subjects but his childhood interest in horology never left him. By 1800, watchmaking was taking up all his time.

Now based in Paris, Louis Moinet spent long periods in Switzerland. He worked closely with the great Abraham-Louis Breguet, becoming both his close friend and advisor. During his lifetime, Louis Moinet made a number of exceptional clocks for the eminent personalities of his day, including Napoleon Bonaparte. He also produced clocks for maritime and astronomical use. In 1816 he produced the "Compteur de Tierces" for his observations of celestial bodies – making Louis Moinet the inventor of the chronograph. He is also remembered for his Traité d’Horlogerie, published in 1848. Louis Moinet died in Paris in 1853, at the age of 85. When Jean-Marie Schaller acquired the Louis Moinet name in 2001, the only historical element in his possession was a biography of the watchmaker. He went on to create Les Ateliers Louis Moinet SA: a fully independent company which he established in 2004. His objective was to pay tribute to Louis Moinet and at the same time produce avant-garde timepieces. Jean-Marie Schaller and his team devote themselves to making contemporary watches with a distinct personality. These are always unique pieces or part of a limited edition, in two collections: Cosmic Art and Mechanical Wonders. Such creativity has earned Louis Moinet many prestigious awards: a UNESCO Merit Award, six Red Dot Design Awards, a Gold Medal at the International Chronometry Competition, ten Good Design Awards, three Middle East Watch of the Year Awards and two Robb Report "Best of the Best" Awards. In addition, the judges at the Salon Exceptional Watches presented Jean-Marie Schaller with the Horological Creativity Contribution Prize for his "outstanding overall contribution to watchmaking."



Key dates

Pendule pour Napoléon Bonaparte

1806

The clock made for Napoleon Bonaparte signalled Louis Moinet as a master horologist.

Extraordinaires pendules

1810

Throughout his lifetime, Louis Moinet made extraordinary clocks for the most eminent figures of the day, including two Presidents of the United States, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe, the Emperor of Russia and Maria Amalia, Queen of France.

Compteur de Tierces Compteur de Tierces Compteur de Tierces

1816

Creation of the first ever chronograph, the "Compteur de Tierces", used for making observations of the stars and planets.

Traité d’Horlogerie Traité d’Horlogerie Traité d’Horlogerie

1848

Publication of the Traité d’Horlogerie, reputed to be the finest watchmaking treatise of its century. Louis Moinet devoted twenty years of his life to writing the two volumes, still a reference for watchmakers today.

Louis Moinet

1853

Louis Moinet died in Paris, on May 21st, at the age of 85. He is regarded as one of the most capable watchmakers of his time.

Jean-Marie Schaller

2001

Jean-Marie Schaller embarked on a journey to bring Louis Moinet and his work back to life.

Jean-Marie Schaller Ateliers Louis Moinet SA

2004

Les Ateliers Louis Moinet SA founded by Jean-Marie Schaller in Saint-Blaise, Switzerland.

Magistralis

2009

Launch of the MAGISTRALIS unique piece, the first ever watch to incorporate an actual fragment of the Moon.

Meteoris

2010

Unveiling of the METEORIS planetarium, a unique objet d'art crafted with fragments of rare meteorites that shows the solar system in spectacular fashion.

World First Chronograph Ever World First Chronograph Ever

2016

Louis Moinet was awarded the Guinness World Record for the world's first ever chronograph .

Ville de Bourges

2018

Two hundred and fifty years after his birth, Louis Moinet "came home" when a street in the French town of Bourges was named after him, and a plaque displayed on the house where he lived.

Space Revolution Space Revolution Space Revolution

2020

Presentation of SPACE REVOLUTION, the first space object from Louis Moinet. It took three years of research to master this new technology.

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