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| HISTORY
HISTORY |
He could answer questions put to him by his colleagues when
they were faced with the difficulties involved in watch com-
plications. He could see at a glance the faults that prevented
his fellow-watchmakers from achieving their aims, and help
them to improve their precious time-keepers.
He spent his whole life firmly rooted to his family home. He
died in Le Locle in 1826 after working for almost 80 years to
perfect his art, the art of the watchmaker.
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For many years, he devoted most of his time to developing
a reliable and strong automatic winding mechanism (around
1760). In doing so he certainly cherished utopian ideas of per-
petual motion, but above all, he had the very practical aim
of eliminating the tedious task of rewinding pocket watches
with a key. Around 1770 Abraham-Louis Perrelet had already
developed and fitted several movements with a so-called
"hammer" oscillating weight, using an initial version of the
automatic winding movement called the "mouvement à
secousses" because it was rewound by a jerking motion.
A few years later – and after many resistance-related prob-
lems associated with the shocks sustained by the movement
when the " hammer" weight reaches the end of its travel –
he finally developed an oscillating weight system, fixed onto
the central shaft of the movement, and now usually known
as the "rotor".
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master
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watchmaker
For many years, he was one of the master watchmakers in
the Neuchâtel mountains. He remained active until the very
end of his life, very skilful and with extraordinary sureness
of touch. The International Watchmaking Museum in La
Chaux-de-Fonds (MIH) has on display what is certainly one
of Abraham-Louis Perrelet’s last pieces, made when he was
96 years old. Abraham-Louis Perrelet had many pupils, some
of which were a credit to him. These include in particular
Jacques-Frédéric Houriet, regarded as the "father of Swiss
chronometry", who served for two years as his apprentice
before leaving to work with Julien Leroy in Paris. He also
worked closely with Abraham-Louis Breguet and Louis
Berthoud. One of his most outstanding pupils was undoubt-
edly his grandson, Louis-Frédéric Perrelet.
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watchmaker
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Abraham-Louis passed on the torch of the watchmaking spirit
to his grandson, Louis-Frédéric Perrelet, born near Le Locle
on May 4th 1781. From his earliest years he showed a great
interest in mechanics and mathematics. Having learned his
skills thoroughly as a craftsman in his grandfather’s workshop,
Louis-Frédéric left Le Locle for Paris to complete his studies.
Abraham-Louis Breguet, the famous watchmaker, took him
on in his own workshops, and trained him in crafting com-
plicated timepieces.
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