Alexandre Jacques Bernard Law, Marquis de Lauriston. Born in Pondichery in 1768, died in Paris in 1828.French soldier and diplomat, great-nephew of the financier Law, he was born at Pondichery on the 1st of February 1768. In 1800, having been on friendly terms with Napoleon when they were cadets, he was named "aide de camp" to the First Consul in Italy. Having risen to the rank of General of a Division, in 1805 he participated in the war against Austria. He occupied Venice and Ragusa in 1806, he was made Governor-General of Venice in 1807, took part in the Erfurt negotiations of 1808, was made a Count, served with the Emperor in Spain in 1808-1809 and held commands under Viceroy Eugene Beauharnais in the Italian campaign and the advance to Vienna in the same year. At the battle of Wagram he commanded the guard artillery in the famous "artillery preparation" which decided the battle. In 1811 he was made "ambassadeur extraordinaire" to Russia, and in 1812 he held a command in the "Grande Armée", distinguishing himself by the determination with which he covered the retreat from Moscow. He cmmanded the 5th army corps at Litzen and Bautzen and took part in the autumn campaign, falling into the hands of the enemy during the disastrous retreat from Leipzig. He was held prisoner of war until the fall of the Empire, afterwards supporting Louis XVIII, to whom he remained faithful during the Hundred Days. His reward was a seat in the House of Peers and a command in the Royal Guard. In 1817 he was created Marquis and in 1823 Maréchal de France. During the Spanish War he commanded the corps which besieged and took Pamplona. The Marquis de Lauriston died in Paris on June 12,1828.The present watch represents the ultimate in Breguet finishing. The watch is jeweled up to the center wheel; the entire escapement is fitted with endstones; the impulse pin is made as an integral part of the balance staff; the steel parts are mirror-polished, particularly the hammer. The watch is made with a special Robin chronometer escapement improved by Breguet, in which the detent, resembling a pallet fork, has two pallets but just for locking. The locking and unlocking are done the same way as in the lever escapement, while the impulse is given as in a chronometer-unidirectional, directly to the impulse roller mounted on the balance staff. The unlocking jewel is in fact a jeweled roller mounted loosely on a post, to minimize friction. Breguet used Robin's escapement in some of his best watches. He later modified it and made it a double lift escapement.The watch, exceptional from a technical point of view, also has an interesting provenance. It was sold to the Marquis de Lauriston, perhaps upon his being made Ambassador to Russia. Twelve years after the Marquis' death, in 1840, the family sold the watch back to Breguet, who resold it on December 25 that same year, to the Viscount d'Adhémar, who probably bought it as a gift, for at that time the cover must have been replaced for one with the coat-of-arms of the Drouet family, who were influential in financial circles before the Revolution.