By JULIET HUANG

After a meticulous restoration program sponsored generously by Montres Bregeut, the Petit Trianon is now open to visitors again.

The former château of Marie-Antoinette, it is an icon of French neoclassicism, exemplifying the delicate balance of form and proportion of 18th-century architecture. Its interiors were furnished with the utmost elegance, restraint, and beauty.

Closed for restoration for a year, a coherent multiphase restoration program was carried out to conserve and restore surviving period fittings and reinstitute identical decorative elements. Enhancement of the original premises for improved air circulation and presentation were done.

From the main entrance, the grand staircase and its wrought-iron banister were painstakingly retouched and now have the queen’s initials monogrammed along it. The famous ‘moving mirrors’ room intended for the queen’s privacy has been restored, and a theater viewing system for guests installed.

The leading name in prestige horology, Bregeut has rebuilt the ‘Marie-Antoinette’ watch, the first timepiece that possesses the self-winding, repeater mechanism, as homage to the queen. It is now for public display in the Petit Trianon.This is the remake of the original watch lost for over two decades.

Bregeut’s chief executive officer Nicholas G. Hayek was intent on recreating the most storied timepiece and has successfully evoked the history of Marie Antoinette once again. The watch house’s latest Haute Joaillerie collections are also directly inspired by the queen’s romantic universe and salute the grandeur of the restored Petit Trianon.

via WatchTribune