Nicholas Parsons, master of Just A Minute, will celebrate a great master of the timepiece, Abraham Louis Breguet, as he goes in search of the most expensive and exquisite watch ever made for a BBC4 documentary
The Marie-Antoinette, also known as The Queen, is a case watch designed by Breguet. With its value estimated at up to $100m, it remains the most valuable watch in the world. Like the Mona Lisa, it has been stolen and restored and today is displayed behind bullet-proof glass – an icon of sophistication, elegance, innovation, science and engineering.
As part of his exploration of the wonderful world and works of Breguet, Nicholas Parsons travels to Paris to see some of the brilliant works by this master craftsman. The highlight of his journey is a trip to Israel to see the Marie-Antoinette itself, held in the L.A. Mayer Institute for Islamic Art’s clock department. Here the master of Just A Minute gets a chance few have ever been afforded – to hold in his hand the most precious timepiece on the planet.
This film charts Breguet’s astonishing story. It celebrates his work, coveted and collected today by the richest people and the greatest museums on earth. It is a tale that begins in Revolutionary France and involves Marie Antoinette, Napoleon, his Queen Josephine – and is still unfolding today.
Nicholas Parsons has been studying clocks and horology since he was a boy. After his father, a doctor, was given two crates of clocks by a grateful patient, two sessions with a master clockmaker followed for the young Nicholas – and he was hooked. Later in life, Nicholas even managed to mend an exceptional 17th century Lantern clock his father had bought, which has now been passed down to him. He remains an enthusiastic horologist and as a member of the Worshipful Company of Clock Makers, he is able to attend the annual ritual winding the Tompion Clock in the British Museum – a piece famous for running for 365 days on a single wind.
Nicholas Parsons says: “As someone who has always loved clocks and watches, it was wonderful to be involved in a programme which explores the work of one of the greatest clockmakers of all time, Abraham Louis Breguet, and the history of the most fantastic watch ever made – which took us from Britain to France and Israel.”
Cassian Harrison, Channel Editor, BBC Four says: “As a channel that celebrates individual passions, I’m delighted that the great Nicholas Parsons is coming to BBC Four to delve deeper into his long held love for watches and clocks in this very special film.”
