168,500 CHF
Breguet, Horloger de la Marine Royale, No. 4009, Simple Garde Temps a double secondes, sold to Mr. Whaley on 6 January 1825, for 3000 Francs. Very rare and elegant 18K gold and silver, split centre seconds stop watch, construit sur le Principe des Garde Temps. Silver eccentric engine-turned, by Tavernier No. 4009, with Roman numerals on a polished chapter ring and centre seconds. Gold Breguet hands and counterpoised blued steel and gold seconds. Notes Provenance: The property of an important American family since the 1920 's. Formerly in the Dollfus collection. Literature: Illustrated and descr ibed by George Daniels in The Art of Breguet, p. 264, fig. 312 a-b. History: According to the manufacturing, sales and repair books, this watch was bought back from Mr. Whaley on 25 February 1825, for 2240 Francs. Resold to the Comte Chevalier de I'Espine on 31 December 1831 for 3100 Francs, it was returned for overhaul at his request on 20 September 1834, 25 March 1843 and 9 October 1855. Note: Split-seconds stop watches such as this lot often designed by Breguet as: chronomttres i. double secondes, dit d 'observation are much rarer than simple or inking chronographs, and would indeed appear to be another invention by Breguet. Like the latter, invented by Fatton, they were designed to record intervals of time. When construction of this watch was begun in 1822, Breguet was, as far as it is known, the only watchmaker to have produced such a complication, and therefore, although Read more…
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
1997-10-18
