100,050 CHF
A Monsieur Egerston Breguet, No. 1583, sold to Monsieur Egerston on December 17, 1813 for 3,000 francs. Extremely fine and equally rare 20K gold half quarter-repeating, à tact pocket watch with duplex escapement and jump hour-hand, built on the principles of the garde temps. Accompanied by a short gold chain and gold ratchet key. Four-body, “Empire”, No. 1039, by master casemaker Joly, back engine-turned in a circular pattern, band reeded in three patterns, gold hinged cuvette engraved with the Bourbon coat-of-arms. White enamel, No. 118 by master dial maker Borel, secret signature below 12, Breguet numerals, outer minute track, sunk subsidiary seconds at 4 o’clock. Notes This watch is the most highly jeweled Breguet simple repeater watch from this period that we know. Every arbor in the going and repeating trains, except the barrel, is jeweled on both sides. This includes the center wheel and the repeating train barrel which, in other watches, if they are jeweled at all, are jeweled only on the back plate. The use of gold for the escapement impulse wheel and the minute wheel is further proof that this watch is of the highest quality produced by Breguet. Fewer than sixty watches with duplex escapement were made by the Breguet firm, including the “nouvelle series” begun after Breguet’s death. Most were equipped with solid balance. This watch, whose bimetallic compensation balance is superbly finished and whose arbors are all jeweled, stands out even among that select gro
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2004-11-14
