14,160 CHF
“Calm Harbor” Leroy, “élève de Breguet”, No 5026. Made for the Turkish market circa 1815. Very fine and rare, 18K gold and painted on enamel quarterrepeating pocket watch with cylinder escapement. Three-body, “à la Turque”, the back with painted on enamel central decoration depicting ships in a calm harbor with ruins in the foreground and a citadel in the background, pink guilloche enamel sky, surrounded by pink champlevé enamel with gold foliate scrolls, the bezels decorated en suite. Hinged gold cuvette. White enamel, Islamic numerals, outer minute track. Blued steel “Breguet” hands. Notes In 1811, in search of new markets to compensate for the recession, Breguet remembered the advice given him by Ali Effendi in 1802: "Send one of your most skillful watchmakers to Constantinople ... and your name will become as famous as that of the English." Later that year Leroy settled in Constantinople as Breguet's agent. The firm sent him, on an average, 6 to 8 pieces per year until 1820, after which date sales slowed somewhat. But along with these expensive pieces made in Paris, there were an even greater number of less expensive pieces, made in Geneva for Breguet and sold under the signature Breguet or "Leroy, élève de Breguet". However the case of the present watch demonstrates that though these watches were the “second” line for the establishment they were as good as the “First” quality for many of Breguet and Leroy's competitors at that time.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2006-11-12
