39,100 CHF
Breguet No. 1996 – Horloge Marine Lettre B, sold to Monsieur Larré on December, 27, 1809 for 1680 Francs. Very fine, interesting and extremely rare small one-day marine chronometer. Later, custom-made, three-body with glazed uppersection with hinged lid. Brass bowl and gimbaled suspen-sion. White enamel with radial Roman numerals andsubsidiary seconds. Blued steel Breguet hands. Unusualsmall brass half plate movement, fusee with chain andmaintaining power, platform spring detent escapement,three-arm compensation balance with poising and timingscrews, pare-chute suspension, free-sprung blued steelhelical balance spring with terminal curves.Movement signed, dial marked “B”..Dial diam. 71 mm. Notes Very few chronometers were produced solely by Breguet during his lifetime, even after his appointment as Horloger de la Marine. In 1819, in a letter to the Duke of La Roche-foucault, he complained that he had the title of Horloger de la Marine, without the functions that went with it. This is one of the very few chronometers produced by Breguet at a time when Louis Berthoud was still the official maker of the French Navy.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2005-05-15
