Important Watches, Wristwatches and C...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 18, 1997

LOT 111

Breguet, Horloger de la Marine, No 2186 D, Chronographe Marine Automatique, Ref. 3460 PT, 1990's. Very fine, self-winding, waterproof, platinum gentleman's wristwatch with round button chronograph, registers and date, with platinum Breguet deployant clasp, accompanied by original box and certificate.

CHF 10,000 - 12,000

Sold: CHF 24,150

C. massive, polished, screwed back, reeded band, ogival winding-crown, straight lugs. D. "guilloche" silver with painted radial Roman numerals on a plain reserve + auxiliary dials for the seconds, the 12 hours and 30 minutes registers, outer graduation for the 1/5th of second, aperture for the date. "Breguet" blued steel hands. M. 13 -, Cal. 576, automatic winding. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 35 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: B

Fair

Case: 1

As new

Movement: 1

As new

Dial: 1-36-51

As new

Partially re-gilt

Partially reprinted

Notes

Breguet's Pupils and Successors: The Breguet Style Abraham-Louis Breguet will always be remembered as an inventor and an entrepreneur but he was also a devoted teacher. He enjoyed training his apprentices and employees, among which many became renowned watchmakers in their own right. Through their work transpired the master's teachings and influence, perpetuating the Breguet style. Among those watchmakers who apprenticed with Breguet and who later gained a fame of their own, are John Roger Arnold (1769-1843), only son of John Arnold, the celebrated English chronometer maker and friend of Breguet; Frederick Louis Fatton, one of Breguet ' s most eminent pupils and who often signed his work Fatton, eleve de Bregued; Frederic-Louis Favre-Bulle (1770-1849) who specialized in marine chronometers; Jacques-Frederic Houriet (1743-1830) also maker of marine chronometers, who became partner in Courvoisier & Hound, in Le Locle, a major supplier to Breguet; Urban Jiirgensen (1776-1830) who, after training at Houriet's, came to Breguet, and Berthoud, and was given letters of recommendation from them both to continue his training in England; Heinrich Johannes Kessels (1781-1849) who worked at Breguet in 1817; Louis-Frederic Perrelet (1781-1854) who, after his apprenticeship, was fully employed by Breguet, later becoming watchmaker to Louis XVIII and Charles X; Henri Robert (1795-1874) inspired both by Breguet and Perrelet and named <> in 1847; Joseph-Tadeus Winnerl (1799-1886) who worked for Breguet before setting up on his own in Paris in 1832 to produce marine chronometers and who received many titles and distinctions during his career. Louis Tavernier, Giteau and Perusset were also pupils of Breguet and excellent watchmakers, but apart from some surviving examples of their work, some signed eleve de Breguet, little is known about them. Two of Breguet's pupils who most closely followed their master's style were Etienne Mugnier and Charles Oudin. Breguet's influence was very strong in their work and they produced watches comparable in quality and aesthetics to those made by their master. Mugnier became << Watchmaker to the Emperor>, Napoleon I and later to Son Altesse Serenissime Monsieur, frere du roi Louis XVIII, (future Charles X), and Charles Oudin invented different special devices for the equation of time. After Breguet 's death, his successors continued production in the master's style. From 1823 to 1833 the Maison Breguet was managed by his son, Antoine-Louis Breguet, who in turn was succeeded by his son, Louis-Clement Breguet, from 1833 to 1870. Jonas-Louis Lassieur, nephew of Abraham-Louis, was also involved in the family business for some forty years. Other watchmakers, less closely connected to Breguet himself, contributed in spreading his influence by producing timepieces which were inspired from, and at times imitated, the master's most important creations. Breguet was one of the most imitated watchmakers, even during his lifetime. For this reason he began using a <