The Mondani Collection of Rolex Wrist...

Geneva, May 14, 2006

LOT 813

?Hardstone Inlaid Case? Breguet, No. 2579, sold to Monsieur Le Grand Duc Constantin for 2000 francs. Made circa 1880. Extremely fine and very rare, 18K gold, lapis lazuli, bloodstone, white chalcedony and rose diamond-set keyless pendant watch.

CHF 17,000 - 22,000

EUR 11,000 - 14,000 / USD 13,000 - 17,000

Sold: CHF 59,000

C. Four-body, ?forme quatre baguettes?, the back cover with a gold-outlined mosaic forming a Gothic rosette of lapis lazuli, bloodstone, white chalcedony and rose cut diamonds. Hinged gold cuvette. D. Mosaic inlaid decoration using the same stomes as the case, Roman chapters on white agate quatrefoil cartouches, outer minute ring made of 60 pieces of lapis lazuli, rose-cut diamond five minute markers. Gold ?Louis XV? hands. M. 29 mm., gilt brass bar caliber, 15 jewels, wolf?s tooth winding, counterpoised and calibrated straight line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued-steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator. Cuvette signed and numbered. Diam. 35.5 mm.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

This watch derives its inspiration from a watch made by Breguet for Prince Demidoff and sold by Antiquorum, Geneva, March 31, 2001, lot 77. That watch dated from the early 19th century and its case was described in the register as a 'boite à incrustations'. It has a very unusual case and dial for Breguet, apparently made on special order. This type of case and dial were extremely expensive to make, sometimes costing more than an entire watch with no decoration. On occasion Breguet collaborated with a jeweler called Jean-Baptiste Fossin, in particular for watches with ?boîtes à incrustations?. Apparently, Fossin specialized in jewelery with hardstone mosaics. Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich (1827-1892) was the second son of Nikolai I and his wife Charlotte of Prussia. Konstantin married Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg in 1848. The Grand Duke was a supporter of the liberal (sometimes referred to as "enlightened") bureaucrats during the great reforms of Alexander II. He served as chairman of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society (founded in 1845). The Geographical Society was subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which was home to a conspicuous number of liberal bureaucrats including Nikolai Miliutin. In addition to his support of and participation in the liberation of the Serfs, the Grand Duke also instituted reform of the Imperial Navy in 1854. In the years 1862-63 he served as the Tsar?s governor-general of the Kingdom of Poland. Though the Grand Duke tried to show a liberal attitude towards the Poles, his efforts came too late and he was recalled with the outbreak of the January Uprising in 1863.