The Sandberg Watch Collection

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Mar 31, 2001

LOT 129

ChronosBreguet, Etablissement Mixte, circa 1820.Very fine and rare 18 ct. gold eight-day going 'wandering hour' watch.

CHF 10,000 - 12,000

USD 6,000 - 7,000

Sold: CHF 19,550

C. Four-body, 'Empire', engine-turned back cover, fluted band, gilt spring-loaded cuvette. D. White enamel a segment with minute divisions and Arabic numerals set in the top of a gold mask engraved with the figure of Chronos, wandering Arabic blued-steel hour numerals passing through the minute segment window, pointing to the correct minute. M. 54.4mm o, gilt brass, unusual bridge calibre, 6 jewels, free-standing barrel, cylinder escapement, plain three-arm gold balance, flat balance spring, balnce and escape wheel jewelled, free-standing barrel, third and fourth wheels in skeletonised steel bridge.Case stamped inside back cover 'PHPI, 6237' and with later French gold marks, cuvette signed 'Etablissement mixte, Breguet', the dial engraved Breguet et Fils.Diam. 61 mm. Published in the Sandberg book, page 196-197.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3 - 10
Movement: 3 - 5 - 6*
Dial: 2

Very good

Notes

The Etablissement Mixte series consisted of, according to Breguet himself, watches made outside his shop but to his design and under his supervision. The escapements, he claimed, were made in his shop.In the past, it had been assumed that this register was either lost or that it never existed, but this is not the case. Etablissement Mixte watches have their own special register, which is in the possession of the company. It begins with No. 1 in 1806 and continues to No. 2421 in 1832. All kinds of watches and clocks are recorded, some quite unusual. Since this Etablissement Mixte register is not numbered it is very difficult (but not impossible) to locate it in the book.Watches with a wandering hour dial first appeared in the 17th century.In the 1920's and 1930's, Breguet sold many wandering hour watches with a system patented in about 1925 by Robert Cart. More recently, the idea has enjoyed a revival, being introduced into the wristwatch.