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Hotel Nogalhilton Geneve, Nov 11, 2001

LOT 314

Breguet No. 4284, sold to Comte de Villontroys on November 13, 1824, for 1,800 francs.Very fine and rare, small and slim 20K gold hunting-cased souscription type watch with regulator through the dial.

CHF 60,000 - 70,000

USD 38,000 - 44,000

Sold: CHF 74,750

C. Outer: two-body, hinged, "forme quatre baguettes", polished, front and back engine-turned, by Tavernier, No. 4009. Inner: three-body, "forme quatre baguettes", engine-turned back and band, reeded bezels, back with two apertures for winding and regulating. D. Silver, radial Roman hour chapter on polished ring, outer five-minute dot divisions, engine-turned center with regulating aperture, stamped on reverse by Tavernier. Blued steel "souscription" hand with tapered point. M. 31,8 mm (14'''), cntral hanging barrel, ruby cylinder escapement, three-arm gold balance with blued steel flat balance spring, pare-chute on the top pivot, escapement jeweled, five-wheel train, female winding.Signed on the dial, movement stamped with serial number, case stamped with watch and case serial numbers, casemaker's' mark and French gold marks.Diam. 42 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3 - 16 - 01

Notes

It is rare to find a Breguet watch with original "étui"(as he called the outer protective cover). It is interesting to note that the watch can be wound and regulated either from the back or from the front.The watch is described and illustrated in "The Art of Breguet", George Daniels, London & New York, 1975, fig. 334.Maybe you have an old watch in your drawers?A young man inherited from his father an old watch. "I have no use for it", he said to himself, "I think I will sell it. May be I can get some money for it." So he went into town and showed it to a watchmaker. "This is a very nice little watch", he said, "I could give you DM 1,000 for it if you want to sell it quickly. However, I would advise you to take the watch to Munich to the salesroom. You will probably get more for it at auction. It will however take a few months, but I am sure it will beworth it and to your advantage." Thank you", our hero replied, "I will do that". He went to the auctioneer in Munich who estimated the watch at a price of DM 4,000.A few weeks passed by. The closer the day of the sale, the more excited he became. Finally, on the day of the sale, he found himself in the salesroom in a group of 100 people buying paintings, sculptures and carpets until his watch was announced, starting at DM 2,000, 3,000, 3,500, 5,000, 10,000, 12,000. At 25,000 it came to a stop and our friend was ready to jump with joy when from the back of the room came a new bid. DM 40,000, 60,000, 100,000 and when the hammer fell, the watch had arrived atDM 150,000. What had happened? This sale had come to the notice of several collectors who had identified the watch as being a genuine Breguet, namely Breguet No. 2077. But not only that, it was a complicated watch with "Grande et Petite Sonnerie" and had been sold on the 7th June1808 to the King of Spain for FF 4,600.The watch was bought by Mr. Edgar Mannheimer, of Zurich. After all those years, the watch was still in perfect working order.Maybe you have an old watch in one of your drawers? Have a look!Anecdote taken from "A. L. Breguet - Watchmaker to the Kings", by Thomas Engel, 1994 Edition, p. 198.