Important Collectors Wristwatches, P...
New York - The Fuller Building, Jun 14, 2007
LOT 123
?Montre Perpetuelle - Jump-Hour? Breguet, ?Montre Perpetuelle - Jump-Hour?, No. 1034, movement No. 1/10. Made in a limited edition of 10 pieces in the 1990s. Extremely fine and rare, keyless, self-winding, 18K yellow gold pocket watch with jump-hour indication and 45-hour power reserve sector.
USD 30,000 - 40,000
EUR 22,000 - 30,000
Sold: USD 41,300
C. Three-body, "Empire", solid, polished and stepped bezels, reeded band, transparent case back. D. Guilloché silver with off-center ring dial for the minutes, sector for the up-and-down indication at 11, aperture for the jumphour at 12. Blued steel "Breguet" hand. M. Cal. 24???, frosted gilt, bridge caliber, wound by a half-ogival platinum (.960) weight, swinging on a pivoted curved arm for additional elasticity, 2 spring-loaded bumpers, Philippe slipping mainspring over-winding prevention, oscillating weight with sapphire roller to reduce friction, 24 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet balance spring, "parachute" shock-absorber on both pivots, micrometer regulator. Dial and movement signed, case numbered. Diam. 62 mm. Property of a Middle-Eastern Collector
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: AAA |
Excellent |
Case: 2 |
Very good |
Movement: 2 |
Very good |
Dial: 1-01 |
As new HANDS Original |
Notes
Montre Perpétuelle
Upon his return from Switzerland in 1795, Breguet began working on improvements to the self-winding watch, or the "Perpetuelle" as he called it. The first self-winding watches met with limited success, due to the limitations of the winding system, which virtually required the wearer to proceed at a run in order to keep the movement sufficiently wound. Breguet?s design was revolutionary by comparison, and incorporated several new "inventions" that were far ahead of their time: two barrels to enable lighter mainsprings to be used, a carefully balanced "weight" reacting to the slightest movement and an additional train wheel to provide a going-period of up to 60 hours. The result was a watch that could be used by somebody leading a relatively inactive life, which required only a short time to recharge itself sufficiently to continue working, and could be left unattended for more than two days. The majority of his "Perpetuelle" watches, even from the first series, were constructed on the principle of the "garde-temps", with the main pivots jeweled, a detached escapement, and the balance with temperature compensation and elastic suspension shock protection on both pivots. Furthermore, they were fitted with a quarter, or even minute-repeating mechanism, a state of winding indicator, and in some cases a phase of the moon dial. Most of these innovations were unknown in France at the time, and until the invention of the wristwatch, were considered the ultimate refinements in an automatic watch. It is therefore little wonder that the introduction of such a watch brought much fame to its creator, and attracted the interest of the most notable people of the day. "Perpetuelles" were among the most sought-after of Breguet watches, costing the substantial sum of FF 4000. Two hundred years later the House of Breguet decided to pay homage to the "Perpetuelle", which resulted in the creation of a small series of exceptionally executed perpetuelle watches.