Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Mar 15, 2015

LOT 419

BREGUET NO. 2489 GRANDE & PETITE SONNERIE CLOCKWATCH A MONSIEUR LE COMTE D'ARCHINTO Breguet, No. 2489, "montre en or bicolore à rèpètition minutes, grande et petite sonnerie au passage, constuite sur le principe des garde-temps". Sold to Monsieur le Comte d'Archinto on May 22nd, 1820, for 1,800 Francs. Exceptionally fine and important, 18K two-color gold triple-train minute-repeating, Grande et Petite Sonnerie clockwatch made in the Garde Temps tradition, with independent trains for the time, striking and repeating, two hammers for each train.

Four-body, "forme quatre baguettes" by Joly, No. 2252, engine-turned "à grains d'orge". Glazed gold-rimmed cuvette with quarters only/hours & quarters and silence/sonnerie selection levers at the edge. Silver, engine-turned, radial Roman numerals on a brushed reserve, outer dot minute divisions, secured by a single blued steel screw. Blued steel Breguet hands. 20''', matte gilt, full plate, turned pillars, two barrels for the going and striking trains, counterpoised lateral lever escapement with jeweled pallets, two-arm bimetallic compensation balance with adjusting screws set into the rims, elastic suspension on both pivots, blued steel Breguet balance spring, Grande and Petite sonnerie striking on two gongs with two hammers, independent minute repeating train with two hammers on two gongs activated by a pull-and-twist piston in the pendant.