Thematic Auction in Geneva:The Evolut...

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Nov 16, 2002

LOT 46

Breguet, No. 1348, sold to Messieurs Meyer et Tues for 2160 francs on 3 fructidor an 13 (Aug 21, 1805).Exceptionally fine and highly important large 20K gold watch with annual Gregorian calendar and additional gold index for the Julian calendar, signs of the Zodiac, special disengaging equation of time and days of the week. In original Breguet Morocco fitted box, with original gold Breguet key on short gold chain, accompanied by two Breguet certificates.

CHF 0 - 0

EUR 0 - 0

Sold: CHF 1,213,500

C. Four-body, No. 427 by master casemaker Mermillot, "Empire", polished, gilt hinged cuvette with winding and setting apertures, one for the mean time, one for equation. D. White enamel, by Borel, secret signature below 12 o'clock, Breguet numerals, outer minute track, outermost annual calendar scale with months and corresponding Zodiac signs, and days of the month, subsidiary days of the week dial (reprinted) below 12 o'clock. Blued steel Breguet hands, Julian calendar indicated by a gold pointr fixed to the annual calendar "spear" hand, equation of time with serpentine Breguet hand. M. 54 mm. (24'''), gilt brass, very elegant and rare caliber based on the famous "three bridge caliber", hanging barrel, Breguet hanging ruby cylinder, three-arm plain brass balance, blued steel flat balance spring with compensation curb and parachute on the top pivot, the annual calendar driven from the hour wheel meshing with an intermediate wheel with a very small, ingeniously arranged, two-leaf lanterpinion which drives the days of the week wheel, which in turn, through a worm gear, drives the annual wheel, the equation cam set at the center of the annual wheel with an ingenious system of power transmission from the mean time motion work to the solar time motion work via a special double wheel/double rack and pinion mechanism.Signed on dial, cuvette and movement, case punched with the movement serial number, casemaker trademark and his number and French 20K guarantee marks, dial signed on the reverse "Borel, fructidor an. 11".Diam. 62 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Notes

The present watch reflects Breguet's remarkable talent in its ingenious yet simple equation of time mechanism, which interferes only minimally with the going train. It engages with the motion work only once per hour for a brief moment, lessening the resistance on the train. The motion is transmitted from the mean time motion work to the solar time via a double spring-loaded wheel joined together by a system of two pivoted racks and a pinion. One rack advances the bottom wheel, the other makes itretreat. This is done by a lever controlled by the equation cam mounted on the annular wheel.When the lever closes in, the small dart moun-ted on the advancing rack pushes the rack which advances the pinion on the intermediate motion wheel, which in turn transmits the difference to the solar motion work. When the lever retreats, the ingeniously simple mechanism takes over and every hour releases the click holding both racks retreating until the dart falls on the equation lever. Since the watch is built on the principles of the Garde Temps, Breguet apparently wanted to make sure that allthe forces interfering with the isochronism of his chronometer were kept to a minimum.The equation mechanism is driven from the hour wheel as des-cribed above. There are only three other watches known with the same equation mechanism; No. 3807 (Ex-ceptional Horological Works of Art, Antiquorum, October 20, 2002, No. 148), No. 3862 (Time Museum, inv. No. 578), and No. 3863, illustrated in "The Art of Breguet", by George Daniels, p. 261. The present one apparently was the prototype.The caliber is based on the famous "three bridge caliber" of which only three examples are known, the most notable having been made for George IV. It has been speculated that Breguet got the idea for his famous three-wheel clock from the "three bridge caliber".The watch was chosen by Emmanuel Breguet to illustrate Breguet's achievements in"Breguet, Horloger depuis 1775", pp. 164, 172, 173.The watch was recently overhauled by Breguet