Collector's Pocket Watches, Wristwatc...

Noga Hilton, Geneva, Apr 12, 2003

LOT 539

Breguet, No. 569, sold to Count Campo Alegro on October 2, 1847 for 3,500 francs.Fine and important 18K gold and enamel, early keyless quarter-repeating pocket watch.

CHF 2,500 - 30,000

EUR 1,700 - 21,000 / USD 1,900 - 22,000

C. Three-piece, "Empire", back cover with very fine translucent dark blue enamel over elaborate engine-turning with applied coat of arms, band engraved with a wreath of laurel leaves, reeded bezel, slide protruding through the band at 9 o'clock for regulating. D. White enamel, Roman numerals, outer minute divisions, snap-on fit. Gold "Breguet" hands. M. 39.8 mm. ø (17 1/2'''), early gilt bridge caliber, 21 jewels, straight line counterpoised lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balanceblued steel Breguet balance-spring, gold and platinum screws, gold guard pin, very early winding/setting system, repeating on gongs through activating a slide in the band.Dial signed, case stamped in typical Breguet manner with serial number over a letter "B", French 18K gold guarantee stamp, casemaker's stamp in lozenge and a case number 75 over a letter "P".Diam. 44 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3-51
Movement: 3*
Dial: 3-01

HANDS Original

Notes

The watch features the early stem-wound and stem-set keyless system apparently invented by Breguet. Breguet had experimented with keyless winding and setting mechanisms as early as 1831-1832 (see Antiquorum, New York, April 26, 2001, lot 154). However, his early designs featured two separate arbors, one for winding, the other for setting. The arbors were sometimes concentric, but were always two in number. This design, alluringly simple as are many of Breguet's inventions, consists of a doubleinion set on a winding stem constructed in such a way that when one portion is disengaged by pulling the crown, the other becomes engaged. Three years after this watch was sold, Breguet abandoned this system in favor of other systems, among them the one invented by Adrien Philippe (see Antiquorum, October 19, 1997, lot 50).Count Campo Alegro bought at least five clocks and five watches from Breguet. Among the clocks were a "Horloge double", among the watches repeaters, two with "remontoir", this one and another a few serial numbers apart.