Exceptional horologic works of art

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Oct 11, 2003

LOT 123

Breguet et Fils, No. 3344, sold to Prince Scherbatoff on August 20, 1819 for 2400 francs. Very fine small 8 day-going mahogany single-barrel table alarm and Grande et Petite Sonnerie striking quarter-repeating carriage clock with special experimental escapement and visible striking works. Accompanied by original red morocco fitted traveling box and Breguet certificate.

CHF 110,000 - 160,000

EUR 72,000 - 104,000

Sold: CHF 256,500

C. Rectangular, veneered with slightly extended base, back panel sliding vertically to reveal the movement, glazed gilt brass medaillon in the top to see the movement, gilt brass laurel leaf bezel, gilt brass bun feet. D. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute ring. Blued steel Breguet hands with polished steel index alarm hand. M. Rectangular, 105 x 80 mm, triple train with striking and going trains driven from the same barrel, platform with experimental entirely jeweled calibrated lateral lever escapement with upright jeweled pallets, draw on both pallets, brass escape wheel with oil retention holes, 3-arm cut bimetallic balance with gold and platinum screws, blued steel Breguet balance spring, single barrel with wheels on both sides, one driving the going train, the other the striking, changing lever from grande to petite sonnerie at 10 o'clock on the outside of the dial, silence/striking symmetrically to the right, rack striking set on the back plate with unusual largeound coil gong, pull-alarm with its own helically coiled gong set in the base.Signed on the dial, numbered on the movement and the case.Dim: Height 165 mm, width 112 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3

Good
Dial: 3 - 01-

Notes

The present clock is interesting for its provenance and its technical characteristics. After Prince Sherbatoff returned the clock, probably exchanging it for a watch, it was resold by Breguet to one of his best clients, General Yermoloff.Breguet fitted the clock with a special type of escapement, to date unrecorded. It is a calibrated lateral lever escapement with upright pallets. Banking, facilitated by a pin set on the tail of the lever, takes place within a circular opening. Breguet appears to have been the first to realize that in the lever escapement there is less torque delivered on the balance from the entry pallet than from the exit pallet. In his early lever escapements, he equalized torque by making the entry pallet convex and the exit one concave.As the present clock demonstrates, he later realized that torque can also be equalized by making the tail of the lever assymetrical. This is what is called calibrated lever; it is implemented in this clock. Breguet further equipped the clock with upright pallets, which was very unusual for him. In this way he could observe the action of the escapement and calibrate the tail much more easily and effectively than with a regular escapement. Another unusual and practical feature is the single winding for both trains.