Exceptional horologic works of art

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Oct 11, 2003

LOT 128

Breguet et Fils, Horloger de la Marine Royale, No. 3519, “Montre Premiere Classe”, sold to General Davidoff on March 8, 1822, for 4,500 francs. Very fine and rare 20K gold, silver and enamel half quarter repeating watch with days of the week, date and secret compartment with an ivory miniature portrait of a lady, with a short gold chain and Breguet key, accompanied by a Breguet certificate No. 2533.

C. Five-body, “forme quatre baguettes” by Tavernier, back cover centered by Davidoff's coat-of-arms in champlevé black enamel, engine turned border, silver band, back cover cleverly fitted with secret inner cover with ivory miniature of a lady, push-piece on the band at XI o'clock to open the back cover, gold detachable cuvette with description of technical details of the watch in champlevé enamel and with winding and regulating apertures.D. Gold, Roman numerals, outer minute dot divisions, subsidiary seconds at IV o'clock concentric with days of the week, symmetrically at VIII o'clock subsidiary date, both with “basket” engine-turned centers, two secret signature on each side of figure “XII”, signed on the reversed by Tavernier, and stamped with watch serial number. Blued steel, Breguet hands. M. 39 mm, gilt, “nouvelle” caliber with hanging barrel, ruby cylinder escapement, three-arm gold balance with blued steel flat balance spring, pare-chute on the top pivot, five-wheel train with large number of pinion leaves jeweled to the center, repeating by a single hammer on a gong through pull-and-twist piston in the pendant, Le Roy's anchor governor.Signed Breguet et Fils on dial and “Breguet” on cuvette, case stamped with watch and case serial numbers, casemaker's punch and French gold marks.Diam. 45 mm.