Exceptional horologic works of art

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Oct 11, 2003

LOT 450

Breguet et Fils, No. 4144, sold to Monsieur Divoff on April 15, 1833 for 3600 francs. Exceptionally fine 20K gold Garde-Temps jump-hour hand, half-quarter-repeating watch in Breguet box. Accompanied by a short gold chain, gold ratchet key and certificate.

CHF 30,000 - 40,000

EUR 19,000 - 26,000

Sold: CHF 51,750

C. four-body, by Joly, "forme quatre baguettes", engine-turned, gold hinged cuvette. D. silver, champlevé radial Roman numerals, outer minute dot divisions, engine-turned center, subsidiary sunk seconds. Gold Breguet hands. M. 45.1 mm (20''', gilded brass, jeweled to the enter with 20 jewels, straight line calibrated lever escapement, brass escape wheel with oil-retention holes, 2-arm cut-bimetallic compensation balance with gold and platinum screws, blued steel Breguet balance spring, pare-chute on the top pivot, repeating on gongs by depressing the pull-and-turn piston at 2 o'clock.Signed on the dial and cuvette, numbered on the movement, case and dial.Diam. 53 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3 - 14
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3 - 16 - 01

Notes

Garde-Temps watches were made by Breguet to the highest possible standards. The price Monsieur Divoff paid for the watch clearly reflects this; an ordinary repeater could have been bought for slightly over 1000 francs.cs.This watch was exhibited in the ?Exposition des montres anciennes Breguet? held in Paris in 1986-1987 for the 200th anniversary of the firm.Petr Andrianovitch Divoff d. December 2, 1850.Enrolled in the Preobrajenski regiment in 1787, he became Gentilhomme à la Cour in 1810. In 1822 he was made Chambellan and in 1824, Conseiller d'Etat. Divoff retired in 1825. He was a member of the aristocracy of Saint Petersburg and of Moscow. When he died, Divoff is recorded as having 266 serfs on the 5200 hectares he possessed in the Vologda.district.