Important Collector's Wristwatches & ...

Grand Havana Room, Sep 22, 2004

LOT 197

Breguet, Set No. 1. Produced in the 1990s. Magnificent set of 6 keyless, self-winding, "Perpetuelle", 18K pink gold pocket watches. Accompanied by the original mahogany fitted box, gold magnifying glass, gold setting pin and two gold chains.

USD 150,000 - 200,000

EUR 122,000 - 162,000

Sold: USD 236,000

No. 1038 Extremely fine and rare, "jump-hour ", self-winding, "Perpetuelle" pocket watch with 45 hour power reserve. C. Three-body, "Empire", solid, polished and stepped bezels, transparent case back, reeded band. D. Two-tone "guilloché" silver with off-center minute track on a plain reserve, sector at 11 for the up-and-down indication, aperture for the jump-hour at 12. Blued steel "Breguet" hand. M. Cal. 51 mm (22???), frosted gilt, bridge caliber, wound by a half-ogival platinum (.960) weight, swinging on a pivoted curved arm for additional elasticity, 2 spring-loaded bumpers, Philippe slipping mainspring over-winding prevention, oscillating weight with sapphire roller to reduce friction, 24 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet Balance-spring, "parachute" shock-absorber on both pivots, micrometer regulator.Dial and movement signed.Diam. 62 mm. No. 1041 Extremely fine and rare, "jump-hour", self-winding, "Perpetuelle" pocket watch with 45 hour power reserve and enamel dial. C. Three-body, "Empire", solid, polished and stepped bezels, transparent case back, reeded band. D. Two-tone "Guilloché" silver with painted radial Roman numerals on a plain reserve, outer minute track, subsidiary ring dial for the seconds, sectoral subsidiary dials for the age of the moon and the up-and-down indication, apertures for the moon phases at 2 and the date at 6. Blued steel "Breguet" hands.hands.M. Cal. 51 mm (22???), frosted gilt, bridge caliber, wound by a half-ogival platinum (.960) weight, swinging on a pivoted curved arm for additional elasticity, two spring-loaded bumpers, Philippe slipping mainspring over-winding prevention, oscillating weight with sapphire roller to reduce friction, 24 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet Balance-spring, "parachute" shock-absorber on both pivots, micrometer regulator.Dial and movement signed.Diam. 62 mm. No. 4667 Extremely fine and rare, astronomic, self-winding, "Perpetuelle" pocket watch with 45 hour power reserve, date and moon phases. C. Three-body, "Empire", solid, polished and stepped bezels, transparent case back, reeded band. D. Two-tone "Guilloché" silver with painted radial Roman numerals on a plain reserve, outer minute track, subsidiary ring dial for the seconds, sectoral subsidiary dials for the age of the moon and the up-and-down indication, apertures for the moon phases at 2 and the date at 6. Blued steel "Breguet" hands. M. Cal. 51 mm (22???), frosted gilt, bridge caliber, wound by a half-ogival platinum (.960) weight, swinging on a pivoted curved arm for additional elasticity, two spring-loaded bumpers, Philippe slipping mainspring over-winding prevention, oscillating weight with sapphire roller to reduce friction, 24 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet Balance-spring, "parachute" shock-absorber on both pivots, micrometer regulator. Dial and movement signed. Diam. 62 mm. No. 3248 Extremely fine and rare, astronomic, self-winding , "Perpetuelle" pocket watch with 45 hour power reserve, date, moon phases and thermometer. C. Three-body, "Empire", solid, polished and stepped bezels, transparent case back, reeded band. D. Two-tone "Guilloché" silver with painted radial Roman numerals on a plain reserve, outer minute track, subsidiary ring dial for the seconds, sectoral subsidiary dials for the age of the moon, temperature and the up-and-down indication, apertures for the moon phases at 2 and the date at 6. Blued steel "Breguet" hands. M. Cal. 51 mm (22???), frosted gilt, bridge caliber, wound by a half-ogival platinum (.960) weight, swinging on a pivoted curved arm for additional elasticity, 2 spring-loaded bumpers, Philippe slipping mainspring over-winding prevention, oscillating weight with sapphire roller to reduce friction, 24 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet Balance-spring, "parachute" shock-absorber on both pivots, micrometer regulator. Dial and movement signed. Diam. 62 mm. No. 1053. Extremely fine and rare, "World Time", self-winding, "Perpetuelle" pocket watch with 45 hour power reserve. C. Three-body, "Empire", solid, polished and stepped bezels, transparent case back, reeded band. D. Two-tone "Guilloché" silver with off-center painted radial Roman numerals on a plain reserve, surrounded by a black and silver revolving disc in 24 hours for the diurnal and nocturnal hours, outer ring dial bearing the names of 42 cities in the world, silver sector at 11 for the up-and-down indication. Blued steel "Breguet" hands. M. Cal. 51 mm (22???), frosted gilt, bridge caliber, wound by a half-ogival platinum (.960) weight, swinging on a pivoted curved arm for additional elasticity, 2 spring-loaded bumpers, Philippe slipping mainspring over-winding prevention, oscillating weight with sapphire roller to reduce friction, 24 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet Balance-spring, "parachute" shock-absorber on both pivots, micrometer regulator. Dial and movement signed. Diam. 62 mm. No. 1049 Extremely fine and rare, "Equation of Time", astronomic, self-winding, "Perpetuelle" pocket watch with 45 hour power reserve, perpetual calendar and moon phases. C. Three-body, "Empire", solid, polished and stepped bezels, transparent case back, reeded band. D. Two-tone "Guilloché" silver with painted radial Roman numerals on a plain reserve, outer minute track, subsidiary ring dial for the seconds, sectoral subsidiary dials for the age of the moon and the up-and-down indication, apertures for the moon phases at 2 and the perpetual calendar at 9. Blued steel "Breguet" hands. M. Cal. 51 mm (22???), frosted gilt, bridge caliber, wound by a half-ogival platinum (.960) weight, swinging on a pivoted curved arm for additional elasticity, 2 spring-loaded bumpers, Philippe slipping mainspring over-winding prevention, oscillating weight with sapphire roller to reduce friction, 24 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet Balance-spring, "parachute" shock-absorber on both pivots, micrometer regulator. Dial and movement signed. Diam. 62 mm.


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Notes

These watches are based on the original model for Breguet perpetuelles, which he produced in the early 19th century. For an example see Antiquorum?s Exceptional Horological Works of Art, October 2002, o. 146. Upon his return from Switzerland in 1795, Breguet began working on improvements to the self-winding watch, or the "Perpetuelle" as he called it. The first self-winding watches met with limited success, due to the limitations of the winding system, which virtually required the wearer to proceed at a run in order to keep the movement sufficiently wound. Breguet?s design was revolutionary by comparison, and incorporated several new "inventions" that were far ahead of their time: two barrels to enable lighter mainsprings to be used, a carefully balanced "weight" reacting to the slightest movement and an additional train wheel to provide a going-period of up to 60 hours. The result was a watch that could be used by somebody leading a relatively inactive life, which required only a short time to recharge itself sufficiently to continue working, and could be left unattended for more than two days. The majority of his "Perpetuelle" watches, even from the first series, were constructed on the principle of the "garde-temps", with the main pivots jeweled, a detached escapement, and the balance with temperature compensation and elastic suspension shock protection on both pivots. Furthermore, they were fitted with a quarter, or even minute-repeating mechanism, a state of winding indicator, and in some cases a phase of the moon dial. Most of these innovations were unknown in France at the time, and until the invention of the wristwatch, were considered the ultimate refinements in an automatic watch. It is therefore little wonder that the introduction of such a watch brought much fame to its creator, and attracted the interest of the most notable people of the day. "Perpetuelles" were among the most sought-after of Breguet watches, costing the substantial sum of FF 4000. Two hundred years later the House of Breguet decided to pay homage to the "Perpetuelle" which resulted in the creation of a small series of exceptionally executed perpetuelle watches.