Important Watches, Collectors’ Wristw...

Hotel Noga Hilton, Nov 14, 2004

LOT 86

A Monsieur l?Ambassadeur Azara Breguet No. 30, sold on 23 Frimaire year 7 (13 décembre 1798), to the nephew of the Ambassador Azara for 1,440 Francs. Very fine and rare gold-cased dumb quarter-repeating garde temps pocket watch, with jumping hours and échappement isolé.

CHF 60,000 - 80,000

EUR 40,000 - 50,000 / USD 50,000 - 65,000

Sold: CHF 86,250

C. Gold engine-turned case, ?forme collier?, made by Mermillod No. 454, gilt brass cuvette. D. White enamel by Cavé (signed on the counter-enamel), Breguet numerals, star minute divisions and small offset subsidiary seconds. Secret signature ?Breguet No. 30? beneath the 12. Blued steel Breguet hands. M. Gilt brass movement, Lepine caliber with free-standing barrel, Breguet overhanging ruby cylinder escapement, plain brass three-arm balance with pare-chute suspension, blued steel flat balance spring with bimetallic compensation curb on the index. Repeating on the case by depressing the pendant with a massive polished steel single hammer.Diameter. 55 mm.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3 - 14 - 29 - 01

Notes

Don Joseph-Nicolas d?Azara Born in 1731 in Aragon, he was the Ambassador in Rome of Ferdinand VI, King of Spain for 20 years, and a very influential person. Azara was a great patron of the arts, and something of a scholar, translating Middleton?s ?Life of Cicero? into Spanish. During excavations in Tivoli a bust of Alexander the Great was found which Azara presented to Napoleon, who in turn donated it to a Parisian museum. Made Spanish Ambassador to France in 1798, Azara subsequently fell out of favor. He died soon after, in 1804. This watch was bought back by Breguet from Bardoxi Azara and renumbered 3799, and sold to Mr. Pardieu on January 31, 1822, for 1,320 Francs. It was bought back again on January 14, 1833 and entered in the registers as No. 1 bis of the new series. The case was engine-turned and the movement renewed before it was resold to Monsieur Ed. De Saint Cricq on May 10, 1833, for the sum of 860 Francs. From the first series of repeaters with jumping hour hand, fitted with the overhanging ruby cylinder escapement used by Breguet for almost all his watches made for everyday use, this watch was also one of the earliest produced by Breguet with a pare-chute, a compensation curb, and bearing his famous secret signature. It was begun soon after Breguet returned from Switzerland in 1795. The case with bezel and back hinged on the central body, is of the ?forme collier? also employed for almost all the ?souscription? watches. The white enamel dial by Cavé, with star minute divisions, is also typical of the early dials with Breguet numerals. The movement with Lépine caliber and the blanks supplied by Pictet are of the type used by Breguet for his early production with virgule escapement. The aperture cut into the single plate enables the newly invented overhanging ruby cylinder escapement to be viewed. All the watches from this series are recorded in the Breguet's books as ?Répétition Garde-Temps échappement isolé?. The first two, Nos. 20 and 21, and the last one, No. 39, are recorded as "perdue ou égarée" on 23 October 1810. All the others were sold between Brumaire An 6 (October 1797) and Prairial an 8 (June 1800). One notes that Breguet's best clients are already among the buyers of these early watches: Général Hédouville, Baron Hottinguer, Général Bonaparte, and several ambassadors. These watches were sold for 1,200 Francs in silver cases and 1,440 Francs in gold. This one, fitted with subsidiary seconds, was the most expensive.