Exceptional Collectors Timepieces, Ho...
Geneva, May 15, 2005
LOT 196
?Regulateur A Tourbillon - Hunting Cased? Breguet, Montre Garde Temps Simple Tourbillon, No. 2567. Sold on March 21, 1812 to Mr. Bigot for 1800 Francs. Re-purchased by Breguet from Mr. Aristide Guilhem, the heir of Mr. Bigot on October 9, 1820 for 1000 Francs. Re-sold to Mr. Allegre, April 27, 1824 for 2000 Francs. Very fine and very rare 18K gold hunting cased pocket watch with one minute tourbillon regulator move-ment by Houriet and Logeat.
CHF 200,000 - 300,000
EUR 130,000 - 200,000 / USD 170,000 - 250,000
Sold: CHF 253,750
C. Three-body, engine turned, No. 616, possibly by Guillaume Mermillod, hinged and sprung front cover, thecenter with an engraved monogram (DA). Glazed cuvette. D. Silver, polished chapter ring with radial Romannumerals and outer dot minute markers, subsidiary seconds, engine turned center and outer border, secret signa-ture.Blued steel Breguet hands. M. 52 mm., by Houriet, frosted gilt, three-quarter plate, turned pillars, fusee andchain, maintaining power, seven pivots jeweled, gilt brass tourbillon carriage with lateral lever escapement byPellet with banking fork, three-arm cut bimetallic compensation balance by Courtin, gold temperature screws andplatinum meantime screws, blued steel Breguet balance spring.Dial signed, case and dial and movement numbered. The back of the dial scratched ?Henri Buhl, 12 April 1879?.The case with Paris discharge marks for 1819 and 1822-1838.Diam. 61 mm.
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Grade: |
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Case: 3 - 10 - 14 |
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Movement: 3 - 6* |
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Dial: 3 - 6 - 01 |
Notes
The present watch is almost certainly unique in being a tourbillon with a hunting case. Breguet and the Tourbillon Regulator Although the patent is dated 7 Messidor of the year IX of the new French Republic (June 26 1801), Breguet seems to have invented the tourbillon regulator upon his return to France in 1795. On 24 Floréal of the year IX, Breguet wrote to the Minister of the Interior to present his invention: ?Citizen Minister, I have the honor of presenting to you a memoir containing the description of a new invention applic-able to machines for time measurement, which I call a Tourbillon Regulator, as well as a request for a ?privilege? allowing me to construct these regulators over a period of ten years. This invention allows me to cancel out, by compensation, the anomalies due to the different positions of the centers of gravity of the regulator movement, to distribute the friction over the entire circum-ference of the regulator's pivots, and the holes in which the pivots are articulated, so that the lubrica-tion of the parts subject to friction remains constant in spite of the coagulation of the oils. In short, to eliminate many of the additional causes of error which have a greater or lesser influence on the preci-sion of the movements, to which art could not previously attain, or only with infinite pains, and often with no guarantee of success. After consideration of these advantages, of the improved means of construction that I have at my disposal, and the considerable expenses I have engaged to secure those means, that I resolved to request a ?privilege? in order to establish the date of my invention and to insure myself the compen-sation of my sacrifices. Salut et Respects Breguet Quai de l'Horloge No. 51? The goal of this invention was to eliminate positional errors in the functioning of garde-temps. It consisted in the escapement's being placed on a platform (or carriage), that made on complete revolution within a given period of time, usually one minute, but sometimes four or six minutes. Though they are not actually eliminated, these errors occur at regular intervals and cancel each other out. In addition, the friction of the jewels in the balance pivots ensures that the oil is better distributed. The first garde-temps to feature this invention bears the number 282 and there is a silver plaque attached to the tour-billon carriage: ?Made in Messd. An 8 (June-July 1800) and signed on the back plate ?1st tourbillon regulator? Additionallly, John Arnold's No. 11 chronometer, bears the words ?1st Breguet tourbillon regulator, added to one of the earliest pieces by Arnold, Hommage by Breguet to the revered memory of Arnold, given to his son, year 1808?. 723: Garde Temps à tourbillon, boite or, vendu à Mr Castaneda le 14 février 1807; 4.000 F. 1187: Garde Temps tourbillon; boite argent; vendu à la Maison de Russie le 23 Avril 1810 le 31 Dec 1810; 3.000 F. 1188: Garde Temps tourbillon boite or, vendu le 1 Aout 1808 à Dr Antonia; 3.600 F. 1204: Garde Temps à tourbillon; boite or, vendu à Mr Frackmann le 6 fructidor an 13; 3.120 F. 1889: Garde Temps à tourbillon; sorti par Profits & Pertes le 14 Dec 1820. 1918: Garde Temps à tourbillon; boite or, vendu au Comte d?Archinto le 1 Février 1822; 4.640 F. 2100: Garde Temps à tourbillon; boite or, vendu au Prince Gagarin le 13 Avril 1822; 3.500 F. 2180: Garde Temps à tourbillon; boite or, vendu au Chevalier de Brito le 14 Mars 1815; 3.000 F. 2208: Garde Temps à tourbillon; boite or, vendu à la Maison de Russie le 31 Décembre 1810; 3.600 F. 2232: Garde Temps à tourbillon; par Profits & Pertes le 31 Dec 1813. 2376: Tourbillon; boite or; vendu à Ducom le 5 Juillet 1817; 2.400 F. 2396: Tourbillon; boite or, vendu à Mr Yermoloff le 24 Oct 1815; 4.000 F. 2436: Tourbillon; boite or, vendu à Mr Delmas; Eveque; 2.000 F. 2483: Tourbillon; boite argent. 2520: Tourbillon; boite à tabatière, vendu le 20 Juillet 1818; 2.400 F. 2522: Tourbillon; boite en tabatière vendue à Mr Delmas, Eveque de Cambrai le 10 Novembre 1819; 2.000 F. 2527: Tourbillon; par Pertes & Profits le 31 Décembre 1818. 2555: Garde Temps à tourbillon, boite argent vendu à Schumacher le 9 Janvier 1823; 3.000 F. 2566: Tourbillon, boite argent;vendu à Mr Testy le 9 Oct 1810; 1.200 F. 2567: Garde Temps à tourbillon 22 lignes; boite or, vendu le 21 Mars 1812 à Mr Bigot; 1.800 F. 2568: Garde Temps à tourbillon, boite or; vendu à Mr Nicolet de l?Observatoire le 31 Décembre 1817; 1.944 F. 2569: Garde Temps à tourbillon, boite or, vendu le 13 Mai 1812; 1.700 F. 2570: Garde Temps à tourbillon, boite or, vendu à Mr Ducom le 17 Février 1817. 2571: Garde Temps à tourbillon, boite or, vendu aux Princes de Valencey le 8 Mai 1812;1.600 F. 2572: Garde Temps à tourbillon, boite or; vendu à Ducom le 25 Mai 1816. 2574: Garde Temps à tourbillon; vendu à Mr le Gl Brisban le 29 Février 1816; 2.000 F. 2586: Tourbillon, boite or; volé le 22 Décembre 1814. 2728: Tourbillon; vendu à Legendre le 4 Novembre 1813; 1.500 F. 2729: Tourbillon; vendu à Mr le Baron Podmaniezky le 28 Octobre 1817; 1.800 F. 2744: Garde Temps à tourbillon, boite or 8414; vendu le 19 Aout 1816 à Plasson Rossel et Cie; 1.920 F. 3466: Tourbillon de 31 lignes. 3204: Tourbillon en boite argent; vendu à W. Parry le 12 Aout 1822; 3.000 F. 3205: Tourbillon en boite argent. 2514: Tourbillon de Souscription gravé no 2; boite en tabatière vendu au Prince Ferdinand le 24 Décembre 1812; 2.200 F. 2980: Tourbillon d?or, le 28 Juin 1819; 3.760 F. 1890: Garde Temps à tourbillon, boite or, vendu à Mr Frackmann le 16 Mai 1809; 3.240 F. 4921: Simple chronomètre à tourbillon, boite or; vendu à Blanchet le 7 Décembre 1836; 600 F. 1297: Garde Temps, échappement à tourbillon; le 29 Juin 1808; 4.800 F. 1176: Garde Temps à tourbillon; boite or; vendu au Comte Potocky le 12 février 1809 ; 4?600 F.. 4022: Simple Garde Temps à tourbillon. 4023: Simple Garde Temps à tourbillon. 4137: Simple Garde Temps à tourbillon; vendu le 17 octobre 1827.