Important Jewelry, Watches and Wristw...

Hong Kong, Furama Hotel, Jun 07, 1999

LOT 434

Breguet, No. 3101, taken into stock on April 19, 1817, sold to Monsieur Blanchet on January 1836, for 400 Francs. Fine and very rare 18K gold, quarter repeating watch with alarm and special escapement, in original red leather fitted box.

HKD 500,000 - 600,000

USD 70,000 - 90,000

Sold: HKD 570,000

C. Four body, "forme collier", made by Tavernier engine-turned a grains d'orge. Hinged gold cuvette. D. White enamel with Breguet numerals, secret signature beneath chapter "12". Blued steel Breguet hands. M. 20"' , gilt brass full plate with cylindrical pillars, the back plate relieved for the free standing barrel, Robin detent-lever escapement, plain brass three-arm balance with pare-chute suspension on the top pivot, blued steel flat balance spring with bimetallic compensation curb on the index. Alarm and repeating on gongs with pull-twist piston through the pendant. Signed on the dial and cuvette. Diam. 59 mm. Accompanied by photocopy of the original fabrication and sales books of Breguet.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good

Movement: 3

Good

Dial: 3-6-01

Good

Slightly oxidized

HANDS Original

Notes

Provenance: Formerly in the Ferguson Collection and subsequently the property of Cecil Clutton, the eminent English collector and author. Sold by Malcolm Gardner in July 1959 to the late Lord I-Iarris of Belmont Park. Literature: Described and illustrated in Antiquarian Horology, Vol. 2, No. 6, March 1958 (photocopy supplied). Note: Watches by Breguet fitted with an alarm train are extremely rare, and in this case, with the addition of quarter repeating and the use of the Robin escapement, it would appear to be unique. According to the fabrication and sales books, the ebauche, in working condition, was purchased from Lallemand for 1130 Francs on 19 April 1817. It then remained in Breguet's workshop until 1819, being converted and finished to his standards, with the cost price rising to 1939 Hanes. For an unexplained reason, it remained in the stock of Maison Breguet for more than 15 years, and was eventually sold for 400 Francs on January 1836. Formerly a pupil of Robin, Lallemand later worked for Louis Berthoud, and after the death of the latter, joined the workshop of Breguet, where he was certainly one of his best workmen. No other example of this type of watch is currently known to exist. Lallemand eventually sold to Breguet another watch which was entirely from his own product: Breguet No. 956, a fine halfquarter repeating watch with Robin escapement (sold by Antiquorum in Geneva in October 1992, lot 328). I-Ie also sold a similar watch to F.L. Godon, Reloxero de Camara de S.M.C. (Sa Majeste Catholique, the King of Spain), No. 506, circa 1805, which was subsequently sold to Emmanuel Godo, Prince de la Paix, Prime Minister of Spain (sold by Antiquorum in Geneva in October 1996, lot 339).