This watch was sold on February 5, 1819, to the Baron de Vietinghoff père, for the amount of 3 000 Francs. This high-quality timepiece by Breguet possesses most of the technical features of the so-called “Première Classe” repeater watches: jumping hour, pull-and-twist piston in the pendant, overhanging ruby-set cylinder escapement, pare-chute (spring suspension of the balance top pivot). Vietinghoff Members of the Vietinghoff family served in governments and military of the Russian Tsars, the German Emperors, the Kings of Sweden, Denmark, Poland, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Württemberg, Saxony and Prussia; they were in the service of the Dukes of Courland and Mecklenburg, the Dukes of Brunswick and Hanover, as well as of the Margrave of Bayreuth; others were judges, privy councils, district administrators and chamberlains. As land owners and members of parliament, they took responsibility for agriculture and forestry, infrastructure and regional social and cultural strategies. A member of the family is listed as a pupil of Martin Luther (1483-1546) in Wittenberg. Many of the female Vietinghoffs served as court ladies or canonesses. Vietingshoffs defended the Western world against the Turkish armies more than once and fought against or for Albrecht Wallenstein (1583-1634) and Louis XIV. Georg Michael, Baron von Vietinghoff (so-called Scheel) becomes royal marshal of the French king. Frederick the Great of Prussia had as many as two generals by the name Vietinghoff. Christian V of Denmark, Carl XII of Sweden, Katherine the Great, Paul I, Alexander I, Nicolas I, Alexander II, Alexander III of Russia as well as other kings of Prussia and German Emperors, they all had a Vietinghoff in their service. 39 of that name fought against Napoléon I (and some of them even for him) in the Napoleonic Wars. The “Baron de Vietinghoff père” who buys this watch is probably Christoph Burchard Schell (1767-1829), Baron de Vietinghoff, Latvian naturalist, Chamberlain at the Russian court and secret adviser to the Tsar, who is visiting Paris for six months in 1819. He is the son of Otto Hermann von Vietinghoff (1722-1792), Livonian politician of German-Baltic origin, subject of the Russian Empire, Colonel, First State Councilor, Senator, Governor of Riga and General Director of the Medicinal College (Minister of Health) of all the Russias under Katherine the Great and one of the two advisors for Livonia, and of and Anna Ulrike von Münnich (1741-1811). Freemason and rationalist convinced, Otto Hermann von Vietinghoff is in relation with the great minds of his time: Georges-Louis Leclerc (1707-1788), Count de Buffon, Denis Diderot (1713-1784), Jean Le Rond d’Alembert (1717-1783), Friedrich Melchior Grimm (1723-1807), Baron von Grimm, etc. He founded a theater in Riga from his own money and maintained an orchestra. De facto, Christoph Burchard is the brother of the famous “Madame de Krudener”, Beate Barbara Juliane von Kruedener (born Juliane von Vietinghoff ; 1764-1824), Baroness von Krüdener, German literary woman of the Baltic, subject of the Russian Empire, French-speaking, known in France under his pen name and whose writings were in his time very controversial Christoph Burchard Schell von Vietinghoff studied law since 1784 in Strasbourg and Göttingen. In 1790, he was Kammerjunker at the heir to the throne, Paul, in Gatchina; then Kammerherr (chamberlain) and in 1796 Hofmarschall of Grand-Duke Konstantin. In 1803, he represented in St. Petersburg, the Livländische Ritterschaft (Livonian knighthood) in dispute over their skills in the Kuratorium (Board of Trustees) of the University of Dorpat. In 1822, he became a member of the Oberschuldirektion (head office). He was a music lover and collector of art and natural science rarities. He was Director of the Russian Bible Society, President of the Mineralogical Society and member of the Philanthropic Society in St. Petersburg, as well as honorary member of the Kurländischen Society for Literature and Art. In 1802, he became an honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. On April 10, 1805, he was elected with the Akademischen Beinamen (academic epithet) Maecenas IV. elected member of the Leopoldina (Matriculation No. 1 030). In 1822, he was host of Alexander I in Marienburg and was awarded the St. Anne’s Order 1st class. In 1825, he withdrew completely from public life because of a half-sided paralysis.