THE ART OF BREGUET

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Apr 14, 1991

LOT 129

A l'Automobile Club de France Astronomical watch No. 2795, sold on 11 June 1932, for the sum of 28,500 Francs. Gold keyless watch with minute-repeating, perpetual calendar, phase and age of the moon, winding indicator and centre-seconds chronograph.

CHF 150,000 - 180,000

Sold: CHF 109,250

Case: 18 ct., three piece, Empire form, "No.B. 2795", with reeded band, polished bezel and back. Gold cuvette.
Dial: Engine-turned gold, signed: "Breguet, No. 2795", with Roman hour numerals on a plain reserve, subsidiary dials for days of the week, months of the year and the date with concentric subsidiary seconds and aperture for phase of the moon the age engraved on the border, a small sector fort the up-and-down calibrated for 30 hours below "XII". Blued-steel Breguet hands.
Movement: Nickelled, 19"', No. 2795, ébauche by Victorin Piguet, with fausses cotes decoration, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic balance. Blued-steel Breguet balance spring. Visible chronograph work on the back plate, the push-piece in the winding crown. Repeating on gongs with the slide in the band of the case.
In very good condition Diam. 51 mm.


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Notes

History: Specially made to the order of the Automobile Club of France,for presentation to their President, Le Vicomte de Rohan, in 1932. Note: Of notably slim caliber for a minuterepeating watch with both perpetual calendar and chronograph, this watch also incorporates an upand- c own winding indicator.
VICOMTE DE ROHAN
Born in 1884 and descended from one of the oldest families in France, the Viscount had a University degree in Science and began his professional career in medecine. The First World War saw him serving as a fighter pilot, being decorated Commander of the Legion of Honour. He soon abandoned medecine for business, becoming Chairman of Société Française de Pétioles B.P. In 1928, he became President of the Automobile Club de France and also of the National Federation of Automobile Clubs. His considerable prestige and talents as an organizer were fruitfully concentrated in the international arena of motor sport and tourism, playing a major role in the early development of motor car regulation world-wide. A man of action by nature, he also presided over the motor sports commission of the French Automobile Club. He was appointed honorary President of both the World Tourism and Automobile Organization and the International Automobile Federation.