THE ART OF BREGUET

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Apr 14, 1991

LOT 22

A Monsieur Galakoff "Montre à tact" No.1711, first sold on 18 Fructidor an 13 (5 September 1805), for the sum of 3360 Francs. Resold to Monsieur de Castaneda on 31 July 1806, for the sum of 3500 Francs. Small gold watch with concealed "à tact" and portrait compartment, wound through the band with concentric seconds, constructed on the principals of the "garde-temps".

CHF 80,000 - 100,000

Sold: CHF 109,250

Case: 18 ct., four body, collier form, with double back for the concealed portrait, by Tavernier, No. 2346, the reeded band with winding aperture, small push piece to open the portrait compartment, the back engine-turned grains d' org*e, and engraved with a sunburst and monogram "E" in the centre, between two laurel branches. Opening the back reveals the engineturned gold ô taet dial, with touch pins and raised bars; large polished gold a tact hand. Additional push piece to open the double back. Dial: Engine-turned gold, signed: "Breguet et Fils", with engraved Roman numerals on a plain reserve, eccentric seconds and small regulator sector, double secret signature on either side of " X11". Blued-steel Breguet hands. Movement: Gilt brass, 17"', bar caliber, signed: "Breguet, No. 1711", on a semi circular plaque carrying the tact wheel, double going barrels, simultaneously wound by a male key through a right angle gear. Echappentettt naturel with unsprung locking, two escape wheels with five and four teeth respectively. Bimetallic three-arum compensation balance with parachute oil both pivots. Blued-steel balance spiral spring with terminal curves.
In very good condition. Diam. 45 mm.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image

Notes

History: The records indicate that this watch was first sold to Monsieur Galakoff on 5 September 1805, bought back on 19 May 1806 and transferred to number 2099. It was resold to Monsieur de Castaneda on 31 July 1806, for the sum of 3500 Francs. It is recorded that, after repurchasing the watch in May 1806, Breguet gave it to Tavernier on 14 June 1806, to have the back engine-turned with a radial pattern and the enamel monogram engraved.
Monsieur Castaneda was Secretary to the King of Spain, and would therefore have been responsible for carrying out the King's instructions. He was frequently listed in Breguet's books as a purchaser, often followed by the name of the Spanish noble family for whom he was acting. A perpétuelle watch No. 26 bought by the King of Spain , as a gift for his principal Minister Manuel Godoy, Prince de la Paix, and watch No. 1160 (Lot no. 30) were in fact both purchased through Castaneda.
Note: This is certainly the smallest model of a double-barrel garde-temps watch made by Breguet, and utilizes his smallest version of the échappement naturel. As a general rule, Breguet preferred to use two going-barrels in his precision watches rather than the fusee, as employed by all his contemporaries. He felt, and rightly, that such an arrangement would better serve to equalise the force applied to the centre pinion and avoid excessive friction in the pivots. Indeed, virtually all Marine Chronometers sold by Breguet at the time, were also fitted with double -barrels. The echappement nature/ , also used in this watch, was another of Breguet's major inventions. It was the first attempt to make a precision escapement, with direct impulse in both directions (unlike the detent) that would function without the need for oil. Even today, oil remains a problem in watch making due to its tendency to thicken with age and to alter in viscosity at different temperatures. Breguet only used the echappement nature/ for his best timekeepers, particularly these fitted with a tourbillon, as it was extremely difficult to make. For further information on this escapement please refer to the glossary.