History: Bought back from the Comte de Flahaut, on 1 April 1822 for 2000 Francs, this watch was resold on 30 November 1824 to Monsieur le Comte de la Ferronays for the sum of 3400 Francs.
Note: Apart from the addition of a subsidiary seconds ring, this watch is virtually identical to the example sold to Maréchal Ney, No. 2121 (Lot 44). It was also originally fitted with an enamel dial bearing Turkish chapters, and Breguet supplied the present engine-turned silver dial on 8 February 1823 according to the workshop records . (See Lot 44 for a note on the movement caliber).
Auguste-Charles-Joseph (1785 -1870) COMTE FLAHAUT DE LA BILLARDERIE
From the day of his birth on 21st of April 1785, Count Flahaut de la Billarderie was destined to lead a most extraordinary life. Officially, the son of Charles-François Flahaut de la Billarderie, Camp Marshal, it was always in question as to wether he was really the son of Prince Talleyrand (as he, himself always believed) - or the English politician William Windham. His mother, who later became the Marchioness of Souza-Botelho and a famous novelist, was herself the natural daughter of the Fermier Général Bouret. With the death of his father under the guillotine in Arras in 1794, he was brought up in London and then in Argau, Switzerland, before returning to Paris in 1797. Accepted into the circle of Barras and Talleyrand, he entered, with the assistance of the latter, into the Naval Ministry in September 1799, and despite his youth, he obtained a commission in the Hussars of the Consular Guard in March 1800. Closely tied with the Bonaparte family, he campaigned with Louis at Marengo, accompanied him into Prussia and was named Second-Lieutenant and aide-decamp to Murat in October 1802. He enjoyed an intimate relationship with Hortense de Beauharnais and took Caroline Murat as his lover in 1804. At this point he had reached the age of 20. Before his 25th birthday, he was a Colonel and a Baron. Hortense, always in love with him, separated from her husband the King of Holland and joined him in Plombières, France, in June 1810, where they lived together openly. In September 1811, she secretly gave birth to a son in the Valais, Switzerland - given into the care of Emilie Fleury and Auguste Demorny - who was later to become the celebrated Duc de Morny (See Lot 96). imitated by such outrageous behaviour, Napoleon sent Flahaut in 1812, to be an inspector to the Austrian army which Schwarzenberg was to lead into Russia and to Warsaw. During the campaign, he proved his gallantry at Ostrowno and later at Berezina, was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General in December and in January 1813 became aide-de-camp to Napoleon, who now had a considerable respect for him. Flahaut was by now 27. Rising to Major-General and Count of the Empire, he rejoined Napoleon after the "100 days", was present at Waterloo and afterwards entered the Chambre des Pairs where he supported the call for the succession of Napoleon II. Exiled in Geneva, Frankfurt and Holland, he finally reached London where he immediatley joined the elite of society. I-le met Margaret Elphinstone, the extremely wealthy daughter of Admiral Lord Keith, who fell hopelessly in love with him, and they were married in June 1817. The match was a great success and the result five daughters. In 1830 Flahaut was able to return to France, where good fortune again returned to him: reinstatement in the army, reelected to the Chambre des Pairs, officer of the Lt ion d'Honneur, aide-de-camp to the Duke d'Orléans, Grand Cross, Ambassador in Vienna, and under the Second Empire a Senator, Ambassador in London and Grand Chancellor of the Légion d'Honneur. He died on the 2nd of September 1870 at the age of 85 years.